6. Theme or focus of images
Yousuf Karsh took portrait photographs of some of the most important figures of the
20th century- he captured their essence within one single frame. Above are six
examples of his work- (1) Martin Luther King, (2) Jacques Henri Lartigue, (3) Albert
Einstein, (4) J.F Kennedy, (5) Margaret Thatcher and (6) Princess Grace of Monaco.
Yousuf Karsh makes his subjects the pinnacle of the photographs, he represents them
in a way we believe them to be- he has portrayed them in a strong and powerful
manor. Each image has a sense of truthfulness in it; the subjects photographed were
well established people that were looked up too by many. We see this sense of
nobleness and admiration in the images from the way they’re posed, they’re
demeanour connotes heroism. Yousuf Karsh gave all his subjects a heroic persona, it’s
a unique element of all his photographs; however he did in such a way that no two
people were ever presented to us in the same way- the images stay true to the
subjects and who they are. Each photo amplifies their personality and everything
they’re about.
All of his photos give us a certain perception of the subjects he’s photographed.
Martin Luther King was one of the greatest leaders in the African-American Civil Rights
Movement, he is famously known for his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. This important
element of his life is represented in his photo-. In the image we see him gazing into the
distance- just like he has a ‘dream’- his pose is almost acting as a political statement,
it’s everything he has worked and stands for.
Einstein is one of the greatest physicists in history. The image shows him in a very
benevolent way. His facial expression is very powerful in terms of emotion, Yousuf
Karsh has made his eyes and hands the key focal point images- it’s as if he is
contemplating something yet at the same time his hands are showing us that he
stands proud of his achievements- we are made to feel proud.
There’s a certain ideology that we relate to presidency that has been captured in the
photo of J.F Kennedy. He has been posed in such a way that he portrays a
stereotypical heroic persona. People viewed him as the protector of their country
and themselves- Yousuf Karsh has given him this essence of immortalness. He’s been
presented to us in such a way that when we see this image we’re made to feel as if
he’s proud of his country.
Margaret Thatcher was the first female president in the UK. This prestigiousness and
eliteness plays a big part in the photograph- Yousuf Karsh clearly wanted her to
appear as a very powerful woman. Margaret Thatcher has been posed in a way that
her demeanour appears proud. Becoming the first female president was a very
7. honourable moment. Personally I believe the image is representing an iconic moment
in politics for women.
Becoming and prince or princess- particularly as children- is something we all dream
of. Stereotypically in in fairytales they’re viewed as friendly and open figures; however
Yousuf Karsh has presented the princess of Monaco realistically. Princess Grace is a
powerful and highly regarded women, she comes from a very prestigious family. She
has been presented to us in a way that represents this, we can see in the image that
her head is held high- this is to show how important and better off than us she is. Whilst
her features have been accentuated, there is a clear focus on the jewellery on her
neck- this is showing us her wealth.
From the above six images it is not obvious as to where they were taken, however
personally I believe it to be a studio since the same backdrop is used in every image.
Composition
Yousuf Karsh makes his subjects the focal point of his photos- they are the ones telling
a story. The aim of his work is to capture there essence, therefore the images are
taken as close ups so all our focus is on them. Any eye catching scenery that may
take our attention away from the subjects is excluded. The purpose of this is too place
an emphasis on how important the photographed subjects are. In all his images
Yousuf Karsh accentuates the hands and faces; they are much more contrasted than
the rest of the image. Heroism plays a pig part in his work. By choosing to only
photograph the subjects he is conveying to us that they are the heroes, they’re faces
alone are the only thing that matter.
Techniques used
Think shutter speeds, rule of thirds & depth of field
The rule of third has been applied to the images- their eyes are within the focal point of the
image. A dark backdrop seemingly appears to have been used, however artificial studio
lighting has been used, therefore I believe the shutter speed Is around 1/1000. As to not
overexpose the subjects faces an aperture of around f14 would have been applied.
Strengths & Weaknesses
A key strength in Yousuf Karsh’s work is his ability to portray his subjects in such a way
that it represents them how we believe them to be- powerful and influential people.
However I don’t like how each subject is depicted as a hero just because of who they
are. The fact they’ve been presented to us as hero’s shows that they’re putting on a
front- everyone has down days. Yousuf Karsh’s work will influence my own work in the
fact I want to capture a photo that presents someone in a way that shows who they
are and everything they stand for. However I want it to be real rather than how others
