 |
Yousuf KarshCanadian photographer, one of the masters of portrait photography
Date of Birth: 23.12.1908
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh was a Canadian photographer and one of the masters of portrait photography. He was born in the city of Mardin, in southeastern Turkey, into an Armenian family. At the age of 14, Karsh was forced to flee Turkey with his parents and resettled in Syria to escape the genocide. Two years later, his parents sent him to Canada to live with his uncle George (Grigor) Nakash. Karsh received his education there and worked at Nakash's studio. Recognizing Karsh's photographic talent, Nakash sent him to study under portrait photographer John Garo in Boston. After four years, Karsh returned to Canada and established his own studio in downtown Ottawa.
Karsh's work soon attracted a diverse range of celebrities, but his highest popularity came in 1941 when he photographed Winston Churchill during the latter's visit to Ottawa. According to the International Who's Who (2000), Karsh photographed 51 out of the 100 most notable people of the 20th century. In his powerful portraits, Yousuf Karsh transformed the human face into a legend. Future historians of the period between World War II and the first satellite will turn to Karsh's psychological portraits of statesmen, scientists, and artists, as well as portraits of those who shaped the face and tastes of the world.
Karsh's Unique Style
Karsh's portraits do not rely on decorative drapery or elaborate backgrounds. He creates the necessary background using light and establishes its relationship with the subject's clothing. In portraits of Nehru, Sibelius, and Marian Anderson, the subject is highlighted by a precise amount of light, contrasting against dark clothing and a very dark background. In the photographs of Shaw and Churchill, Karsh creates a sense of space and depth through lighting effects, which are further enhanced by the subject's well-chosen head turn, hand movements, clothing, and other details. Karsh's excellent technique can visually create what is not present in the subject's character. His portrait style, through which he photographed financial giants, embodied overly dramatic and magnificent photographs that clearly displayed external power without the accompanying internal strength.
The magnificent portraits taken by Karsh will continue to impress future generations. Thanks to his artistic mastery, they will know what the famous personalities of this period in history looked like.
