Over winter break I had the opportunity to attend an exposition on the late photographer Philippe Halsman at the Madrid Caixaforum museum, in Spain. I had seen the exposition announced on TV, and my newly photography-obsessed self could not pass up this opportunity when I found myself in the capital with my family.

Halsman was on of the most requested photographers for LIFE Magazine, and during his career, he had the brilliant idea of asking most of the people he photographed to jump for him, as he believed that in the middle of a jump everyone forgot about the mask they put on for the public and revealed their true selves. He named this Jumpology. The majority of his subjects were people in the public eye, such as politicians, actors, musicians… People whose job was to get the public to like and admire them.

He published most of these photographs in his famous Jump Book, which I was quick to purchase at the gift shop after the exposition. In this book he not only shows his Jumpology photographs but tells the stories behind them. It is fascinating to learn about each person’s reaction to being asked to jump and to put themselves in such a vulnerable position. A true psychological study that not everyone was willing to take part in. It took some people, such as Marilyn Monroe, some time to decide whether they wanted others to see them in that way, not fully in control.

Other than that the exposition also included Halsman’s collaborations with one of my favorite artists in the whole world: Salvador Dalí. Anyone interested in modernist art is bound to be amazed by it and, like me, purchase an insane amount of postcards at the gift shop since it is extremely hard to choose which photographs are the best.

All in all, it was probably the best photography exhibit I have ever seen. It inspired me to pick up my family’s old film camera and start experimenting with it, trying to capture the essence of the people that surround me in my everyday life. It also made me want to go through my school’s collection of old LIFE magazines as soon as I got back from break, going on a hunt for his photographs. Any current or aspiring photographers should seriously consider learning about the amazing Philippe Halsman, as I believe he had the power to capture people’s souls in a way no other photographer ever could.