Henri Cartier-Bresson - was a French humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography. He pioneered street photography and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment.
Technical - In order to capture a candid photograph of these women, Bresson would have taken this photo quickly to capture their natural expressions to create an authentic photograph. To keep the the photograph in focus, a fast shutter speed would have been used because Bresson would have had to move fast. Nothing in the photograph indicates any artificial lighting from flash - taken in daylight.
Visual - Rather than a shallow focus to create depth, the three subjects create depth in the photograph with the middle subject closest to the camera and the other two subjects further away, in a deep focus.
Contextual - The photograph was taken in 1933, Alicante Spain. Three tough looking sexually ambiguous people stared at the camera as Bresson took the shot. Different aspects indicate different things. The middle subject may be a man or a woman. The short hair seems masculine yet it is styled to be crimped which suggests otherwise. Their body shape could be either that of a woman or a man and their make-up is done - which is traditionally referred to as a stereotypical female product.
Conceptual - The background of the photograph and the clothes of the subjects suggests the photograph was taken in an area of poverty or of less privilege. The three subjects have been interpreted as prostitutes by others which fits in with other photographs Bresson took at this time.
Henri Cartier-Bresson - was a French humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography. He pioneered street photography and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment.
Technical - In order to capture a candid photograph of these women, Bresson would have taken this photo quickly to capture their natural expressions to create an authentic photograph. To keep the the photograph in focus, a fast shutter speed would have been used because Bresson would have had to move fast. Nothing in the photograph indicates any artificial lighting from flash - taken in daylight. Visual - Rather than a shallow focus to create depth, the three subjects create depth in the photograph with the middle subject closest to the camera and the other two subjects further away, in a deep focus. Contextual - The photograph was taken in 1933, Alicante Spain. Three tough looking sexually ambiguous people stared at the camera as Bresson took the shot. Different aspects indicate different things. The middle subject may be a man or a woman. The short hair seems masculine yet it is styled to be crimped which suggests otherwise. Their body shape could be either that of a woman or a man and their make-up is done - which is traditionally referred to as a stereotypical female product. Conceptual - The background of the photograph and the clothes of the subjects suggests the photograph was taken in an area of poverty or of less privilege. The three subjects have been interpreted as prostitutes by others which fits in with other photographs Bresson took at this time.
