Famous Portrait Photographers Of The Twentieth Century

By Christi Larsen


Not all photographers are able to do portraits well. This very particular field of photography requires a special skill and expertise. Some photographic experts have been able to capture individuals in breathtaking, powerful and especially memorable images, some of them celebrities but not always. These are some famous portrait photographers of the 20th century.

Born in London at the beginning of the twentieth century, Cecil Beaton is one of Great Britain's finest photographic treasures. His first camera was received at the age of eleven. He held the position of staff photographer in New York in the nineteen twenties for top publications Vanity Fair and Vogue, where his skill was recognized. He had made the decision to move to the States from the UK in order to open doors for himself. The experience acquired during this time is what helped him hone his skill.

In 1965, Cecil Beaton was made Honorary Fellow of the Photographic Society of Great Britain. He was knighted in 1972. In his seventy six years, Beaton's clients included none other than Marilyn Monroe and members of the British royal family, as well as the British prime minister Winston Churchill.

Latvian-born Philippe Halsman left Austria to move to France after an incident that caused the death of his father, which he was then charged for. He left France to go to America when the French invasion took place. One of this photographer's most famous images is that of Albert Einstein, which became TIME magazine's cover, naming Einstein 'Person of the Century'. The same image was found on a United States postage stamp in the mid sixties.

Halsman has also captured surrealist Salvador Dali through his lens. Through his friendship with the artist, his own work took on surrealist qualities as they embarked on several collaborations together. Hollywood celebrities that have been photographed by Philippe Halsman include Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.

One of the world's most accomplished photographers of all time is Yousuf Karsh. This Armenian-Canadian photographer was born in Turkey at the end of the first decade of the 1900s, but went to live with his photographer uncle in Canada. He was an apprentice of photographer John Garo for 4 years in America, where he further developed his skills.

He rose to international acclaim when he took a portrait of Winston Churchill. That particular image is supposedly the world's most reproduce photographic portrait ever. Karsh also found himself on the twentieth century's 100 most notable individuals. He was the sole Canadian on this list. He has photographed Brigitte Bardot, Mother Teresa, Fidel Castro and Albert Einstein, to name but a few.

Famous portrait photographers are famous because of their uncanny skill in capturing one's true essence. A single photograph should be able to tell a story, convey an emotion or describe a thought in order to make a huge impact. Such photographs do not need to be of famous individuals. This is the case with the 'Afghan Girl' portrait, taken by Steve McCurry. This images proves that a photographer can become an immortal with just one iconic piece of work.




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