Henri Cartier-Bresson was born August 22, 1908, in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France and passed away August 3, 2004, Céreste, France. Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French artist influenced by surrealism and humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment.
the meaning behind Henri Cartier- Bresson’s book “the decisive moment” refers to the moment when all the elements in a photograph come together perfectly to create a meaningful image.
the exhibition made me consider the theme of Nostalgia because the of the noises and smells he used, this is because it reminded me of when I used to go to the play area in fort regent. It also made me consider the theme of Nostalgia because of the bright colours and patterns used in the AI photos. I think the photos was a good way of representing nostalgia as.
Describe photographic techniques used, including AI in the image-making process. In the photos from Will Lakeman you can see that he uses a lot of bright colours, I think this makes the photos pop more. AI can be a way of representing dreams as the pictures aren’t clear and perfect, AI makes a photo look unrealistic for example like a dream. With AI there’s also many different ways top create an image
what I like about this picture is that it looks like a swimming pool in a dream, you can tell that it is a swimming pool by the ladder going into the water and the colours being used. The colour and patterns being used in the photo makes it look unrealistic and as if you were in a dream. The blue, yellow, orange, white and patterns in this photo brings it to life and makes the photo look more nostalgic. Another thing I like about the photo is that I feel relaxed looking at it and feel like I’m actually in the photo.
I definitely recommend the exhibition to others because when I walked in I felt as if I was actually in the old fort regent. You could really tell that Will Lakeman put a lot of thought and effort into his work with the different sounds and the different smells of the swimming pool and Fort Regent. I really enjoyed looking at the photos that Will created as it made me have a different perspective of Fort Regent. The exhibition also had a static electric ball and an arcade game machine which I enjoyed using and thought it was a good idea to give everyone an example of what it would feel like to be there.
here are some of the photos that I took during my visit at Will Lakeman’s exhibition.
The Decisive Moment is a term coined by Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. It refers to the moment when all the elements in a photograph come together perfectly to create a meaningful image.
“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.”“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.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson
The Decisive Moment was described by Robert Capa as “a Bible for photographers.” Originally titled Images à la Sauvette (“images on the run”) in the French, the book was published in English with a new title, The Decisive Moment, which unintentionally imposed the motto which would define Cartier-Bresson’s work. The exhibition details how the decisions made by the collaborators in this major project
Street Photography was first created by The Daguerreotype’s limitations which were revealed in 1838 by a photographer Louis Daguerre in what is thought to be the very first street photograph. Street photography is the one that shows everyday life in public spaces. To make it interesting and different from a simple snapshot.
This photo was taken of a man selling food in the streets of India. You can see that the man is not aware that the photographer has taken a picture of him and is just going on his day to day life. the photo is entitled “Street photography in India” By Andrew Studer. Where he has taken multiple pictures of their culture and the difference between India and westernised life. you can also see how crowed/busy it is behind the the man and his crate. The lighting is dark with highlights around the focal point and a blurred background to not draw attention around the other figures.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French Photographer, he is considered to be the father of Photojournalism and one of the masters of Candid Photography. His work involved capturing “everyday” things in his photographs along with human activity. Perhaps to embrace and appreciate the things in life that the rest of us take for granted.
A book he made, “Decisive Moment”, which was originally named “Images à la Sauvette”, contains some of his best images of “everyday” life. In the book, he wrote:
“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.”
This book was or is considered one of the most important photobooks of the 20th century. Robert Capa has described it as “A bible for photographers”.
This is a photo that is in his book:
The Technical aspects of this photo involve the lighting. The lighting of the photo is very neutral as it has both dark areas and bright areas, combining the two create a neutrally balanced lighting level.
Some Visual elements are the texture that is seen in the grain of the image, the grain is the faint static you see all over the image. This is due to the old camera or old printout. You can see repetition in the gate’s bars, one after the other and even the whole image has been repeated in the puddle’s reflection.
A Conceptual element is what happened to this place and why the man is in the middle of the puddle trying to jump out. I think that the rubble seen in the background and some in the puddle suggests that perhaps there was a building where this man is now, and maybe it was destroyed in a rainstorm judging by the big puddle. The man seen in the background behind the bars is watching the man jump, he may have just been a person that was walking past and stopped to see what was happening next to him. Or maybe he knows the jumper and is waiting for him to get out.
This mood board is based off of the photographers William Klein, Bruce Gilden & Diane Arbus.
What is considered street photography?
Street photography is a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street photographers do not necessarily have a social purpose in mind, but they prefer to isolate and capture moments which might otherwise go unnoticed.
SUBJECT MATTER/ CAPTURING A MOMENT> people and humanity, theatre of everyday life, poetics of streets, comic absurdities and humour, small acts of kindness, scenes of unexpected beauty, ordinary moments, visual pun and humour, gestures and poses, faces and crowds.
LOCATIONS & PLACES > inside the walls and on the ramparts, back alleys and sidewalks, beaches and coastal promenades, parks and public spaces, cafes and shops, street corners and intersections, signs and advertising, facades and architecture.
POINTS OF VIEW > low/ high/ canted angles, deadpan approach, light and shadows, intensity of colour, reflections in shop windows, shoot through glass, frame within a frame, focusing and un-focusing, up-close and details, shallow depth of field, artful and funny juxtapositions, geometry and space, lines and form, textures and patterns, signs and shop windows, advertising and graphics, reflections and mirrors.
APPROACH > capturing decisive moments, candid portraits, informal snapshots, inobtrusive observations (Cartier-Bresson style), interactive and confrontational (William Klein approach), spontaneous and subconscious reactions, poetic possibilities, inquisitive mind and roaming eye, looking and prying, shoot from the hip, serendipity and good luck.
CAMERA HANDLING >Lenses (focal length): use wide (18-35mm) to standard lenses (50mm). Focusing: automatic or manual – whatever you prefer. Exposure mode: S or T mode – (shutter-speed priority). Shutter-speeds: experiment with fast (1/125-1/500) and slow shutter-speeds (1/15-1/60). ISO: 100 (sunny weather), 200-400 (overcast ), 800-3200 ISO (inside or evening/ night). White Balance: auto
A FORT REGENT INSPIRED ART EXHIBITION RECREATING THE STRANGE HOLD CHILDHOOD SPACES HAVE ON ADULT MEMORIES
Nostalgia is a word that comes from Greek and means a sentimental yearning for the past. It can evoke feelings of pleasure with occasional notes of sadness. Nostalgia can be triggered by many things, such as music, movies, places, or people. Nostalgia can have positive effects on mood, social connectedness, self-esteem, and meaning in life. This exhibition displays Will’s experience with Nostalgia, recreating his childhood memories and reigniting his past intense attachment to the Fort through the use of an (AI) Artificial Intelligence tool. The unusual composition of the images seen throughout the exhibition are often similar to those seen in dreams or hallucinations allowing viewer’s past memories relating to Will’s exhibition to resurface. Will’s lifetime with autism enables him to create a unique unseen response to the theme of Nostalgia stemming from his obsession with swimming pools, fun fairs and leisure centres.
The images consist of differing childhood activities, the sounds, smells and feelings present have been incorporated into Will’s exhibition allowing viewers a realistic experience of the past Fort Regent. The construction of the image through AI has also added to the dreamy feel of Will’s childhood allowing him to present his memories as best as he can.
I thoroughly enjoyed Will’s exhibition as the images and experience effectively created a sense of Nostalgia from my childhood as I’m sure it did to others. Although Will’s use of AI may be controversial to some as a man widely seen as the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) quit his job, warning about the growing dangers from developments in the field.
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
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. Cartier-Bresson believed that the best photographs were those that were taken spontaneously, without any preconceived ideas or planning. He called this the “decisive moment,” and believed that it was the key to creating truly great photographs.
Street Photography:the impulse to take candid pictures in the stream of everyday life. Street photography is a form of documentary but it is decidedly not reportage and rarely simply tells a story. Sometimes a street photographer captures something truly unusual – an extraordinary face, an accident, or a crime in the making. But more often a good street photograph is remarkable because it makes something very ordinary seem extraordinary.
street photography, a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street photographers do not necessarily have a social purpose in mind, but they prefer to isolate and capture moments which might otherwise go unnoticed.
Alfred Stieglitz photographed the streets of New York City and Paris at the turn of the 20th century during inclement weather, the effects of which were captured in his images.
Image analysis
This is a good example of street photography. The light reflecting off the wet floor contrasting with the dark shadows of the trees creates a dramatic setting. I think Steiglitz has captured the perfect night scene from the streets of New York. This image, visually, is split into three clear sections of foreground, mid ground and background; foreground being the highlighted floor, mid ground being the silhouette of the tree trunks and the back ground being the trees with the bright streetlights seeping through them with the grand buildings in the background. The focal point of this image, i would say are the trees. They look dead and twig like, however they are tall and old looking which suggests that it could be around winter time when the leaves have fallen off.
A FORT REGENT INSPIRED ART EXHIBITION RECREATING THE STRANGE HOLD CHILDHOOD SPACES HAVE ON ADULT MEMORIES
Lakeman is a photographer who has nurtured an obsessive interest in ‘the Fort’, and has spent his adult life revisiting weird dreams of this iconic building and its heyday in the early 1990s. With the works accompanied by a custom soundscape, smell and touch, Playtime encourages visitors to revisit their own dreams.
The exhibition ‘PLAYTIME’ presents images from Lakeman’s childhood memories from Fort Regent Leisure Centre. Will has dedicated the exhibition to his late brother Matthew, the brothers used to spend most of their time up at the Fort as Will states that “those were the best of times for us.” The exhibition displays a range of images of the fort made from artificial intelligence (A.I) which are an attempt to recreate Will’s childhood memories from his point of view.
Lakeman wanted to recreate his childhood memories of Fort Regent through a series of images. Will “didn’t care if the images he created weren’t correct/ didn’t fit other peoples memories of the Fort because he wanted to portray how he remembers the fort. The images link back to the theme of nostalgia as it will bring back many old memories from the ‘good ol’ days’ for older generations. It will also allow them to explore whether their memories of the fort were different to Wills as the A.I images may not match what they remember.
–Veruca Dip 2022- Will Lakeman
This image was created using AI (artificial intelligence), however it is based on a memory of fort regents swimming pool, as you had to walk in a foot bath before entering the pool and Will personally remembers it as a vivid purple colour, but it was far from that. Not every image that is put into AI comes out perfect which makes unique, for example, one of the feet above has seven toes.
Overall, I enjoyed this exhibition, i thought it was interesting and very different; nothing i’ve seen in an art exhibition before. I think it is clever that you can make art without having to use any physical mediums at all. All Wills work is created online using technology, apart from the initial photograph he takes to base his work off. I also think it is crazy how the AI works, how it generates images, or just parts of images, just by telling it a phrase or a few words of command.
