Yousuf Karsh: Regarding Heroes

[johnastovall]

A brilliant essay on Yousuf Karsh and the exhibition now at the Art Institute of Chicago celebrating centenary of Karsh’s birth.

To me Karsh is the greatest portrait photographer in history.

Full essay here.

[dbphotos]

I'm curious, other than his subjects being very well known, what do you feel makes his style and images the greatest? Are they different or unique compared to others in the world and throughout history?

For the record, I like his images as well but I think it may be more the black and white presentation and the subjects than anything to do with his "style".

[johnastovall]

De gustibus non est disputandum.

[MicWayWal]

Thanks John. We can count on you to find jewels like this. I am thinking a train trip to Chicago would be nice.

[Afragola]

Karsh had a gift for capturing the essence of his subject in the instant of his portrait. As Karsh wrote of his own work in Karsh Portfolio in 1967, "Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it if I can. The revelation, if it comes at all, will come in a small fraction of a second with an unconscious gesture, a gleam of the eye, a brief lifting of the mask that all humans wear to conceal their innermost selves from the world. In that fleeting interval of opportunity the photographer must act or lose his prize."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yousuf_Karsh

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...gbv=2&aq=f&oq=