What for you makes great photography? Let me know your thoughts below! If you're travelling anytime soon or need data abroad, check use 'Special5' at Saily: go.saily.site/aff_c?offer_id=101&aff_id=6428
As a doctor and a photographer, I've often wished to take documentary series of people coming through the clinic, but the world has changed ( for the better in many respects). Now confidentiality and privacy would prevent me from taking on a project like this. I recently visited a friend in a psychiatric hospital. All cell phones or cameras had to be kept under lock and key in order to enter the psych unit. Even though it's good that people's right to privacy is now more respected, i still feel that there are situations and groups of people that people are ignorant of , and the world could be better if people were invited to understand their worlds. Thanks for this most interesting, educational and provocative video.
Thank you so much I appreciate your words as a doctor, I actually agree with you that while it is great people’s privacy and confidentiality is respected, I do think photography is still a great way to put down much ignorance and preconceptions the world still has. Thank you for watching!
Hello, Tatiana. I think the great strength of her work is that every photo has a soul. Not just a story but goes deeper than "telling a story with a photo". They are not just photos, they are documents about a person. Kind regards from the Netherlands.
Ms Hopper. I just happened to find your channel on a random popup. I must say that I enjoyed your video and found it very informative. Mary Ellen Mark's work you have posted is outstanding and an eye opener, her photographs take me back to a younger time of my life. My EMS career started in 1980, I was just 18yrs old, it continued until 2011. I still remember transporting patients to mental health facilities and seeing for myself, either iron bars or expanded metal over the windows. Yes improvements have been made, and the iron bars have been replaced with unbreakable glass, but even towards the end of my career these places were ugly and depressing. I am thankful for people like Mary Ellen Mark who brought attention to the public eye.
One could spend a lifetime pondering this question of what makes a great photograph as it is highly subjective; my own personal answer is that a great photograph should provoke an emotion and lure you into image, to be engaged by the story contained within. I found the images from Ward 81 a bit unsettling, yet fascinating to me- that illustrates the power of what great photographs can do. Thanks for the lessons Tatiana!
Thank you Sebastian that’s a very thoughtful answer I appreciate it. I had a similar response to you when I first came across these questions. Hope you’re keeping well.
Yet another great video, Tatiana! Mary Ellen Mark was one of the greatest photojournalists of the 20th Century. Her unrivaled compassion was legendary. She shined a beacon of light on those who lived in darkness. Something we need now more than ever. America has struggled to understand and deal with mental health for decades. When advocates advised locking up people with mental issues was inhumane and a violation of their rights, the hospitals and wards were shut down, and the people they treated were released. Unfortunately, without a safety net, many had nowhere to go but the streets. While this was or is the only reason for the homeless crisis in America, it is definitely a factor, and one nobody seems able to find a solution to.
That’s actually some good perceptive Terry, I’m not American or ever lived in the US so I appreciate you sharing the idea of how America has seen and perceived mental health for decades. Thanks so much for watching 🤝🏻
Perfect timing for the release of this video! It is something that I have been questioning lately and your notes in relation to Mary Ellen Mark on what makes a photograph great is something to take into great consideration. Thank you Tatiana for releasing this video! Looking forward to the next ones as well!
Glad it was a great timing, its a question that was on my mind since I checked her exhibition at Westlich, appreciate you and thanks for watching another video and being a member of the channel!
Being the photo documentarian she was, Mark captured the heart and soul of those women who were struggling with their mental health issues. If she had used color film instead of black and white, it might have distracted the viewer from the photograph's subject. Excellent job you did here.
Tatiana, thank you for creating these beautiful videos. Each of them is such a portion of inspiration and knowledge. Keep creating, your work is so valuable
A wonderful person and photographer. No matter the subject, it’s a pity so many people remain unchanged when are shown reality. I’ve never felt so threatened by the ability of the media and those who use it to shape and control people’s perceptions.
Wow, what an interesting subject matter. I worked in a psych unit when I was in college. One of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. I believe it’s important to educate people about mental health. Mental illness is too often stigmatized when the reality is that it’s an illness like diabetes. You could never film in a mental hospital today. They don’t have the mental capacity to even consent to be photographed.
Wow, Tatiana. Ward 81 .That's just intense. But what you said starting around 10:50 about the connection between subject and the approach (etc) is really meaningful. Thanks for this. Oh, and congrats again on your second channel for movies. Looking forward to even more great thoughts. :)
At beggining of january i was in WestLicht museum in Vienna at exhibition of Mary Ellen Mark, titled the Lives of woman. Really stunning and unforgettable experience. Great video as always !
What makes a great photograph? This is a question that has resonated with me since childhood. My father, a professional photographer, and Vietnam War veteran, created images that always struck a deep chord with viewers. In my youthful admiration, I once asked him why his photos were so perfect. He replied, "Son, you only need one great photograph to tell a story," and then chuckled, "Besides, you haven't seen all the ones that didn't make the cut.
Well that’s actually very true, especially when I look at the stories behind famous photos like the migrant mother by Dorothea Lange, your father’s words fit perfectly, many attempts didn’t make the cut but the one that made it remained timeless. Thanks for watching!
Did you see the show at Arles? Amazing. One thing about techniques: by creating photos that are powerfully composed and lit, Mark compels you to look. Some doc photography privileges the subject over making a great image, whether through lack of skill on the part of the photographer or some fear that it the photo is too beautiful it demeans the subject. The result is that it is easier to look away from such work. She was brilliant in maintaining the balance.
Wow the photo at 07.29 is very striking. If that had been cropped tighter so you couldn't see her hands in shackles, you would think it was a portrait of maybe a model or an actress. Powerful.
I never thought of that actually, I selected that photo mainly because there were so many photos with shackles that I couldn’t present on UA-cam that I wanted something that subtle enough and illustrative of these women’s treatment but yes it is a great point.
@@TatianaHopper Thank you for replying and I'm glad you agree. I often wonder from old photo essays like this, what happened to the people in them? I would like to think some of these women eventually found peace in themselves and hopefully managed to live a life outside of the hospital.
I wondered that as I was editing this video, I couldn’t find any information however I find comfort knowing that we have evolved in our approach as society to mental health, women with mental health diagnosis and treatments applied.
@@TatianaHopper Indeed. I remember back in the mid 70's visiting my grandad in what was then called a "mental asylum", I was only around 6 or 7 at the time and I can still see the haunted faces in that place. My grandad was a medic in World War 1 and then worked in a coalmine for the rest of his working life. Sadly I was too young to really know him and my lasting memories of him were in that awful place. Today I know he would have been diagnosed with terrible PTSD from his time in the war, so seeing your video about Mary Ellen Marks' work at the Oregon hospital brought back some memories.
Thanks as always Tatiana. To me, Ward 81, it says more about her as a person than a photographer. And I say this with the greatest of respect and admiration for her work. And I wonder now....and perhaps any photojournalists here can tell me, but now in 2025 if your work is restricted more now than it would of been in 1976, for example? I just wonder if Mary Ellen Mark would be given the authority to do the work she did then, now? On a different note, enjoying Wim Wenders polaroid book I received recently. Was made aware of him through you Tatiana. And finally. I am from Ireland by birth. And have lived here in The US for many years. Maybe for a future video an Irish photographer? Thanks as always❤
Hey thank you so much, I appreciate your vision and tend to agree with it too, while not an active photojournalist there is a comment here from a doctor speaking on privacy and confidentiality so I suspect it would be harder these days without expressed consent with every single person at the facility. About Wim Wenders, thanks for watching that video and getting the book, glad to know you’re enjoying it. Yes perhaps a photographer for Ireland could be a good idea, any suggestions?
Okay I enjoyed this video as I watched I kept thinking more and more deeply into this question, my answer will always be emotion, wether good or bad, its that first reaction when you see something you react instinctively not logically so yes emotion. But I agree with your points, provoking is a big idea for me too. Cheers!
A list of factors can make people consider photographs as great photography. Sometimes all it takes is the notoriety of the subject next to window light. Or the attractiveness of the subject. Or it could be unique access without anything else being done in terms of how the photographs are made or taken that is not different than what is commonly seen with subjects that people have common access to.
One flew east … One flew west … Trying to define what makes a great photo will land you in the cuckoo’s nest 😂 Great video. These photos also made me think of Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’
hey Tatiana, great vid as always. what's the outro song called ? I think you have used it before..as your sense for music seems as developed as the one for photography it could be interesting for some if you would credit the songs you use at some point. thanks a lot and best regards
Hey, I actually keep forgetting to add the link to the description, just did that, the song is Larry Towell's Outhill Ferry Blues. He is also a photographer, video about him is on the channel :)
Unfortunately, the recent election in the US has put some in power who seek to further marginalize those who are already facing great difficulties not of their own making, often simply because they don't fit into arbitrarily rigid social constructs (many of which are absurd). Related to this, mental health continues to be widely stigmatized, and ridiculously not considered to be worthy of coverage in a health "care" system that is profit-based, rather than outcome-based. Documenting the victims such social injustice continues to be a great need, in order to increase awareness that all is not well, and many simply aren't lucky enough to not have fallen through the cracks (and luck is such a huge factor). Anyway, I see the Twin Peaks poster(?). So sad that we just lost David Lynch--such a great director and photographer (thanks for covering him in the past). BtW, I just finished reading Alfred Stieglitz: An American Seer by Dorothy Norman, an excellent account of not only his photography but his life and enormous contributions to art in the early 20th century. Highly recommended, and certainly a worthy subject for a Tatiana treatment...
This Is a great video on how world was better before all these false sense of today privacy, when your project Is to connect with people, document and try to show worlds other than pretty cats and dogs in the sunshine. The beautiful photography and the beautifulness of the real people is dying with the woke culture
What for you makes great photography? Let me know your thoughts below!
If you're travelling anytime soon or need data abroad, check use 'Special5' at Saily: go.saily.site/aff_c?offer_id=101&aff_id=6428
As a doctor and a photographer, I've often wished to take documentary series of people coming through the clinic, but the world has changed ( for the better in many respects). Now confidentiality and privacy would prevent me from taking on a project like this. I recently visited a friend in a psychiatric hospital. All cell phones or cameras had to be kept under lock and key in order to enter the psych unit. Even though it's good that people's right to privacy is now more respected, i still feel that there are situations and groups of people that people are ignorant of , and the world could be better if people were invited to understand their worlds. Thanks for this most interesting, educational and provocative video.
Thank you so much I appreciate your words as a doctor, I actually agree with you that while it is great people’s privacy and confidentiality is respected, I do think photography is still a great way to put down much ignorance and preconceptions the world still has. Thank you for watching!
Hello, Tatiana.
I think the great strength of her work is that every photo has a soul.
Not just a story but goes deeper than "telling a story with a photo".
They are not just photos, they are documents about a person.
Kind regards from the Netherlands.
Ms Hopper. I just happened to find your channel on a random popup. I must say that I enjoyed your video and found it very informative. Mary Ellen Mark's work you have posted is outstanding and an eye opener, her photographs take me back to a younger time of my life. My EMS career started in 1980, I was just 18yrs old, it continued until 2011. I still remember transporting patients to mental health facilities and seeing for myself, either iron bars or expanded metal over the windows. Yes improvements have been made, and the iron bars have been replaced with unbreakable glass, but even towards the end of my career these places were ugly and depressing. I am thankful for people like Mary Ellen Mark who brought attention to the public eye.
I took a workshop with Mary Ellen many years ago. She is an excellent example of great photography, and one whose life work is worthy of study.
One of your best vidéo Tatiana! Very beautiful, deep and emotional. I saw the movie Streetwise last year, wish is a masterpiece.
Very powerful work giving a voice to those on the margins-especially those in institutions. Mark’s work is a visual testament.
Agreed! Thank you for watching!
One could spend a lifetime pondering this question of what makes a great photograph as it is highly subjective; my own personal answer is that a great photograph should provoke an emotion and lure you into image, to be engaged by the story contained within. I found the images from Ward 81 a bit unsettling, yet fascinating to me- that illustrates the power of what great photographs can do. Thanks for the lessons Tatiana!
Thank you Sebastian that’s a very thoughtful answer I appreciate it. I had a similar response to you when I first came across these questions. Hope you’re keeping well.
Yet another great video, Tatiana! Mary Ellen Mark was one of the greatest photojournalists of the 20th Century. Her unrivaled compassion was legendary. She shined a beacon of light on those who lived in darkness. Something we need now more than ever.
America has struggled to understand and deal with mental health for decades. When advocates advised locking up people with mental issues was inhumane and a violation of their rights, the hospitals and wards were shut down, and the people they treated were released. Unfortunately, without a safety net, many had nowhere to go but the streets. While this was or is the only reason for the homeless crisis in America, it is definitely a factor, and one nobody seems able to find a solution to.
That’s actually some good perceptive Terry, I’m not American or ever lived in the US so I appreciate you sharing the idea of how America has seen and perceived mental health for decades. Thanks so much for watching 🤝🏻
Perfect timing for the release of this video! It is something that I have been questioning lately and your notes in relation to Mary Ellen Mark on what makes a photograph great is something to take into great consideration. Thank you Tatiana for releasing this video! Looking forward to the next ones as well!
Glad it was a great timing, its a question that was on my mind since I checked her exhibition at Westlich, appreciate you and thanks for watching another video and being a member of the channel!
Being the photo documentarian she was, Mark captured the heart and soul of those women who were struggling with their mental health issues. If she had used color film instead of black and white, it might have distracted the viewer from the photograph's subject. Excellent job you did here.
Thank you for watching, I appreciate the feedback and yes I much agree with you on the subject of colour!
Tatiana, thank you for creating these beautiful videos. Each of them is such a portion of inspiration and knowledge. Keep creating, your work is so valuable
Thank you so much Dominika!
Grabbing my cuppa ☕️ have a great Sunday everyone!
Cheers!
PS - I have a second channel, if you like movies: ua-cam.com/video/ZCKeMKzH9zU/v-deo.html
Thank you for having this discussion. I’ve been thinking a lot about what changes I need to make to my approach to head in this direction.
Thanks for watching, I hope the videos can help! Best to you.
Thank you Tatiana, this videos are every single time fantastic and light my mind
Thank you for watching! 🤝🏻
A wonderful person and photographer. No matter the subject, it’s a pity so many people remain unchanged when are shown reality. I’ve never felt so threatened by the ability of the media and those who use it to shape and control people’s perceptions.
This is one of my favourite videos you've ever made! Well done 👏
Thank you so much Sophie! I appreciate it.
Nice. I recently saw an Exhibition of Mary Ellen Marks work here in Vienna at Westlicht. We enjoyed it very much.
Same here, I visited that exhibition at the beginning of January and it was great!
@@TatianaHopper Really? Do you live in Vienna as well? Or just visting?
Was just visiting :)
@@TatianaHopper I see :) Where do you live?
Wow, what an interesting subject matter. I worked in a psych unit when I was in college. One of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. I believe it’s important to educate people about mental health. Mental illness is too often stigmatized when the reality is that it’s an illness like diabetes. You could never film in a mental hospital today. They don’t have the mental capacity to even consent to be photographed.
Wow, Tatiana. Ward 81 .That's just intense. But what you said starting around 10:50 about the connection between subject and the approach (etc) is really meaningful. Thanks for this. Oh, and congrats again on your second channel for movies. Looking forward to even more great thoughts. :)
Thanks for the feedback Chris I appreciate it and thanks again for checking out both channels!
i love mary ellen mark!
At beggining of january i was in WestLicht museum in Vienna at exhibition of Mary Ellen Mark, titled the Lives of woman. Really stunning and unforgettable experience. Great video as always !
I visited too around the same time, I can confirm it was indeed a great experience!
@TatianaHopper Btw Vienna is Mecca for photo nerds. All that camera stores, labs, galleries near Westbahnstraße, i was pleased 😄
I know I landed in that street where Westlich is located and was like wow! Definitely something to explore deeper on a next visit!
What makes a great photograph? This is a question that has resonated with me since childhood. My father, a professional photographer, and Vietnam War veteran, created images that always struck a deep chord with viewers. In my youthful admiration, I once asked him why his photos were so perfect. He replied, "Son, you only need one great photograph to tell a story," and then chuckled, "Besides, you haven't seen all the ones that didn't make the cut.
Well that’s actually very true, especially when I look at the stories behind famous photos like the migrant mother by Dorothea Lange, your father’s words fit perfectly, many attempts didn’t make the cut but the one that made it remained timeless. Thanks for watching!
Did you see the show at Arles? Amazing. One thing about techniques: by creating photos that are powerfully composed and lit, Mark compels you to look. Some doc photography privileges the subject over making a great image, whether through lack of skill on the part of the photographer or some fear that it the photo is too beautiful it demeans the subject. The result is that it is easier to look away from such work. She was brilliant in maintaining the balance.
Brilliant! Thank you once again!
Thank you so much Tony!
Wow the photo at 07.29 is very striking. If that had been cropped tighter so you couldn't see her hands in shackles, you would think it was a portrait of maybe a model or an actress. Powerful.
That’s a great point actually
I never thought of that actually, I selected that photo mainly because there were so many photos with shackles that I couldn’t present on UA-cam that I wanted something that subtle enough and illustrative of these women’s treatment but yes it is a great point.
@@TatianaHopper Thank you for replying and I'm glad you agree. I often wonder from old photo essays like this, what happened to the people in them? I would like to think some of these women eventually found peace in themselves and hopefully managed to live a life outside of the hospital.
I wondered that as I was editing this video, I couldn’t find any information however I find comfort knowing that we have evolved in our approach as society to mental health, women with mental health diagnosis and treatments applied.
@@TatianaHopper Indeed. I remember back in the mid 70's visiting my grandad in what was then called a "mental asylum", I was only around 6 or 7 at the time and I can still see the haunted faces in that place. My grandad was a medic in World War 1 and then worked in a coalmine for the rest of his working life. Sadly I was too young to really know him and my lasting memories of him were in that awful place. Today I know he would have been diagnosed with terrible PTSD from his time in the war, so seeing your video about Mary Ellen Marks' work at the Oregon hospital brought back some memories.
Thanks as always Tatiana. To me, Ward 81, it says more about her as a person than a photographer. And I say this with the greatest of respect and admiration for her work.
And I wonder now....and perhaps any photojournalists here can tell me, but now in 2025 if your work is restricted more now than it would of been in 1976, for example? I just wonder if Mary Ellen Mark would be given the authority to do the work she did then, now?
On a different note, enjoying Wim Wenders polaroid book I received recently. Was made aware of him through you Tatiana.
And finally. I am from Ireland by birth. And have lived here in The US for many years. Maybe for a future video an Irish photographer?
Thanks as always❤
Hey thank you so much, I appreciate your vision and tend to agree with it too, while not an active photojournalist there is a comment here from a doctor speaking on privacy and confidentiality so I suspect it would be harder these days without expressed consent with every single person at the facility.
About Wim Wenders, thanks for watching that video and getting the book, glad to know you’re enjoying it. Yes perhaps a photographer for Ireland could be a good idea, any suggestions?
@@TatianaHopperI don't, sadly and from my own lack of knowledge. It's something I need to personally research.
No worries, thanks so much!
Okay I enjoyed this video as I watched I kept thinking more and more deeply into this question, my answer will always be emotion, wether good or bad, its that first reaction when you see something you react instinctively not logically so yes emotion. But I agree with your points, provoking is a big idea for me too. Cheers!
That's a great point, I think I did mention emotion at the end, however, looking back I should've mentioned earlier, thanks for watching my friend!
@ it’s a fine video!
🤝🏻
A list of factors can make people consider photographs as great photography. Sometimes all it takes is the notoriety of the subject next to window light. Or the attractiveness of the subject.
Or it could be unique access without anything else being done in terms of how the photographs are made or taken that is not different than what is commonly seen with subjects that people have common access to.
Powerful photographs
One flew east …
One flew west …
Trying to define what makes a great photo will land you in the cuckoo’s nest 😂
Great video. These photos also made me think of Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’
Thanks Pat 😅
great video :)
Thanks for watching!
Is it a coincidence that this video showed up on my fyp the day i got my first ever camera??? even tho i wasn't subscribed to you? :)
hey Tatiana, great vid as always. what's the outro song called ? I think you have used it before..as your sense for music seems as developed as the one for photography it could be interesting for some if you would credit the songs you use at some point. thanks a lot and best regards
Hey, I actually keep forgetting to add the link to the description, just did that, the song is Larry Towell's Outhill Ferry Blues. He is also a photographer, video about him is on the channel :)
@@TatianaHopper Thank you Tatiana, will look at it asap 👌
What song is that though?
Which one?
@TatianaHopper featured in outro section
Outhill Ferry Blues by Larry Towell (Link in description - just updated it). Ps - he is also a photographer.
hi do you know the photographer Herbert List? You could talk about it in a video. Thank you.
I don’t actually! Will check it out, thanks.
Unfortunately, the recent election in the US has put some in power who seek to further marginalize those who are already facing great difficulties not of their own making, often simply because they don't fit into arbitrarily rigid social constructs (many of which are absurd). Related to this, mental health continues to be widely stigmatized, and ridiculously not considered to be worthy of coverage in a health "care" system that is profit-based, rather than outcome-based. Documenting the victims such social injustice continues to be a great need, in order to increase awareness that all is not well, and many simply aren't lucky enough to not have fallen through the cracks (and luck is such a huge factor).
Anyway, I see the Twin Peaks poster(?). So sad that we just lost David Lynch--such a great director and photographer (thanks for covering him in the past). BtW, I just finished reading Alfred Stieglitz: An American Seer by Dorothy Norman, an excellent account of not only his photography but his life and enormous contributions to art in the early 20th century. Highly recommended, and certainly a worthy subject for a Tatiana treatment...
This Is a great video on how world was better before all these false sense of today privacy, when your project Is to connect with people, document and try to show worlds other than pretty cats and dogs in the sunshine. The beautiful photography and the beautifulness of the real people is dying with the woke culture
Interesting take, thanks for sharing and for watching!