Ernest Heminway's portrait was one of the images in the Yousuf Karsh exhibit which struck me. It's uncomplicated, strong in light and detail, and has a great feeling of solidity about it. It's incredibly sharp throughout, and looks like it didn't go through a lot of change in the darkroom. The dark background was likely burned in, the contrast is set at a nice medium level, and the rest of the work looks to be lighting and exposure (both of which are done just perfectly).The composition is strong, stark, and very complimentary to the macho-image that Hemingway often strove to promote for himself. It's a classic pose, a bit boring in style, but obviously plain, as to not distract from the personality of the subject. Every time I see this photo, I can't help but think of Hemingway's turtleneck as a submarine, with the port-hole as the neck of the sweater, with Ernest's head emerging. It's always been a good reminder of who this portrait is of, as his Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Award winning book was titled 'The Old Man and the Sea'.
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