• Yousef Karsh on 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.  Again, highly recommended.

If I can get my act together, I’ll go over a few of the photos over the next few days.  Suffice it to say, it contains photos of past greats.  This is a book on portraiture.  But oh, what portraiture!  I have seen many great portraits, and have heard many people talk about how the point is to make a human connection.  Never have I really seen that in action.  The photos I see in this book don’t reflect the person and his/her personality, it amplifies it.

Just a gorgeous book.  Grab it if you can find it!