During the initial trip to Haiti in May 1958 to document the apalling existing conditions, Smith described the making of the best known photograph from the series, Mad Eyes: It was a long, very dark room and there was one light bulb. And this woman-she is a woman-would rush up to the light and stare at it and say, 'Ooooooo', and then she would turn and run away. And then she would turn and run back to the light and look again, 'Ooooooo'. So I tried two or three pictures of it.

Publication of this image was withheld until 1960, appearing in a limited circulation medical magazine, published by International Medical Press for Hoffman-LaRoche, a sponsor of the project.