Yousuf Karsh was born in Syria in 1908, of Armenian parents. He arrived in his new home of Canada in 1925 after leaving his birthplace of Syria. He was sent to live with his uncle Nakash, who was an already established photographer, in Ottawa, Canada. After working with his uncle for some time, his uncle arranged an apprenticeship with H. Garo, who was stationed in Boston, a fellow Armenian and a famous photographer. He left Boston in 1931, and opened his own Studio in Ottawa. He then slowly grew his fame in Ottawa which then grew into nationwide fame and then finally he became internationally renowned. He took portraits of well know accomplished people throughout history, ranging from people like John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro to other fellow artists such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. Towards the end of his life he closed his studio in 1992, then retiring back to Boston in 1997. He lived there for 5 years until one day, after complications following surgery, he passed away. He died on July 13, 2002, he was 93.
Karsh was obviously a portrait photographer. He has even been called one of the 20th century’s greatest portrait photographers. He gained fame by photographing statesmen, dignitaries, artist, musicians, authors, scientists, and men and women of accomplishment. He studied light immensely and knew that it is what guides us through the photograph and can even determine what we look at first. Therefore he used different kinds of lighting depending on the situation, he could use plain natural light, or a highly immense amount of light with a complicated setup. He looked for moments of pure emotion. Most of his photos were taken when the subject wasn’t even being prompted to do anything. With that method he was able to capture the purest form of that person because they are showing their true emotion.
Yousuf’s work inspires me in a number of ways. The first and foremost being his ability to show the pure emotion of the person. I’ve always had issues being able to do that with my subjects, they always look lifeless and as though they have no emotion, which portraits have the tendency to do when done wrong. Yet somehow he is able to capture that person at their purest form and I envy it. Another thing that I strongly admire about his work is his ability to use lighting. He is able to set up the perfect lighting for every shot. Whether it be a natural light from a window or the direct harsh light of a lamp. It always turns out perfect, and even adds to the character and emotion that the subjects are already showing. I envy his work, and hope that I am able to attain anything close to what he was able to do.
Karsh was obviously a portrait photographer. He has even been called one of the 20th century’s greatest portrait photographers. He gained fame by photographing statesmen, dignitaries, artist, musicians, authors, scientists, and men and women of accomplishment. He studied light immensely and knew that it is what guides us through the photograph and can even determine what we look at first. Therefore he used different kinds of lighting depending on the situation, he could use plain natural light, or a highly immense amount of light with a complicated setup. He looked for moments of pure emotion. Most of his photos were taken when the subject wasn’t even being prompted to do anything. With that method he was able to capture the purest form of that person because they are showing their true emotion.
Yousuf’s work inspires me in a number of ways. The first and foremost being his ability to show the pure emotion of the person. I’ve always had issues being able to do that with my subjects, they always look lifeless and as though they have no emotion, which portraits have the tendency to do when done wrong. Yet somehow he is able to capture that person at their purest form and I envy it. Another thing that I strongly admire about his work is his ability to use lighting. He is able to set up the perfect lighting for every shot. Whether it be a natural light from a window or the direct harsh light of a lamp. It always turns out perfect, and even adds to the character and emotion that the subjects are already showing. I envy his work, and hope that I am able to attain anything close to what he was able to do.
I love this photo fro the reason that Karsh is able to perfectly capture the personality, style, and behavior of Dali with just one photograph. You can see Dali's energy and craziness, and are able to tell just how outgoing he was, just with this picture.
With this photograph Karsh is able to show the sheer power and will that Castro established in his rule over Cuba. With just one image you can get a feel for just how truly ruthless this man was.
Out of all of Karsh's photos I believe this one is the most accurate in capturing the personality of the subject. Frank Lloyd Wright was a light heart, high spirited architect who is credited for inventing the prairie style home along with the craftsman style home. He was playful and creative in the way he built his homes, and you can see that trait shine through in the personality of this photo.