portrait+assignment


 * Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002)**

His work incorporated statemen, artists, musicians, authors, scientists, and people of accomplishmet. Karsh liked to improvise and experiment with his work. He started out working with artificial light. It helped him expand his techical capabilities and creativity. His work often lionized the subject, creating dramatic effets that are rich in shadow and light. This aplied especially in portraits of people.

This photograph was taken and accomplished my taking the cigar from Churchill to his surprise, which in result ended up with this glowering expression that still mesmerizing even to this day.

Karsh described that photographers were usually reluctantly to photograph in the maestro's villa, due to his boisterous children, and crowded canvasses. Picasso agreed to meet Karsh at his gallery, but the gallery manager told Karsh that picasso will not come. To everyone's amazement, Picasso kept his photographic appointment, and even put on a new shirt for the picture.



Karsh explained that he enjoyed photographing one who was great in mind, heart, and in spirit. He loved to reveal the true self in his subjects. Often it only takes the gleam of an eye to achieve what he wants in a good photograph.


 * Philippe Halsman (1906-1979)**

He is renowned for his sharp and finely cropped images, giving him a reputation as one of the best portrait photographers in France. He used psychological portraiture, meaning, he compared his work to that of a good psychologist, in which he had an insight of the subject he shot. Halsman revealed the character in his subjects by provoking them with amusing jokes,silence or impertinent questions.

In 1941, Halsman met surrealist Salvador Dali, and they began to collaborate. This piece of work explores the idea of suspension. It shows three cats flying, a bucket of water, and salvador dali. It took him 28 attempts to get it right.

This self portrait of Philippe Halsman makes people wonder at the setting, and emotion displayed in this picture. It shows strong character and meaning.



In this photo, Halsman wanted his subject to fall lose, and not be so stiff and self-conscious when being photographed. When the mask falls, all he needed to do was snap the camera.



In this picture, Halsman used three techniques which he called, the missing feature, the added unusual feature, and and the unusual technique. These three techniques were also discussed in his 1961 book,"Halsman on the creation of photographic ideas."