Portrait photography is challenging.
Contrary to what one might think, black-and-white photography is also challenging — very much so.
Black-and-white portrait photography is a true art form, and its finest expression is the gallery of images captured by Yousuf Karsh.
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Yousuf Karsh was a Canadian photographer.
His studio was located near the residence of Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, who frequently sent various celebrities to him for portrait sessions.
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Although color brings a photograph to life, it is precisely its absence that allows an image to convey a far more powerful and focused message.
In Karsh's photographs, the lighting, background, shadows, and subject's pose come together to create works of art that are both precise and breathtaking in their beauty.
Studying his images, one can clearly see the photographer's meticulous attention to how each scene is lit.
The thoughtful use of multiple, varied light sources makes it possible to create a dramatic, soft, romantic, or menacing atmosphere — depending on the message the photograph is meant to convey.
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Karsh explained his photography philosophy this way:
"There is a secret in every man, and my purpose is to reveal it with my camera.
That secret will flash briefly in a slight, unconscious gesture, and in that fraction of a second when the mask is removed, the best picture can be taken."