Yousuf Karsh

Yousuf Karsh was a master of studio lighting. Although he didn't always use it in a studio. He had an amazing way of making any scene look like it was shot in a studio. Sometimes sittings would take all morning or all afternoon to set up. When lighting he often lit the hands separately. For most of his career Karsh used an 8x10 bellows Calumet Camera, made in the 1940's in Chicago.

He developed his film by inspection, a laborious and old fashioned procedure. He would selectively desensitize the emulsion so the tonally reversed image could be examined under a special safelight. To evaluate densities as they built up in the emulsion and to still leave them thin enough so highlights were not inelegantly clotted required a familiarity with the exact opacities that would correspond to the tones Karsh envisioned on a particular photographic paper. This took training, stamina and finesse. After many years of apprenticeship Karsh would allow the development of the less challenging exposures to an assistant. After would come the task of printing the final image to his high standard. The processed he used for printing the final image varried because he used many different paper. Some he used gelatin silver print some were photomechanical reproduction(offset Lithography). He also used Gravure prints. A gravure print is a photomechanical intaglio process print. It was developed in the mid-19th Century, in which the image is transferred to the printing plate by using a light sensitized gelatin film surface on a metal plate which is then etched. The gelatin silver process is used with currently available black and white films and printing papers. A suspension of silver salts in gelatin is coated onto acetate film, fiber based, or resin coated paper and allowed to dry.

The image of Grace Kelly (top left) that Karsh took I find absolutely beautiful. It's a real contrast to his other images where they are very dark and has very hard lighting. It's so bright and elegant. I love how he has her positioned in the photo. Her had his basically centred while her body is fades off to the right. It looks to me like he must have lit her from every angle. The top of her had is very bright, from an over head light, but there is a glow around her and very hard edges, so it must be back lit as well, while her dress every ruffle is also catching the light. He made her look so soft with the soft lighting on her face. I love the contrast of the darks and whites in the image too. The whites are perfectly white and the shadows in her hair are perfectly black.

In complete contrast to the Grace Kelly picture, is the Picasso picture (middle). I love this picture because it really captures how I always pictured Pablo Picasso. Being a very hard, almost disturbing looking figure. I love the texture of the stone walls around Picasso. It helps to make him stand out. It also adds to the affect of making him look very hard and rough. The way Karsh lit Picasso, I love. It really makes the wrinkles on the forehead and the scowl really stand out. I like the positioning of the subject as well. He looks like a very small man in the frame, the way his eyes aren't in the usual, top third of the image but more towards the centre.

The bottom image is of Pierre Elliot Trudeau. I really like this one because of the way Karsh made him look like a regular guy. Even though he was prime minster for 17 years. He looks like a very hard man. Contemplating something important. I love how the front of the face is nice and bright and it fades all the way to black. I also love the light behind the subject, very bright along his face, making a nice hard edge. Karsh really does an amazing job of capturing every wrinkle on the face. Even though Trudeau is very young in the picture, you made all his little flaws stand out. I love the placement in the image. I really like that it's a close up of the face, really showing off that intense contemplation. I'm glad the leather jacket is included, though, helping to make him relatable and not just another guy in a suit. I really want to know what the subject is looking at off the frame. Karsh captured the fears gaze amazingly, leaving room for us to make our own assumptions.

I find all of Karsh's work absolutely remarkable and he is most definitely a master of lighting.