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grahams

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    WEEKLY DISCUSSION No.31 - Winston Churchill Portraits by Yousuf Karsh

    in Casual Photo Conversations

    Posted

    <p >Well, this certainly has been an interesting discussion. Whether you like the work of Yousuf Karsh or not, you have to admire his work ethic and skill. He produced a prodigious body of work to a consistently high standard which, if nothing else, ensured a continuing stream of customers. As has been said, “<em>When the rich and famous started to think of immortality, they called for Yousuf Karsh!”</em></p>

    <p > </p>

    <p >Returning to my original question, the general consensus of opinion seems to be that the scowling portrait of Churchill is preferable to the smiling one. Reasons given are either due to technical factors or just personal preference. </p>

    <p > There has been much discussion about whether Karsh succeeded in revealing his subjects’ “inner character” or not. In my opinion, Karsh portrayed his subjects according to how they saw themselves, or wanted to be seen, at the time. He was, after all, a businessman, and I think customer satisfaction played a large part in his success and reputation. It is also worth noting that he said “<em>Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it </em><strong>if I can</strong><em>. The revelation, </em><strong>if it comes at all</strong><em>, will come in a small fraction of a second ………….” </em>However, I can agree with Fred G when he wrote “Karsh's statement of his own goal to uncover the person behind the mask sounds like something cool to say and something I've heard said before and since. But it doesn't sound like it really reflects what he was doing and it rings hollow coming from his lips.”</p>

    <p >As for the quality of the images that I posted links to, I would have preferred to post the images of my choice here, but I was unable to obtain clarity on the status of the copyright on the Churchill, Eisenhower and Kennedy portraits. Some sources state that they are now in the public domain and others, that copyright still remains in the Karsh estate. It seems that the 70 year rule is not universally accepted or may not yet have come into effect. I therefore had to use links to images that were of suitable size and that were sanctioned by the Karsh estate, the quality of which can be problematic. I am quite sure that Karsh produced prints of both Churchill portraits to a similar high standard. As for his lighting, I agree with Dan South that Karsh lit his subjects in a way reminiscent of classic motion picture treatment and I can vouch for this because my father, who is a retired DOP of the "old school" often referred to “Karsh’s style” when lighting a set!</p>

    <p >Lastly, my thanks to you all for your participation and lively interest in the subject of Yousuf Karsh’s portraits of Winston Churchill. </p>

    WEEKLY DISCUSSION No.31 - Winston Churchill Portraits by Yousuf Karsh

    in Casual Photo Conversations

    Posted

    <p>When I was asked to start the discussion this week, on an iconic photograph, I had difficulty deciding on the photograph that I would use. However, portraiture is my favorite discipline and I therefore choose to open the discussion by asking your opinion on not one, but two iconic portraits.<br /><br />Yousuf Karsh is one of my all time heroes. If I could have chosen a photographer to work for as a gopher and tea boy in my formative years, I would have chosen Karsh. When most teenagers worshipped teen idols from the silver screen or the sports stadium, I worshiped Yousuf Karsh. From very humble beginnings, Karsh had the good fortune to be sent from Armenia to live with his uncle in Canada, when he was a child. His uncle was a photographer and arranged for the young Yousf to be apprenticed to a Boston, MA portrait photographer, John Garro, in 1928. The rest, as they say, is history, because Karsh went on to become one of the greatest portrait photographers of the twentieth century. <br /><br />One of Karsh’s most iconic portrait photographs is that of Winston Churchill. Made in 1941, when Churchill was in Otttawa to address the Canadian House of Commons, it has become synonymous with the very essence of Winston Churchill as the man who led Britain to victory in the second world war. Karsh had the rare gift of being able to portray the inner character of his subjects. He wrote, “Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it if I can. The revelation, if it comes at all, will come in a small fraction of a second with an unconscious gesture, a gleam of the eye, a brief lifting of the mask that all humans wear to conceal their innermost selves from the world. In that fleeting interval of opportunity the photographer must act or lose his prize." That Karsh achieved his prize is evident in his work. Look at his portrait of JFK, and one sees the visionary. Look at his portrait of Eisenhower, and one sees the determined leader. Look at Nelson Mandella and one sees the compassionate statesman with a sense of humour. <br /><br />Karsh’s portrait of Winston Churchill became an instant hit in 1941, but few realise that Karsh made two portraits, the second one has Churchill smiling at the camera. Karsh told the story of how he captured the images, in his book Faces of Our Time. He said,"He was in no mood for portraiture and two minutes were all that he would allow me as he passed from the House of Commons chamber to an anteroom. Two niggardly minutes in which I must try to put on film a man who had already written or inspired a library of books, baffled all his biographers, filled the world with his fame, and me, on this occasion, with dread." Churchill marched into the room scowling, "regarding my camera as he might regard the German enemy expression suited Karsh perfectly, but the cigar stuck between Churchill’s teeth seemed incompatible with such a solemn and formal occasion. "Instinctively, I removed the cigar. At this the Churchillian scowl deepened, the head was thrust forward belligerently, and the hand placed on the hip in an attitude of anger." Karsh captured Churchill’s mood perfectly and titled the photograph “The Roaring Lion.” As Churchill’s mood lightened, Karsh captured another image of him, smiling. Karsh himself admits that this second image is his favourite of the two.<br /><br />I show you both images here. In my opinion, the first, scowling portrait portrays the man as he is remembered, but the second, smiling portrait reveals that inner secret that few were privy to. I prefer the second. Which do you prefer, and why? Should Karsh have released both portraits?<br>

    Churchill Scowling: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw08607/Winston-Churchill?set=262%3BPhotographs+by+Yousuf+Karsh&search=ap&rNo=2<br>

    Churchill Smiling: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw08608/Winston-Churchill?set=262%3BPhotographs+by+Yousuf+Karsh&search=ap&rNo=3<br>

    JFK: http://c300221.r21.cf1.rackcdn.com/yousuf-karsh-a-photographer-in-the-shadows-of-his-famous-subjects-photos-1389370147_b.jpg<br>

    Mandella: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vfl7PnKAkI/ToiKaXj0jwI/AAAAAAAALKs/Bsw8VtKVpQU/s640/Nelson-Mandela-by-Yousuf-Karsh.jpg</p>

    <p>You can see more of the work of Yousuf Karsh here: http://www.karsh.org/</p>

    <p> <br /><br /></p>

    Om1 and Om2

    in Olympus

    Posted

    <p>Billy - If you don't want them throw them my way!<br>

    Lockup with an OM2n means a low battery or bad battery connection.<br>

    You can still pick up a mint OM2n on the evilbay or from a reputable dealer like B&H. Just needs patience.<br>

    Pentax ME Super is same size and weight and SMC Takumar lenses are also superb.</p>

     

    Om1 and Om2

    in Olympus

    Posted

    <p>Billy, both cameras should give you the same reading on an average subject, even though they have different metering systems. The OM1 takes it's reading from the viewfinder screen and the OM2 takes it's reading from the reflection of the light off of the front of the shutter curtain or, for exposures of 1/60th sec and longer, off of the actual film surface (OTF) once the shutter has opened.<br>

    I would guess that the meter battery connection in your OM2 is bad. This is a common fault and is easily repaired by a competent Olympus technician. While this is being done, the meter could be checked and adjusted if necessary or, you should compare the readings from both cameras to a known good meter to find out which camera's meter needs adjusting.</p>

    OM multiple exposure

    in Olympus

    Posted

    Taking up the slack by gently winding the rewind crank back and then holding it there while you disengage the sprocket advance by turning the rewind switch and cocking the shutter with the advance lever should prevent the take-up clutch from pulling the film and moving it too much, but it will not prevent the film from moving entirely. Just don't put too much pressure on the rewind crank.

    Ricoh 500

    in Classic Manual Film Cameras

    Posted

    Mike - The switch on the lens is the flash synchronisation setting - M=normal flashbulbs, f=focal plane flashbulbs and x=electronic flash. The slider on the back is the rewind switch - hold it in the direction of the arrow while rewinding the film to disengage the film advance sprocket.

    It'sthe lens that makes the picture, isn't it?

    in Pentax

    Posted

    Thank you all for the kind words - Edward, I use a Pentax brand M42 adaptor. I have no trouble focussing with the iris stopped down, but I prefer lenses that have the "manual-auto" diaphragm switch, which makes it very convenient to simply focus wide open and then switch to "manual" to close the iris. The only caution I must give you is to beware of Rikenon lenses in PK-A mount, which have the infamous "Rikoh Pin" that will get stuck in the autofocus drive pinion cavity of the lens mount on the body, and make it impossible to remove the lens unless you know how. Otherwise I use all of my M42 Super Takumars and CZJ lenses on the K10D with great results.

    pentax 35 - 80 what is the A

    in Pentax

    Posted

    Alice - PK-A lenses can be used on cameras that have "P" for program or "SV" for shutter priority, modes. The diaphram ring on the lens is set to the "A" mark - there is usually a catch to lock it in this position - and the camera will then set the required aperture automatically.
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