Ro's Photography

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on August 22nd, 1908 in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France. He then passed nearly a decade later on August 3rd 2004, in Céreste, France- leading a very long and full life. Cartier-Bresson is generally a humanist photographer, meaning he takes pictures that show the empathy and ability of human beings to create a sense of empowerment. He was amazing at candid photography as well, and first brought the idea of street photography to reality. Explaining his methods, he views photography as a decisive moment. Common techniques he tends to use include figure-to-ground, shadow play, repetitive theme, using diagonal lines, the Fibonacci Spiral (golden ratio), and what he calls the “Decisive Moment.” The decisive moment is not about how you frame the subject but when the scene needs to be taken.

By the 1930’s, when Cartier-Bresson was in his 20’s, his work had already been shown in major museums in places like Mexico, New York, and Madrid. He brought the early possibilities of street photography to light before it was known. While visiting New York in ~1935, he met a film photographer named Paul Strand. He was inspired by this man & ditched photography to become an assistant for French filmmaker Jean Renoir. He continued this for about three more years. Around 1940, the German invasion of France occurred. He later joined the army that year but was soon captured and sent to war camp for three years. In ~1943, after several failed attempts he escaped completely to continue his film and photography work. Afterwards, he appeared in many magazines such as Life, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and several others.

It was found that Cartier-Bresson really only used one camera throughout his life’s work- a Leica rangefinder paired with a 50mm lens. He also tends to use natural light with a mix of shadows in his photography. He has explained in the past that he refuses to use a flash for his photos- he thinks that using a flash is disrespecting natural light. Therefore, he only uses natural light for his photos. Throughout his youth, his photography is heavily influenced by his father, a textile merchant, and his uncle, a very successful painter. He also read books by Dostoyevsky, Rimbaud, Proust, and Joyce. To add on, he also took an interest in painting.

Lastly, Cartier-Bresson led a very interesting life. He traveled the world constantly immersed in the environment with his camera. He escaped a German war camp after two failed attempts and continued to live a full life afterwards. After his escape, he soon met Mahatma Gandhi before his assassination in 1948. He published his first book, “The Decisive Moment” in 1952 after returning to France. He documented major events such as the Spanish Civil War and the Chinese Revolution.

In conclusion, Henri Cartier-Bresson is one photojournalist that will forever leave a mark on today´s photography. He first introduced street photography and several other techniques to this world. He will continue to be very well known for the events he documents and the events he had gone through.

My Thoughts:
Upon researching this photojournalist, I enjoyed reading about him. He seemed to have lived a very interesting and full life, experiencing as much as he can. I personally relate to this because when I am able to, I want to travel and see as much of the world as I can. I love his work, the photos are beautifully framed and the lighting is spectacular. Every photo I have seen pleases my eyes and I enjoy the black/white look. His pictures have a sense of reality and raw-ness to them and I appreciate his views on the world.

I selected this photographer because the idea of street photography caught my eye; I read that he was first to come up with the idea. I then looked through his photos and as said above, I love every detail of them. He seemed like he would be a very interesting person with many experiences, especially because of his old age. After finding out he is 95 years old I was intrigued because he had lived through every decade of the 1900s.

My first reaction to his work wasn't very interesting, but then I looked through his work deeper and with more attention. There are many details that your eye looks over at first glance in his work. He seems to very carefully think about each photograph and when to capture it, and ends up with a perfect result. The composition and lighting in each photograph is very well thought through and seems very natural. He captures subjects in a way you wouldn't see on your own, and gives things a unique point of view. I enjoy looking at his work.

See his work below: