Photos of Indian prostitutes by Mary Ellen Mark
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I came across photographer Mary Ellen Mark on a random search of creative things about India. She was one those photographers who shot with respect and expressed deep emotions through her pictures. In her series of explicit and provocative photo documentary, Falkland Road: Prostitutes of Bombay, she captures the plight, the hopes and dreams of street prostitutes in India’s Falkland Street.
6 comments
C Dee Wednesday 11 April 2012
I note the use of the past tense in referencing Mary Ellen Mark (“She was one those photographers…”). She is, in fact, alive and kicking and continues to work with dedication on many photographic projects. I hope readers will be inspired by this entry to seek out her other work and learn more about one of the greats. Thanks for this post.
Anne Wednesday 11 April 2012
I just returned from ‘Bombay’ this week, and I disagree that those photos show a minuscule fraction of any kind of reality there. Theres nothing stylised or fun about it, and theres is only a squiliionth of the emotion of it in those photos. It’s filthy, cruel, and appalling. So awful that if I saw a photographer there having a crack at ‘shooting with respect’ and creating art for personal profit or doing anything but educate with the truth, I would have asked what the hell do they think they were doing, it w as so bad.
Kelso Saturday 14 April 2012
I agree, there is nothing respectful about these photos and nothing creative. They are a cheap shot at integrity. The girls photographed are unaware of the photographer’s intent and are exploited by her in the process. Their faces are here for everyone to see and the world now knows them as prostitutes. The photos are shit from a creative point of view. Crap shots with a bit of curve action and some burn on the edges. Sorry – makes me angry that anyone would submit this.
Anne Friday 20 April 2012
Checked out this photographer and can’t believe the audacity. Check out the interview in BOMB years ago. Gritty photography is not the same as exploitation. Imagine getting long term professional mileage out of pics of a californian homeless family living in their car, in exchange for some groceries and the kid saying he felt worthless after she left. Nice one. But she takes the cake herself in this quote about shooting in calcutta: “,,,,,,maybe selfishly, because it was part of taking the pictures. It taught me something. It was incredible picking up people that weigh nothing.” I have no words for this.
Giri Mane Thursday 13 September 2012
hi! by looking at your photography its spellbond,its other side of their living on other hand they have responsibilties of supporting their families,you find different types of prostitution as temple prostitution found in places like saudatti in karnataka
Neil Wednesday 27 February 2013
This is the bitter truth that women have to work as a sex worker due to poverty n responsibility of their families. We always see only one side of prostitutes and always curse them for their jobs. But these pics show the different picture. My heartly thanks to photographer n the one who uploads the pics.