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Karsh & Churchill -- Making the shot happen

ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
edited December 14, 2005 in Technique
[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.]
If not now, when?

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    ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited December 3, 2005
    BTW, this story is in William Manchester's The Last Lion so I'm pretty sure it's the truth.
    If not now, when?
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    AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited December 3, 2005
    Wow - Karsh did this without LAB Curves? lol3.gif

    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.
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
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    ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited December 3, 2005
    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?
    If not now, when?
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    ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited December 3, 2005
    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.
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
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    tbroxtbrox Registered Users Posts: 7 Big grins
    edited December 14, 2005
    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!
    Tim B

    http://tbrox.smugmug.com
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