The photographer I selected to study is Yousuf Karsh. Karsh worked throughout the 20^th century as a photographer and was well renowned for his work. Karsh’s specialty was portraits; almost all of his most popular works were portraits taken of a single person. One of his first portraits was of Winston Churchill, which would be the photograph that launched his career. My favorite piece that he created is the portrait of Ernest Hemingway.

Karsh’s portrait of Ernest Hemingway

It is very simple; just a straight on shot on Ernest. His use of light and shadow makes the photograph incredibly striking. The background is black so as to not distract the viewer. The subject is lit from multiple angles making him appear somewhat radiant. It almost makes me feel like Ernest is glowing or emanating his own light. The lighting always focuses on the face of the subject, ensuring that the viewer’s eyes will be drawn to it. All of his works allow his audience to peek into the lives of his subjects. He captures not only their image but also captures a sliver of who they are. His work feels intimate; as if we are glimpsing in on an extremely personal moment in the lives of his subjects. This is very apparent in his portrait of Jim Henson. In this portrait Jim is smiling, but not in a way that seems forced. He is not smiling for the camera. It is a genuine smile. He is looking away from the camera and appears to be laughing.

Jim Henson

This is exactly the side of him that represents who he is. He enjoyed bringing happiness to people and this portrait captures that. For more information about Yousuf and his life or to see more of his work visit his site at http://www.karsh.org/#