Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/02/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi, For a number of reasons, I've been lurking for about 6 months. I was only on this list for a couple of months prior to that, but I just had to jump into this thread. Ted, you've likely seen the CBC Life and Times biography on Karsh. It aired (I think for at least the second time) a couple of months ago. They portrayed him to be a lovely, gentle, humble man. A true gentleman in every sense of the word. Everything I've ever seen or read about him confirms that. Two things about him really jumped out at me in that documentary. First, his manner with his subjects was amazing. They taped him photographing several subjects in his studio, and his ability to put them at ease, to make them feel special and worthy, was amazing! Second, it was mentioned that, contrary to what one might believe, his rates for sittings were about the same as any other studio in Ottawa. I would have thought that it would have cost an arm and a leg to have a portrait done by this titan, who photographed the most influential and beautiful world leaders, actors, celebrities and politicians in the world. Had I known that, I would have ventured into his studio for a portrait. What a keepsake that would be! Thanks for your reminisces, BTW. Truly enlightening. Okay, back to lurking. Talk to ya in another 6 months. <vbg> cheers, frank "The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer >From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> >Hi Eric, >Well if you lived in Ottawa a number of years ago it was quite easy to see >Yousuf and myself together. :-) As well as his brother Malak, an amazing >photographer equal to Karsh, but in the commercial photography field. > >Both of these men were my friends and I was shattered when they passed >away. >We'd shared many fine moments talking photography, looking at prints of >each >others work and the enjoyments we received from being photographers. > >Karsh without question was a master of light and it showed so successfully >in his B&W portraits. And like you I have several of his books and once in >awhile I'll quietly turn the pages as I've done many times in the past. And >when I do there's such a good feeling about what I learned from him and >through his friendship. > >I am very honoured to have two touching moments in my photographic life >involving Karsh. First, winning the Karsh Award for the best B&W portrait >in >Photojournalism presented by the Professional Photographers of Canada in >1971. > >The second in 1999 to be awarded along with Yousuf a "Lifetime Achievement >Award" from the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in >Communication. Now that one is very special indeed. Later we joked with >Malak that we finally caught up to him because he'd received his the year >before. :-) > >When I suggest the most important thing in good photography is always >light, >eyes, action, I mean it most sincerely. And he was just as adamant as I >about the value of understanding how to make light work for you. And it >sure >speaks volumes when you look at his pictures. > >So thank you for bringing it to our attention one more time. >ted > > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/bcomm&pgmarket=en-ca&RU=http%3a%2f%2fjoin.msn.com%2f%3fpage%3dmisc%2fspecialoffers%26pgmarket%3den-ca - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html