Yousuf Karsh: Name of my chosen artist as my inspiration. The goal of Yousuf Karsh’s artwork is to capture the personality and soul of his subjects, who often include famous people like Audrey Hepburn, Winston Churchill, and Albert Einstein. He was interested in expressing something deeper than appearances, such as strength, danger, confidence, or wisdom. Karsh created his portraits during the 20th century, a period marked by significant world events, and they came to represent humanity, power, and influence.

Karsh is known for his dramatic and bright style. He frequently created the face using a single light source, producing striking light-shadow contrasts (chiaroscuro effect). His compositions are typically straightforward and organized; subjects are typically posed, facing the camera or slightly off of it, some making intense eye contact, and intending small body movements. He preferred white and neutral backgrounds that let the subject take center stage or slightly off from the middle but still portray it as the focused object.

I chose Karsh as my artist because his portraits are bold and seem deep. They inspire me to look into the ways that posture and expression may express strong hidden messages and how light and shadow can influence mood. In my own work, I want to try out stilled poses, brightly colored lighting, and simple backgrounds. In my portraits, I want to explore his ability to get a personal response in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

 

Four Images:

The first image is the famous Winston Churchill, taken in 1941.

• Bold and sharp lighting, contrast in the person’s upper body
• Posture indicates power and resilience by portraying a serious mood.

 

The second image is Albert Einstein in 1948.

• Soft lighting; emphasizing the subject’s age and wisdom
• Hands folding calmly
• Background fades to black
• Unlike Churchill, Einstein’s portrait feels quiet. It shows Karsh’s ability to adapt lighting and tone to match the subject’s personality.

 

Third photo: Ernest Hemingway, 1957

• Contrasted lights; displaying his rugged personality
• Closed-up crop, indicating details and the focus point
• Looking away from the camera (maybe a technique I want to try)
• This portrait shows how Karsh used light, texture, and body language to suggest emotion without needing a dramatic pose.

 

Fourth photo: Georgia O’Keeffe, 1956

• Soft light around her face, coming from the window
• Partially in black (bottom half of the photo), and partially whiter (top half)
• Expression is neutral, calm, and instant
• This portrait includes techniques in contrast and form in a way that makes the subject feel timeless, almost sculptural—perfect for an artist like O’Keeffe.

The first key influence I looked at is Steve McCurry, particularly his famous “Afghan Girl”. His use of natural lighting and eye contact to communicate deep feelings motivates me to concentrate on creating close bonds between my subjects and the audience.

“Afghan Girl” by Steve McCurry

 

The next author who influenced me is Yousuf Karsh, who’s famous for capturing dramatic light from simple black-and-white settings, as well as the details of the characters portraying a message to the audiences. His iconic images of Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill demonstrate how expression and body language can reveal personality, which is something I want to explore in my own work.

 

Albert Einstein, and “The Roaring Lion”, by Yousuf Karsh

 

In terms of style, I’m drawn to environmental portraiture, where the background offers information about the subject’s identity or lifestyle. I hope to be able to create deeper relationships between my subjects and their environment with the help of the appeals of this genre.

 

Some examples of environmental portraitures

 

By combining these inspirations, I hope to create portraits that feel authentic, emotionally engaging, and visually impactful. Also, I hope these messages can be communicated and shared with the audiences.

For my photographic exploration, I want to focus on the idea of portraiture in urban identity, as well as how the big atmosphere of the art environments shapes expressions for individuals there. In particular, I want to find out how organized architecture and freeform street art differ in how they portray individuals to upgrade art productions.

Architecture often represents the order in patterns, strength, and stability, while street art symbolizes limit-freeness; creativity; and individuality. I want to show how these opposing forces live in urban settings by combining aspects of each in my artwork showcasing different people. The conflict between control and freedom, uniformity and individuality, is shown in this contrast.

In conclusion, I hope to inspire viewers to think about how urban settings shape the identities of people through my photographs. For instance, whereas the urban atmosphere represents institutions or power, the street atmosphere can provide a voice to underrepresented communities. I aim to illustrate the lively relationship between color, texture, and shape and also how these components represent the cultural values of people in modern society.

Definition:

A portrait is more than just a photograph of a person—it is a representation of art that captures identity, presence, and the subject’s emotions. Portraiture is a powerful kind of visual storytelling, whether it is done with a close-up of a face, an abstract composition, or even possessions that represent unique beings.

 

Essence:

A portrait usually centers on a single person, emphasizing their surroundings, facial emotions, or physical characteristics. Yousuf Karsh’s dramatic black-and-white pictures of famous people highlight power and personality through light and shadow, which are classic examples. Similar to this, Steve McCurry’s well-known Afghan Girl (1984) demonstrates how an outstanding picture creates an intimate personal connection by capturing unfiltered emotion through the girl’s intense vision to the front.

 

 

 

 

 

“Einstein Thinking” by Yousuf Karsh, 1947                                   “Afghan Girl” by Steve McCurry, 1984

 

Selfie vs portraiture: considered?

Although they can be categorized as portraits, selfies often lack the thoughtful narrative and aesthetic considerations established in traditional portrait photography. Selfies are often more casual and spontaneous, missing the depth of carefully crafted photographs.

 

What makes a good portrait?

Whether it’s the subject’s face, hands, or posture, a strong portrait should have a unique focus that communicates a message or a feeling with the majority focus on the person centered. In order to highlight the subject’s personality, portraits also depend on well-considered lighting, background, and framework.

 

Abstract in portraits?

Portraiture isn’t limited to the basic representation of a face. In Irving Penn’s hand studies, a close-up of a hand can be as symbolic and serve as the primary subject in a portrait. Even a torn or faded image may preserve the core of a person, as seen in Francesca Woodman’s invisible self-portraits, where motion blur and distortion create a ghostly presence.

A portrait featuring only hands by Irving Penn                   “Finding Francesca”, Francesca Woodman