Ellen Murphy Warner ’65 is an award-winning photojournalist who has traveled all over the world to capture images of people and communities. Later in her career, she became an accomplished portrait photographer, with a particular interest in photographing authors and artists, as well as a writer. Her book, “The Second Half: Women Reveal Life after 50,” a collection of photos of and interviews with a diverse cohort of older women, will be published next spring. Ellen holds a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College and lives in Manhattan. To view samples of her work, visit www.ellenwarner.com.
*Published in the 2021 Alumnae Bulletin
How did you get your start in photography? Is there an early memory that stands out to you?
The summer I graduated from college, I took a 15,000-mile road trip — down to Mexico City, up the West Coast and across the country — and took photos along the way. The next year I worked at the Ford Foundation editing grants. The following year, I worked there part time and took a professional photography course in the afternoons. At the end of the year, there was a contest, sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior. I was one of four winners. The prize was to take photos all over the city for what was to become a permanent display at the Statue of Liberty. In fact, the exhibit was up for only about eight years until they remodeled the statue. We were supervised by Tom Orr, the photo editor of Newsweek, and were individually sent up in helicopters and on the rivers in small boats. That launched my career.
How would you characterize your career thus far? Can you describe the accomplishments of which you are most proud?
I’m most proud of the gambles I’ve taken. Over the years, I’ve developed two specialties — portraits and photojournalism. Within portraits, I’ve specialized in author portraits. When I decided to specialize in these, I contacted the best literary agents in London and said I would like to photograph specific clients for free. I chose very well-known writers because I thought they would be good in a portfolio. In fact, it turned out to be a smart business decision because they sold many books, and for each edition (hardback, paperback, each foreign country), I was paid separately. The other big gamble was travelling, often alone, to very remote parts of the world. I sometimes felt nervous, but thought, “I don’t want to be held back because I’m a woman.” There are always ways you can ensure that you will be safe (for example, hiring a guide).
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I love meeting people from all walks of life and learning from them. Who are they? What is important to them? Then it is challenging to try to capture those qualities in a photograph that also has artistic merit.
How has the pandemic had an effect on you professionally, either in the way you actually have had to work or in your approach to and vision for your projects (or both)?
I haven’t photographed much during the pandemic — I’ve just taken the occasional portrait outdoors. I have used the time to edit my book, which will be published March 2022.
Of all the countries and regions you have worked in, which is your favorite and why?
I love being in the back of beyond, far away from civilization, in the midst of the beauty of nature, meeting people who live close to the earth. I also love wide-open spaces. My favorites of the places I’ve photographed are the Saharan countries — Egypt, Algeria, Morocco — and the Gobi Dessert in Mongolia.
What do you try to communicate when photographing people?
As a photojournalist, I am drawn to indigenous cultures. I want to record ways of life that are rapidly disappearing and, in the process, explore the visual relationship of customs and ethnic dress to nature and to the history of the culture. Balance in composition is important to me. I look for elegance of line, for graceful gestures, for patterns. The same compositional concerns apply to my portrait work, where I look for ways to evoke the mystery of a subject through expression, pose and relationship to the background.
What inspired you to embark on your “Second Half” project, which highlights women over 50?
In 2003 I first went to Patmos, a Greek island that I fell in love with and now return to every year. The way I get to know a place is to take portraits of the people who live there. Fifteen years ago I asked a beautiful French woman, who had been coming to Patmos for 35 years, if I could photograph her. She had just turned 70, and, while I was taking her portrait, I asked her what it felt like to be 70. I found myself listening attentively, not in the abstract way I usually do when talking to a subject while really focusing on the composition of the picture. I had been thinking about aging myself. This is what I want to know, I thought. What does it feel like to be 70, 80, or 100 years old? How will I feel when I lose my looks or my ability to be independent to travel alone to remote parts of the world? What is it like to know that the end of life is approaching? And that was the birth of “The Second Half.”
Did your educational path lead you to your professional pursuits?
I majored in History of Art at college. The study of art taught me to see composition, color and form. That has been the major influence on my career.
For how long were you at Chapin? What resonates most about your years there?
I was at Chapin for nine years, then went to boarding school. I had lots of friends, although I suppose I was in some ways quite shy. So here’s a shout out to all students who feel they are not excelling in any particular way. School is not the end of your world, it’s just the very tiny beginning. You are getting a good foundation at school and you can spring forth in your own way afterwards.
In what ways do you feel Chapin prepared you for college and beyond? What particular skills or interests did the School help foster?
Chapin taught me to organize my thoughts while writing. That has spilled over into other areas of life. To get anything accomplished, you have to be organized. You can hang loose within that framework, but you need a framework. What other aspects of your life played a role in who you are today and what you’ve achieved? I have always been interested in the spiritual side of life. For years, I was involved with the Episcopal Church as a vestry member and warden. For the past 15 years, I’ve been studying Buddhism, which has had a great impact on my life. I love to read. I love to learn. For the past 18 months, I’ve been studying Russian history and literature with a group of six friends, and I am also in two book groups. I learn from other people. It has been fascinating to interview women over 50 from all over the world about the second half of life. I ask them what advice they would give to younger women and have learned a lot!
What advice would you give to current Chapin students or young alumnae interested in pursuing a career as a photographer, photojournalist, or writer (or all three)? How might you consider yourself a role model?
You can’t make much money as a photographer, photojournalist or writer, even if you are very successful. You have to do it because you love it. I really believe that women must be self-sufficient. They must never rely on a man. I did rely on my husband, but I have been lucky. I haven’t divorced and my husband has been able to foot most of the bills. I also had the luxury of taking time off from my career when my children were little. If you want to be a photojournalist or writer you have to be prepared to work very hard. The rewards are great, but you must do it with your eyes open. On the plus side, I think women have an easier time than men as photographers or photojournalists. Women appear less threatening and therefore are accepted in situations that might be more difficult for a man to access. I don’t think I’m a role model. Everyone will do it her or his own way.