Karsh Signature

Yousuf Karsh, master photographer of the 20th century

Edwin Land

Edwin Land, 1966

There is a wonderful Instagram page, Photographers Photographed, devoted to portraits of photographers by photographers, which prompted me to think about all the photographers and photo-related inventors who sat for Karsh. Edwin Land is best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. He invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography, and the retinex theory of color vision, among other things. His Polaroid instant camera went on sale in late 1948 and made it possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds or less.

In the early years of the Cold War, Land played a major role in the development of photographic reconnaissance and intelligence gathering efforts.

In his laboratory he built giant studio cameras the size of bedroom closets that produced large format, 20 x 24 inch, prints. He gave photographers free access to these cameras in return for some of the prints they produced. Read more (Wikipedia).

 

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