Focus on Words

“Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my
task to reveal it if I can.”
“My chief joy is to photograph the great in heart, in mind, and in spirit, whether
they be famous or humble.”
Josuf (his given Armenian name was Hovsep) Karsh (1908 – 2002) was a Canadian
photographer of Armenian origin and one of the most famous portrait photographers of
all time. He was born in Mardin, a city in the eastern Ottoman Empire (present Turkey).
He grew up during the Armenian Genocide. (“I saw relatives massacred; my sister died
of starvation as we were driven from village to village.”)
After the family immigrated to Canada, the boy got interested in photography. His
uncle saw great potential in his nephew and sent him to Boston, Massachusetts, United
States to study photography. Karsh returned to Canada four years later, eager to make
his mark. He established a studio and soon Karsh’s work attracted the attention of
varied celebrities, but his place in history was sealed on 30 December, 1941 when he
photographed Winston Churchill. The image of Churchill brought Karsh international
prominence, and is claimed to be the most reproduced photographic portrait in history.
In 1967, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The image captured Churchill
and the Britain of the time perfectly — daring and unconquerable. Churchill later said
to him, “You can even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed.” Karsh had a
gift for capturing the essence of his subject in the instant of his portrait.
Odri Hepbern
Winston Chirchil
Pablo Picasso
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Ernst Hemingway
Of the 100 most notable people of the century, named by the International Who’s
Who [2000], Karsh had photographed 51 among them Albert Einstein, Princess
Elizabeth, Earnest Hemingway. His work is in permanent collections of the National
Gallery of Canada, New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of
Art, National Portrait Gallery in London, the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and
many others.
Read the text and answer the questions.
There is much more than just clicking
There are various types like still photography, digital photography. If you love
photography, then a career as a freelance photographer is well worth considering. If
you could do something very well do it for a living. Freelance photography as a special
interest is a great option and many people are now getting into freelance photography
from home.