Outside of your comfort zone - what would you like to try!

stavrosk · Mar 9, 2012

Thomas Bertilsson said:
What about his portraiture is not amazing?

Like Ralph, I'll keep trying too...

What about just sitting an amazing personality before a wall and taking a picture is not amazing?

hoffy · Mar 9, 2012

stavrosk said:
Yes, someone had to make the things that today seem simple, and I totaly respect that.

I said that however because someone said that he thinks that you are a good portrait photographer today if you reach this type of photoghraphy.
That is where I disagree.

But would it make you a bad photographer. The more I get into photography, the more I find this kind of work appealing. Apart from Pinup, the Mumtographers don't do this kind of work, which is a shame.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 9, 2012

his mastery of lighting is breath taking.

markbarendt · Mar 9, 2012

stavrosk said:
What about just sitting an amazing personality before a wall and taking a picture is not amazing?

The amazing public faces of those amazing personalities, aren't always "on" and the owners of those faces may want, be in the mood for, something different portrayed than the photographer wants.

Regardless of the trend today to take a fly-on-the-wall/candid style photos, sometimes we as photographers actually want to portray something very specific, something we see in them, as Karsh did.

People like Churchill aren't necessarily going to do what we photographers ask, remember in his day job he was generally in charge. Some times we may even need to tick them off to get it.

As to walls (actually to all backgrounds), they have character, they tell us where the subject is and what they might be up to. I wouldn't portray say Japan's PM with the same wall Karsh chose for Churchill, it wouldn't make sense.

We can when we please apply many principles from painting. Every element of a portrait can be chosen.

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 9, 2012

stavrosk said:
What about just sitting an amazing personality before a wall and taking a picture is not amazing?

I fear you're simplifying what he did. Look up Yousuf Karsh's foundation web site, and read about him a little bit.
To me he refined the lighting of photography, and was able to get a very distinctive level of communication going with his sitters. It's a very rare quality I see in most photography. I don't even know who a lot of the people that he photographed are; for all I know they could be strangers. Does it really matter that much that they are celebrities?

In addition, the portraits are beautifully lit for an appearance suiting the sitter. They are beautifully crafted prints with tons of visual impact. I mean, look at those prints!

Finally I have a lot of respect for how he returned the favor of being taught, by being a teacher, offering apprenticeships to young photographers.

vyshemirsky · Mar 9, 2012

stavrosk said:
What about just sitting an amazing personality before a wall and taking a picture is not amazing?

Lighting is another thing to be amazed with. I, actually, tried to achieve a similar lighting style to convey a certain nostalgic mood, and trust me it wasn't easy at all.

Now, imagine coming up with a new way to light a portrait when everyone does it completely differently - that is what separates a genius from the rest.

Yousuf Karsh is my favourite photographer hands down. The idea of using blue sensitive film for Hemingway's photo itself deserves the highest praise - what would be a better way to emphasise subject's personality in this case.

And going back to the original topic of what is outside of the comfort zone...
That would be nude or semi-nude stuff for me - I just have no idea how to do it, or how to make an attempt in doing it, or where to draw a line between the fact of nudeness and art.
I am curious, but I am too afraid of making mistakes going that way - I don't want my peers to say, "now you went completely pervy."

hoffy · Mar 9, 2012

vyshemirsky said:
Lighting is another thing to be amazed with. I, actually, tried to achieve a similar lighting style to convey a certain nostalgic mood, and trust me it wasn't easy at all.

Now, imagine coming up with a new way to light a portrait when everyone does it completely differently - that is what separates a genius from the rest.

Yousuf Karsh is my favourite photographer hands down. The idea of using blue sensitive film for Hemingway's photo itself deserves the highest praise - what would be a better way to emphasise subject's personality in this case.

And going back to the original topic of what is outside of the comfort zone...
That would be nude or semi-nude stuff for me - I just have no idea how to do it, or how to make an attempt in doing it, or where to draw a line between the fact of nudeness and art.
I am curious, but I am too afraid of making mistakes going that way - I don't want my peers to say, "now you went completely pervy."

Ahh, the old nude fear! That is on my list as well and yep it comes down to what is not pervy and what is. I actually thought about this a little while ago and even nearly came to the conclusion that I would probably be more at ease doing out and out porn then an artistic nude, simply because with porn you know EXACTLY what you are trying to achieve....the artistic nude, yes, where is the boarder line between what is art and what is not?

rpsawin · Mar 9, 2012

I'd like to try nude photography but I have body image issues....

Bob

MattKing · Mar 10, 2012

With respect to Karsh and his photographs of famous people.

I saw him speak once before a crowd of several hundred. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand.

Besides his mastery of technique, he also was a master with people, including some with a fair bit of "ego" .

By all accounts, he was immensely personable.

His brother, Malak (sp?) was a fine photographer as well.

Outside of your comfort zone - what would you like to try!

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