Yousuf Karsh, photographer essays

Yousuf Karsh, photographer essays Youseph Karsh was a world-renowned photographer, famous for his photographs of dignitaries and political figures. Karsh was born in Turkish Armenia in 1908. At the age of 14 he and his family fled to Syria to avoid the genocide being committed in Armenia. At 16 years of age his family sent him to Canada to live with his Uncle who was a portrait photographer. When he was 20 his uncle sent him to Boston to study photography with John Garo, who was considered one of the top ten portrait photographers in America. What was to have been a six-month apprenticeship lasted three years. Karsh was exposed to famous people from the world of music and theatre and he decided that when he branched out on his own he would only photograph those men and women who leave their mark on the world. In 1932 Karsh moved back to Canada and opened his photography studio in Ottawa, there he caught the eye of Canadas Prime Minister, Mackenzie King. King set him up to photograph political figures. In 1941 King arranged for Karsh to photograph Winston Churchill, who was visiting Canada, Churchill had not been notified he was having his portrait made until he was being ushered into the room. Grumbling, he lit a cigar and told Karsh he had exactly two minutes to take his picture. Karsh, knowing he did not have adequate time to get a good photograph, calmly walked over to Churchill, plucked the cigar from his mouth, and saying, forgive me sir, released the shutter. Afterward Churchill told Karsh You can even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed. Karsh sold this photograph to Life magazine for $100. It has become the most reproduced portrait in American history. Karshs goal when photographing someone was to expose the essential element which has made them great, explaining, All I know is that within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task ...