A Latvian-American portrait photographer. Halsman lived in Austria for a period of time, until he was convicted of a crime and later left the country for France. In France, Halsman worked for Vogue and other fashion editorials, and soon became a highly sought-after photographer due to his skill in lighting, sharp focus, and expertly cropped photos. He later obtained a US visa and came to the states to persue fashion and cosmetic photographic advertising. In 1942, Halsman began working for LIFE magazine, which featured many of his images on the front covers of its issues. Halsman is also an author, and wrote photographic skills books such as Halsman on the Creation of Photographic Ideas.