I want to give an example of what I meant yesterday when I said that Yousef Karsh would catch the person in his portraits and amplify the person’s personality. Witness (follow the link, I don’t own it) his portrait of Audrey Hepburn:
There are several things about this photo. First, it is much, much better in print. It’s larger, there are better details, and it’s much more impressive. I believe that this is true of all of Karsh’s work. See it in print, or you lose much of the intent.
Now, the subject is Audrey Hepburn. Ms Hepburn is, of course, one of the most beautiful creatures to have lived on this planet. But she was much more than that, even in 1956. Go ahead, read the Wikipedia article on her. It’s worth it. When Karsh was doing her portrait, he captured a great deal of the suffering and sadness that went with her. He also captured her elegance and her subtle strength.
This image is on the back cover of Regarding Heroes
