What's a good starter book on photographer Yousuf Karsh?

Question

I have recently been very moved by what I have seen/read on the internet about the work of Yousuf Karsh.

I would really like to get more insight into how he captured the true character of his subjects.

There are plenty of books on Amazon about Karsh, but I don't know which might help me to develop the insight I am looking for.

Does anyone know of a good book that would get me started? (Or any other resource?)

Answer

Karsh's own book, Karsh: A Biography in Images, is about the best there is for that. Beyond the biography, each of the photographs in the book includes a blurb about the reason the portrait was done in a particular way, what the pose, perspective and lighting were meant to capture. It's shy on the technical details if you're looking for "Karsh recipes", but it is a great source of insight into the psychological and iconographical aspects of his work.

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