This photo is part of Mary Ellen Marks photography series ‘Ward 81’. Ward 81 is a photography project Mark undertook to capture the reality of the lives of patients living in a psychiatric ward in Oregon State Hospital where she admitted herself in order to attempt to capture the reality accurately. I think that this photo in particular was used to showcase the loneliness that being both mentally ill, and in hospital essentially locked away from the world, can actually bring.

This image captures what appears to be a young boy laying on a metal bed besides the barred windows, underneath his covers with his head on top of a scarf, he is looking at a photograph using what could either be quite a blank, or sad, facial expression. The photo is in black and white and this could be because of the time frame in which the photograph was taken due to the lack of modern technology, which is likely, however this is effective in conveying emotion to the audience as black and white is typically known as being more dramatic or upsetting due to the lack of ‘brightness’ about it. The boys bed is placed besides a window behind metal bars, although this image is ineffective in accurately representing the type of institution this is, this does effectively represent the subject was when this was taken was completely secluded and so he must have been somewhat ‘locked up’ or trapped.

Technically this photograph shouldn’t have been too difficult to create. Above the boys head is a window, which is what would’ve been causing all the shadows in the corners of the image and highlights on the subjects face as the window is just above him.