THE DECISIVE MOMENT-Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) was a pioneering figure in street photography and known for his candid photography. His book ‘The Decisive Moment’ included 126 candids that quickly received critical acclaim. Cartier-Bresson is quoted as saying about candid photography that “There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative,”
Cartier-Bresson was one of four pioneering photographer who helped found MAGNUM photos, a photo agency with offices over the world that has taken many culturally and historically significant photos
MOOD BOARD
ANALYSIS OF PHOTO
This photo is taken in natural lighting probably outside in daylight which makes the photo look less staged as you are not being forced to look at anything by use of spotlights. The child in the photo is positioned centrally but due to their posture it doesn’t look forced but you are still drawn to look at them because of where they are situated. The child’s white clothes against the black backdrop of the wall creates contrast which makes the photo more interesting to look at. Even though this photo was likely staged it still maintains a naturalness reminiscent of candid photography.
In comparison is Vivian Maer who’s signature photography is of her reflection often in public places like the street. This blend of self portraits and candid street photography is very interesting and contrasts with Cartier-bressons work that is so focused on other people.
mind map of ideas
I chose to do two different shoots, one doing street photography which was very out of my comfort zone and another in a coffee shop taking candid’s of a friend who gave me permission to take photos which I was much more comfortable with.
First Shoot
I really like the look of these photos as the subject is really nicely framed in the photos and the tonal orange colour is repeated multiple times in the shot through the drink, skirting, background poster and the subjects hair which ties the photo together really well. To emphasise this colour I will adjust saturation and tone on photoshop.
These photos turned out horribly as the street was not busy so I couldn’t get the crowded kind of photos I wanted. I also l felt really uncomfortable taking these photos as I felt very morally dubious taking photos without consent so stopped very early on.
FINALIZING IMAGES
Here are my favourite images. I didn’t select any of my street photography images as i felt they were all
EDITING
On Photoshop I turned up the vibrancy to the max and slightly upped the saturation which gave the photos a warm feeling
FINAL IMAGE
This is my final image. Compared to Henri Cartier-Bresson it is very different. My image is very warm and colourful where his are monotone and cold. The main similarity between our photos are that they are both candid images with slightly contrived undertones. We both used the backgrounds to frame our photos using leading lines which blends the photo well while still maintaining sharpness.