Philippe Halsman (Historical)

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)
Philippe Halsman
Gelatin silver print, 1954
National Portrait Gallery
Image Copyright the Estate of Philippe Halsman

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)
Philippe Halsman
Gelatin silver print, 1952
National Portrait Gallery
Image Copyright the Estate of Philippe Halsman

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986)
Philippe Halsman
Gelatin silver print, 1967
Halsman Family Collection
Image Copyright the Estate of Philippe Halsman

Duke (1894-1972)
and Duchess (1896-1986)
of WindsorPhilippe Halsman
Gelatin silver print, 1956
Halsman Family Collection
Image Copyright the Estate of Philippe Halsman

Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) was born in Riga, Latvia. He actually studied engineering but after he moved to Paris, he studied photography and opened his own studio in 1932.
His portraits of actors, actresses, authors have strong and vivid feeling that attracted many other people. He usually worked with fashion magazine and also private commission. 
During the summer of 1940, when Hitler's troop invaded Paris, He and his family tried to immigrate to America but he didn't get a visa because he had Latvia citizenship. However, make a story shorter, since his sister met Albert Einstein around 1920s, he obtained permission to enter United States. 
He began working with magazine, Life. At that time, magazine, Life was only 6 years old. 
In Paris, Halsman studied the work of other artists and photographers, especially the surrealists, from whom he learned to make images that surprised his viewers.Halsman met Dali on assignment in 1941, and over the next three decades they became partners on many projects
Halsman enjoyed comparing his work to that of a good psychologist who regards his subjects with special insight. 
Halsman also pursued this project to discover something about himself. 
He also used Jumpology idea. When Halsman compared these comic images to more traditional portraits, he found that comedians often jumped and always stayed in character. Desperation (and good humor) finally drove him to ask others to jump.