I knew i wanted to be a photographer while I lived in London on the 80’s. I was studying comparative literature and saw three different photo exhibitions in a row. The first one was a retrospective of Irvin Pen, then I discovered the work of Willian Claxton and Mary Hellen Mark. I still vividly remember the flow of emotions I experienced at the time contemplating the work of three different master of contemporary photography. I soon purchased my first camera and after a B.A in visual art, never turned back. Today Mary Hellen Mark passed out. I met her in Cooney Island while I was working on a beach story in NYC. She was dressed in black, I remember her long dark hair flowing in the wind and the way she moved along the shoreline.
It is a sad day, she is a main inspiration in my photographic career.
A great article in Time magazine.
