In my serious work I am striving for the essence of things and for goals which are possibly unobtainable. On the other hand, everything humorous has great attraction for me, and a childish streak leads me into all kinds of frivolous endeavour.
Philippe HalsmanWith a woman I try to photograph her beauty; with a man I try to show his character. Once I photographed a man with a big nose (Jimmy Durante), and emphasized his nose, and he was very pleased with the picture. That could not happen with a woman. The most intelligent woman will reject a portrait if it doesn't flatter her.
Philippe HalsmanWhen you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears.
Philippe HalsmanI know of few actresses who have this incredible talent for communicating with a camera lens. She would try to seduce a camera as if it were a human being.
Philippe Halsman