Yousuf Karsh Quotes

#1. I have found that great people do have in common ... an immense belief in themselves and in their mission. They also have gerat determination as well as an ability to work hard. At the crucial moment of decision, they draw on their accumulated wisdom. Above all, they have integrity.

Yousuf Karsh

#2. We may never be able to pay directly for the gifts of true friendship - but pay we must, even though we make our payment to someone who owes us nothing, in some other place and at some other time.

Yousuf Karsh

#3. I've also seen that great men are often lonely. This is understandable, because they have built such high standards for themselves that they often feel alone. But that same loneliness is part of their ability to create.

Yousuf Karsh

#4. Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness.

Yousuf Karsh

#5. Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it if I can.

Yousuf Karsh

#6. Character, like film, develops in darkness.

Yousuf Karsh

#7. It should be the aim of every photographer to make a single exposure that shows everything about the subject. I have been told that my portrait of Churchill is an example of this.

Yousuf Karsh

#8. Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.

Yousuf Karsh

#9. If there is a single quality that is shared by all great men, it is vanity.

Yousuf Karsh

#10. The art is the challenge which you must meet every day: the technique you should learn to control with time. The science and the art of photography are really one, and not opposed to each other.

Yousuf Karsh

#11. My chief joy is to photograph the great in heart, in mind, and in spirit, whether they be famous or humble.

Yousuf Karsh

#12. The trouble with photographing beautiful women is that you never get into the dark room until after they've gone.

Yousuf Karsh

#13. There is a brief moment when all there is in a man's mind and soul and spirit is reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude. This is the moment to record.

Yousuf Karsh

#14. I try to photograph people's spirits and thoughts. As to the soul-taking by the photographer, I don't feel I take away, but rather that the sitter and I give to each other. It becomes an act of mutual participation.

Yousuf Karsh

#15. My personal interest in ordinary people is unlimited, but I am fascinated by the challenge of portraying true greatness adequately with my camera.

Yousuf Karsh