Henri Cartier Bresson is another photographer that needs no introduction. He was a French humanist photographer who pioneered the genre known today as “street photography”.
Instead of regurgitating information from his biography and Wikipedia page, I encourage you to watch the above posted video by The School of Photography. They do an incredibly good job giving a brief history lesson on Henri as well as the major influences in his life. Some of the topics they cover are:
- Henri’s early life and artistic inclinations (painting).
- Henri’s start with surrealist and fine art photography.
- Robert Capa (brilliant war photographer) and his influence on pushing Bresson towards photojournalism.
- Working for a Communist newspaper and belief system.
- Bresson’s book “The Decisive Moment“.
Bresson was clearly a genius. There is no disputing the magic and the story telling prowess in his photos. His eye for photography can only be described as visionary. As a result, it would be impossible to encapsulate his contribution to the art in this brief blog. I would therefore like to leave you with a few famous quotes of his.
Famous Quotes
“For me the camera is a sketchbook, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously.“
“One must always take photographs with the greatest respect for the subject and for oneself.“
“To take photographs is to hold one’s breath when all faculties converge in the face of fleeting reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.“
“To take photographs means to recognize– simultaneously and within a fraction of a second– both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that gives it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart on the same axis.“
“As far as I am concerned, taking photographs is a means of understanding which cannot be separated from other means of visual expression. It is a way of shouting, of freeing oneself, not of proving or asserting one’s originality. It is a way of life.“
“Photography is nothing, it’s life that interests me.”
– Henri Cartier Bresson
Needless to say, it is imperative that we continue to remember and to study the greats before us. Their imagination and the love of their craft transcends time and the generational improvements in our technology.