In the time of personal troubles for actress Ingrid Bergman, of the thousands of photographers who tried, it was Parks who she allowed to photograph her on the island of Stromboli. The public was criticizing her for her scandalous affair. In the photo taken of her in 1949, even without knowing the details of her life at the time, one looking at it can see a story. The three ladies in the background look like nuns, casting a judgmental stare in Bergman's direction. In turn, she's not looking at them directly but her expression shows that she feels their glance.
Parks captures a moment of feeling, of shame and tension.
Parks knows what to include in a picture, and how to include it to get a reaction. He maintains a certain effect by using mostly black and white images. With Flavio's picture, showing the effect of poverty on his entire body was more powerful than if only his face was taken. But that's not the case with the picture of Muhammad Ali. Parks gets close up here, and uses light in such a way that it reflects off Ali's sweaty skin.