Karsh & Churchill -- Making the shot happen

rutt

[IMGL]http://www.masters-of-photography.com/images/screen/karsh/karsh_churchill.jpg[/IMGL]
Probably everyone in the world has seen this shot and thinks of Churchill just this way. Defiance. We'll fight them on the beaches... We'll never surrender.

The photographer who took this shot was Karsh, the Annie Leibovitz of his day. Here's how he got the shot: he grabbed Winston's cigar out of his mouth and hit the shutter the next instant.

Now that's genius.

Probably a lot of people have heard this story, but probably a lot haven't.

[Moderator: replace the image with a link if you like; this image is reproduced inline all over the internet, though.]

rutt

BTW, this story is in William Manchester's The Last Lion so I'm pretty sure it's the truth.

Andy

Wow - Karsh did this without LAB Curves?

Seriously, I've always loved this shot, and the story too - goes to show you that the personality of the photographer is a big part of the equation. I learned this in my interviews as part of "meet the photographer" series.

rutt

Andy wrote:

Wow - Karsh did this without LAB Curves?

No LAB curves. Lost shadow detail. Centered composition. But who cares? If I'd shot it, I could die happy.

I wonder if it was spontainious on Karsh's part or if he went to the shoot planning to do it? Which way is a better story?

ginger_55

You all have no idea how much that looks like my father! (and he smoked cigars also.)

Love the photo, but I always do a double take.

tbrox

Karsh & Churchill -- Making the shot happen
I was taught that this photograph was one of the first photos published in which Mr. Churchill did NOT have a cigar.........
It was taken in the instant after Mr Karsh "Instinctively (I) removed the cigar".
Mr Karsh records the story in his book. "Faces of our Time".
The photo sitting was done in 2 minutes (Mr. Churchill was busy) in Ottawa, Canada when Mr. Churchill was addressing the Canadaian Parliament.
This portrait has been an inspiration for me for over 40 years!