Karsh has photographed many thousands of subjects in the last 50 years, principally portraits of distinguished men and women in every field of endeavor: statesmanship, the arts, and the sciences. Karsh prefers to take his portraits in the subjes own environment. His meticulous lighting characteristically emphasizes dramatic highlights and shadows, clarity and rich textures. In his portraits he attempts to convey to the viewer a fusion of the subject's personality with his or her public image and to reveal the sitter's "inward power." In regard to his working methods, Karsh has emphasized the photographer's need for rapport: "In a successful portrait sitting the photographer must prepare by learning as much as he can about his subject so that immediate rapport will hopefully be realized, for the heart and the mind are the true lens of the camera." Although Karsh's subjects are mainly the achievers of the world, he himself has said that he likes to photograph "the great in spirit, whether they be famous or humble."' height= Karsh Yousuf Photography: Winston Churchil, 1941
Karsh Yousuf Photography: Winston Churchil, 1941