1. ...Very often what lies behind the facade is rare and more wonderful than the subject knows or dares to believe - Irving Penn

2. Most of our day-to-day encounters with people don't really provide the opportunity for close visual observation, without seeming creepy anyway! When a flash of real personality appears it's usually gone in a fraction of a second. Fortunately, it only takes a fraction of a second to take a photo! Today I am going to introduce you to some photographers you may have never heard of and some that may be familiar. By the end of this project you will know them all.

3. 10 Famous Portrait Photographers Portrait photographers you should know about Yousuf Karsh Eve Arnold Edouard Boubat Philippe Halsman Cecil Beaton Irving Penn Anton Kratochvil Mary-Ellen Mark Annie Leibovitz Andy Warhol

4. Yousuf Karsh (1908 - 2002) Over the course of his long career he captured a huge number of the 20th century's most prominent figures from the worlds of art, science, politics and entertainment. During his career he held 15,312 sittings, produced over 150,000 negatives.

5. Audrey Hepburn 1956 photo by Yousuf Karsh

6. Eve Arnold (1912 - 2012) Arnold became a star photographer for Life magazine during its heyday, capturing public figures at revealingly unguarded moments. She had a special affinity with Marilyn Monroe, whom she met when both were relatively unknown. Her sympathetic approach towards her subjects allows her to skillfully capture a closeness attained by few others.

7. MARILYN MONROE During filming of The Misfits 1960 Photo by EVE ARNOLD

8. Edouard Boubat (1923 - 1999) He had a brilliant knack for capturing people in their own private worlds, whether that was lovers embracing, or children daydreaming. Often described as a 'humanist' photographer because of his ability to capture the beauty and dignity of his subjects.

9. EDOUARD BOUBAT

10. Phillipe Halsman (1906 - 1979) Much of Halsman's most famous photography resulted from a collaboration with the surrealist artist Salvador Dali.

11. Philippe Halsman

12. Cecil Beaton (1904 - 1980) He captured the mood of irresponsible fun amongst the young members of a dying aristocracy in England, many of whom were his close friends. He had a great ability to capture his subjects at their best, and was a popular choice of photographer for the Royal Family.

13. Cecil Beaton

14. Irving Penn (1917 - 2009) Irving Penn had a very long career which yielded some of the most well known images of the 20th century. His work is characterized by highly organized compositions, in which subjects conform to rigorous, often geometric, aesthetic themes. He took particular interest in his photos as printed objects, and the quality of their finish.

15. Irving Penn

16. Antonin Kratochvil (1947 - ) He moved to the United States and took work as a photojournalist on the LA Times. His work often focuses on human emotion. He has also produced a large number of portraits of famous actors and musicians. These are often tightly cropped photos, shot outdoors in high contrast light.

17. Antonin Kratochvil

18. Mary-Ellen Mark (1940 - ) Ellen Mark is amongst the most famous portrait photographers of abnormal people. She is drawn to those on the fringes of society, who tend to be ignored and overlooked. Her moving images of the homeless, drug addicts and prostitutes have helped raise awareness of the existence and struggle of these people.

20. Annie Liebovitz (1949 - ) Annie Leibovitz is probably the most well known photographer of the stars working today. She has produced a huge number of iconic photos, many of which were first published on the covers of Rolling Stone magazine and Vanity Fair. Her images are meticulously put together in every way. The composition, the lighting, the colors and the concepts are all fine tuned to perfection.

21. Annie Liebovitz

22. Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987 With his paintings now iconic symbols of twentieth century art it would seem there are few stones in Warhol's legacy left unturned – yet his photography remains one of the least known aspects of his work. The camera became his constant companion, serving as a combination sketchbook and diary. At the time of his death, Warhol left behind an archive of more than 60,000 snapshots and Polaroids.

23. Danziger Gallery click for more photos

24. 1.Experiment with Lighting 2.Play with Eye Contact 3.Frame Your Subject 4.Hold Your Camera on an Angle 5.Fill the Frame 6.Shoot Candidly 7.Introduce a Prop 8.Alter Your Perspective 9.Break the Rules of Composition 10.Get Close Up 11.Obscure Part of your Subject 12.Take a Series of Shots Often the most striking portraits are those that break all the rules.