6.5.14

Irving Penn

Penn was first known as a fashion photographer and worked in this field for several years with Vogue magazine. Penn constructed bizarrely angled backdrops to create an austere, enclosed space; the sense of physical confinement bringing out interesting reactions in his subjects. Penn recalled in his 1991 book "Passage"; ‘This confinement, surprisingly, seemed to comfort people, soothing them. The walls were a surface to lean on or push against.’ The set up did bring a sense of drama to the portraits, driving the viewer's focus onto the person and their expression; in many photos, the subjects appeared wedged into the corner. 



Penn was a master of studio lighting; however often opted for natural light. For working on location, Penn created a portable studio with a skylight, set to face north with impressive results. 


As well as people, Penn also photographed still life, using the same composed style with carefully considered arrangements.

Yousuf Karsh

Yousuf Karsh, who shot to fame following his portrait of Winston Churchill; The Roaring Lion, has in his portfolio, images of many great heroes. Karsh’s images show great variety in posture and lighting while capturing brilliantly the individual character of the subject; as stated in the L.A. Times, ‘Each picture captures not only an image but a personality’. The body language, direction of gaze  and hand gestures work together with lighting and effects to hint at the type of person being portrayed.
His portrait below of Albert Einstein is lit from slightly behind so that the light skims across his face, highlighting the deep wrinkles which show great wisdom and character; true to type, Karsh has captured the pensive look on the academic’s face. French author, François Mauriac’s silhouette is given an aristocratic feel using edge lighting to highlight only the edges of his noble features. Karsh’s portrait of playwright, Bernard Shaw is lit from a high angle creating strong highlights and shadows in his face and clothing; Karsh has perfectly captured Shaw’s quizzical demeanour.

Karsh’s became well known for his hero worshiping ethos and as a result, his subjects knew that going in front of his lens would bring them iconic status. He was trusted by all to bring out the best in his clients, boosting their public persona:
"There is a brief moment," he believed, "when all there is in a man's mind and soul and spirit may be reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude. This is the moment to record. This is the elusive 'moment of truth.”
It has been written that Karsh’s motivation stemmed from a belief in the dignity, goodness and genius of human beings.
Karsh’s work has been in a variety of mass media, including postage stamps and currency and is recognised in both European and North American culture.