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Philippe Halsman

 

Philippe Halsman: Inventor of “Jumpology” and the Environmental Portrait

Philippe Halsman (1906–1979, born Riga, Latvia) was a portrait photographer known for his creativity, technical inventiveness, and psychological depth. He designed custom cameras, used large-format and TLR systems, and was obsessed with light, gesture, and the unexpected. His portraits for Life, collaborations with Salvador Dalí (e.g. Dalí Atomicus), and his own “Jump Book” project remain hallmarks of 20th-century photography.

Camera Gear

Here are camera tools and setups directly confirmed from sources, or with strong evidence:

  • Old view camera (plate camera, ~9×12 cm) — Halsman started young, using a view camera found in the attic.

  • Twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera designed by Halsman himself — He constructed a 9×12 cm twin-lens reflex in the 1930s, later other dual-lens (twin-lens) large-format “Halsman” cameras.

  • Hasselblads and Rolleiflex TLRs — Used for certain portrait and reportage work.

  • 4×5 view camera — He used a large-format camera (“grand format chambre” in French sources) especially for detailed portraits.

  • Electronic flash & studio lighting — Halsman used artificial lighting in his studio work and flash or strobe lighting in staged portraits (e.g. with Rolleiflex + electronic flash for Jump Book / Dalí portraits).

  • Custom wooden camera body — The 9×12 cm twin-lens reflex type, made of mahogany, built in Paris; later version built by Fairchild in the U.S. circa 1947. 



Film & Technique

  • Halsman generally worked in black-and-white film for many portraits, though color work (magazine work, etc.) also appears.

  • He was known for meticulously staged scenes: using assistants, props (chairs, cats, water), and designing setups so the subject “lets the mask fall” (e.g. in Jumpology).

  • He designed cameras that allowed the subject to see the lens/viewfinder while being photographed (so that the interaction is more direct).

Legacy

Halsman’s legacy lies in combining technical innovation with psychological insight. His ability to build or influence his tools (his custom TLR, view camera), his lighting, his staging (especially with movement, props, surreal elements) made portrait photography expressive and theatrical in a new way. The “Jump Book,” Dalí Atomicus, and his Life magazine covers showcase this union of craft and vision.

Books Featuring Philippe Halsman’s Work

  • Philippe Halsman: Jump Book — his famous collection of jumping portraits

see it on Amazon

  • Halsman: A Photographer’s Life (Henry Leutwyler) — photo-biography that includes technical insight

  • Philippe Halsman, Astonish Me! — catalogue/exhibition at Musée de l’Elysée, includes many annotated contact prints and background on setups

see it on Amazon


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