Queen Elizabeth, 1966
"In photography there is always an opportunity to develop your talent and yourself. There is always discovery, and the use of light is an elusive medium to express the human face. You can understand it, but you rarely master it."
During his childhood, Karsh witnessed the systematic massacre of over one million Armenians during and after World War I. In 1924, Karsh was sent to Quebec, Canada, to live with his uncle, photographer George Nakash. Karsh apprenticed with Boston portrait photographer John Garo beginning in 1928, but by 1932, he had returned to Ottawa to open his studio. Karsh photographed many visiting dignitaries and celebrities, including Sir Winston Churchill, Marian Anderson and Ernest Hemingway.