The decisive moment

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.

The exhibition details how the decisions made by the collaborators in this major project—including Cartier-Bresson, French art publisher Tériade, American publisher Simon & Schuster, and Henri Matisse, who designed the book’s cover—have shaped our understanding of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs. Through vintage gelatin silver prints, first-edition publications, periodicals, and correspondence, Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment brings new insights to this iconic work.

Technology: Henri Cartier-Bresson used whats known as ‘The Leica’ to take his photos. The Leica was a handheld camera commercially available as of 1924, it was the ticket to allowing a photographer to be on the move, as well as to capturing movement. A 35-mm film camera, the Leica had a wide aperture that required a short exposure time, especially for pictures taken outdoors, and it could advance quickly, which allowed the photographer to take numerous pictures of a subject in quick succession. 

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

What is meant by “the decisive moment”?

The camera freezes time and fixates on the exact moment when photographic magic happens. This fraction of a second is called the decisive moment.

“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.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), a French photographer who is considered to be one of the fathers of photojournalism and masters of candid photography. He thought to capture the ‘everyday’ in his photographs and took great interest in recording human activity.

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.

What is meant by the decisive moment?

The camera freezes time and fixates on the exact moment when photographic magic happens. This fraction of a second is called the decisive moment.

“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.”

Henri-Cartier Bresson often used diagonals (the golden triangle) for composition. This technique is a mixture of the rule of thirds and diagonal lines, to draw peoples attention to the photograph. Imagine a scene where the subject lies on a diagonal line across the image. Now imagine another line intersecting with it. 

Bresson started his creative career by firstly falling in love with painting and drawing, but due to the lack of art supplies Bresson had he turned to photography and taking photographs where he found his passion.

Eager to join the fight against Fascism, Cartier-Bresson volunteered for the war effort and in 1940 was assigned to a film and photography unit in Metz, France. Captured by the Germans soon after enlisting, he spent three years in captivity. 

After two failed attempts at escape, he finally managed to reach a nearby farmhouse. He spent the rest of the war working to liberate others, and photographing the occupation of France with his beloved Leica camera. 

The American Office of War Information commissioned Cartier-Bresson to make a documentary about returning French prisoners (La Retour, 1946), which became the focal point of the artist’s first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1947. The museum planned the show as a retrospective, as Cartier-Bresson was thought to be dead. But the artist was very much alive — and was present at its opening.

Images from camera

Images from phone (already edited)

St. Malo

Saint-Malo is a port city in Brittany, in France’s northwest. Tall granite walls surround the old town, which was once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the centre of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history. Nearby is La Demeure de Corsaire, an 18th-century privateer’s house and museum.

Saint Malo was born in Alet, one century B.C. The Gallo-Roman port made way for a city founded on an island in the 12th century. In the 18th century, the privateers Duguay-Trouinand Surcouf confirmed the prestige of Saint-Malo, whose banner flies above the French flag. After the 1944 bombings, most of the buildings were rebuilt, in the exact same style as before, keeping the antique look of the town. It was done over a 12-year period from 1948 to 1960.

I think Jersey and St. Malo have a lot in common, since they both have many historic sites and old buildings. I think it was good to go there as it was easier to take pictures (since no one knew us there) but still keeping the look that pictures of Jersey would give us.

Our Route

https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/cap-frehel-saint-malo-mont-saint-michel-bay/saint-malo/