Henri Cartier-Bresson's name always comes up when talking about street photography, so in relation to chapter 2 - People unaware - I wanted to have a closer look at him.
He was a French photographer who lived 1908-2004, and he is considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He started out as a painter. In his early days he was strongly influenced by surrealism. Later he co-founded the picture agency Magnum whose mission was to "feel the pulse". His style is mainly people photography and famously was looking for the decisive moment. His photos captures ordinary life which may seem unimportant, but contains something interesting and then the moment is gone. In his first book from 1952, he wrote "I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung-up and ready to pounce, determined to "trap life" - to preserve life in the act of living. Using a small Leica camera with a 50 mm lens he could work rather anonymously in a crowd. He was famous for not wishing to be photographed, for wishing to be invisible or unseen. He never used flash, and always worked in black and white. Source: Wikipedia
I find it rather interesting that he also had a passion for filmmaking. He was second assistant director to Jean Renoir in the 1939 film "La regle du jeu". He also directed films on his own. Source: Henri Bresson-Cartier Foundation
The Museum of Modern Art in New York is holding an exhibition at the moment called "The Modern Century". The curator Peter Galassi is interviewed in Hotshoe June-July 2010. He mentions that for Cartier-Bresson photography was primarily a way of engaging the world. He was not interested in photography as such, but more interested in the chase rather than the prize. A bit like it is for fisher men I suppose!
I can understand this uninterest in photography as such. I am more interested in the ideas rather than the technology as I think I might have mentioned before here. It is also interesting the way he wanted to be anonymous. I can feel that myself when I'm out photographing in public. I don't really want to be noticed. But the camera can be a shield between you and the subjects. Also I wonder how Cartier-Bresson would feel about the modern day feelings about street photography, terrorist laws and photographers' rights. Would he still feel free to create the same kind of images?
He was a French photographer who lived 1908-2004, and he is considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He started out as a painter. In his early days he was strongly influenced by surrealism. Later he co-founded the picture agency Magnum whose mission was to "feel the pulse". His style is mainly people photography and famously was looking for the decisive moment. His photos captures ordinary life which may seem unimportant, but contains something interesting and then the moment is gone. In his first book from 1952, he wrote "I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung-up and ready to pounce, determined to "trap life" - to preserve life in the act of living. Using a small Leica camera with a 50 mm lens he could work rather anonymously in a crowd. He was famous for not wishing to be photographed, for wishing to be invisible or unseen. He never used flash, and always worked in black and white. Source: Wikipedia
I find it rather interesting that he also had a passion for filmmaking. He was second assistant director to Jean Renoir in the 1939 film "La regle du jeu". He also directed films on his own. Source: Henri Bresson-Cartier Foundation
The Museum of Modern Art in New York is holding an exhibition at the moment called "The Modern Century". The curator Peter Galassi is interviewed in Hotshoe June-July 2010. He mentions that for Cartier-Bresson photography was primarily a way of engaging the world. He was not interested in photography as such, but more interested in the chase rather than the prize. A bit like it is for fisher men I suppose!
I can understand this uninterest in photography as such. I am more interested in the ideas rather than the technology as I think I might have mentioned before here. It is also interesting the way he wanted to be anonymous. I can feel that myself when I'm out photographing in public. I don't really want to be noticed. But the camera can be a shield between you and the subjects. Also I wonder how Cartier-Bresson would feel about the modern day feelings about street photography, terrorist laws and photographers' rights. Would he still feel free to create the same kind of images?