Outstanding Portrait Photographer To Admire?

[jerrybro]

My father was an excellent portrait photographer whose images blended Karsh like lighting formality with relaxed invitations to the sitter to talk, or be expressive in whatever way they chose. He used a view camera and took great pains to compose a picture so that light would reveal features successfully, and focus would have as much dof as possible, and then he would stand beside the camera and not look at the GG again. He would talk to the sitters, and get them to forget the camera was even there. Since most subjects were used to seeing a photographer glued to the view finder, his detachment from the GG put them at ease. They didn't even realize he'd tripped the shutter with a long cable release until he went back to the camera to change the film holder. Because of the moving around I've done over the decades, I no longer have any of his work. but I remember the best of it vividly to this day. So....my dad was my favorite portraitist!

I've made my favorite portraits using this exact technique. Shame you do not have any of his work to share, I would have loved to see it.