Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who is considered to be one of the fathers of photojournalism and masters of candid photography. He sought to capture the ‘everyday’ in his photographs and took great interest in recording human activity.  He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment, which he later wrote a book about. He was influenced by Surrealism and began his career in film working with renowned French director, Jean Renoir as second assistant director. He was born on the 22nd of August, 1908 In Chanteloup-en-Brie, France and passed away on the 3rd of August, 2004 in Céreste, France.

He came from quite a wealthy family and since his parents were providing financial support, Henri pursued photography quite freely. His father assumed that his son would take up the family business, but Henri was strong-willed and also feared the idea.  In 1929, Cartier-Bresson’s air squadron commandant placed him under house arrest for hunting without a licence. Cartier-Bresson met American expatriate Harry Crosby, who persuaded the commandant to release Cartier-Bresson into his custody for a few days. The two men both had an interest in photography, and Crosby presented him with his first camera.

Cartier-Bresson ended up falling into an intense sexual relationship with Caresse Crosby (Harry Crosby’s wife) however, two years after Harry Crosby died by suicide, Cartier-Bresson’s affair with Caresse Crosby ended in 1931. After reading the book, Heart of Darkness, which gave him the idea to try and find adventure in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa. He survived by shooting game and selling it to local villagers. From hunting, he learned methods which he later used in photography.

He acquired the Leica camera with a 50 mm lens in Marseilles that would accompany him for many years. The anonymity that the small camera gave him in a crowd or during an intimate moment was essential in overcoming the formal and unnatural behaviour of those who were aware of being photographed. He enhanced his anonymity by painting all shiny parts of the Leica with black paint. In the beginning, he did not photograph much in his native France. It would be years before he photographed there extensively. Cartier-Bresson’s first photojournalist photos to be published came in 1937 when he covered the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. 

“For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to ‘give a meaning’ to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.”

The Decisive Moment

Size – 27.4 x 37 cm

Pages – 160 + 48 booklet pages

Binding – Clothbound in slipcase

The Decisive Moment is a book by Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French photographer who is credited with pioneering modern photojournalism. The book is a collection of his best-known photographs, accompanied by his thoughts on photography and the creative process. The title refers to the idea that photography captures a single moment in time, and that the photographer’s job is to be in the right place at the right time to capture that moment.

In Henri Cartier-Bresson’s seminal book, in English called “The Decisive Moment” and in French “Images à la Sauvette” (1952), Henri Cartier-Bresson assembled a selection of his photographs of various subjects, in a novel style that was made possible by a small, nimble hand-held camera, in the hands of a master, who had a great eye and a classical background in composition.  The book has come to be, perhaps, the most important book ever published in the field of photography.

Photojournalism/Candid Photography

Photojournalism is a form of visual storytelling and reporting. There is no one right way to tell a story through images: a handful of pictures can complement a text, but a single dramatic image can also furnish stand-alone commentary on an individual, world events or culture. No matter how the story is told, photojournalists seek to enlighten audiences by capturing a crystallizing image. Photojournalism entered a Golden Age and became more important beginning in the 1920s, with the arrival of smaller cameras like the 35 mm Leica, which was invented in Germany in 1925. These cameras were seen as revolutionary by photographers everywhere, as much less equipment was required for them to set up and take their pictures. Candid Photography is a genre of photography that spontaneously captures the organic, genuine, and unposed moments of a subject. Bresson is one of the earliest users of 35mm film and is widely acknowledged as the master of candid photography.  

Image Analysis

Technically – Cartier-Bresson’s use of a small Leica camera allowed him to be discreet and capture candid moments. In this photograph, he employed a slow shutter speed to allow for a sense of motion, resulting in a blurred figure.

Visually – Cartier-Bresson positioned himself opposite station, capturing the reflection of the surrounding buildings and the figure. The presence of the lines and the converging perspective draw our attention towards the central figure, creating a strong focal point.

Contextually – “Gare Saint Lazare” is a significant location in Paris, known for its bustling train station. Cartier-Bresson’s photograph captures the essence of urban life, the movement, and the energy of people rushing to catch their trains. It reflects the rapid pace of the human experience within the urban environment.

Conceptually – The photograph embodies Cartier-Bresson’s philosophy of the decisive moment. The split-second timing of capturing the people and the reflection in perfect harmony creates a sense of chance and captures a fleeting moment that tells a story.

The Decisive Moment in relation to My Ideas

The Decisive Moment in Surf/Sea photography is all about capturing the peak action, the energy, and the fluidity of the waves and surfers. It’s about freezing that split-second when everything comes together in a visually captivating way. To apply this concept, I will need to anticipate the perfect moment when the wave is at its most dynamic, the surfer is in the ideal position, and the composition is just right. A photo series by Matt Porteous has inspired me to produce a similar outcome.

Below the Breaking Wave

”Photographer Matt Porteous of M Studio takes us along to the Maldives, beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean, in his powerful photo series Below the Breaking Wave. Porteous has always held a fascination for water, having grown up along the rugged Jersey coastline of the Channel Islands. It was this close proximity to the water that encouraged surfing, swimming and diving, cementing a special place in his heart for the ocean.

The series features surfers underneath a breaking wave, preparing themselves to swim toward a cloud-like mass of bubbles and froth. What we see and feel during that split second we find ourselves underneath a passing wave, he notes, is symbolic of the world we live in today: beauty, clarity and chaos. Staunchly passionate about the preservation and guardianship of the ocean, Porteous’ photography carries a distinct message: ”We live in an incredible time surrounded by a beautiful world, but we must search further to find, and work harder to protect”