Lessons from Henri Cartier Bresson

Cartier was famously a master of “the decisive moment”, but to me, that wasn’t his strongest said. What I’m more impressed with is how he framed a photograph and worked with composition in photography.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern photojournalism and street photography. Born in 1908, Cartier-Bresson began his career as a painter before turning to photography in the 1930s. He co-founded the Magnum Photos agency in 1947 with other prominent photographers and worked as a photojournalist for various magazines and newspapers.

What camera did Henri Cartier Bresson use?

Henri Cartier Bresson famously shot with a Leica 35 mm rangefinder camera with a 50mm lens.

Henri Cartier Bresson taught me how to frame and how to use composition in street photography. If you study Bresson’s work you can see how much his artistic background influences the way he sees imagery through the lens.

To me, Cartier Bresson is one of the all-time greatest photographers and if you’re new to documentary or street photography, I think he is one of the most important photographers to study.

Books by Henri Cartier Bresson

I have previously written about my favorite photography books and in this list, you will also find HCB´s decisive moment, the bible of photo books. 

Though that book has become a collector’s item and is now going for 500 dollars, I’d instead recommend his book“Photographer” or“Paris revisited” both extraordinary books by the godfather of photography. 

As mentioned previously, what drew me to Cartier Bresson was his magnificent composition.

The photography techniques he uses to frame a photograph like:

• Juxtaposition

• Leading lines

• Rules of Thirds

• Rule of odds and so on.

I think collectors and photography enthusiasts will still praise Mr Bresson’s work over the next hundred years and for good reason.

Make sure to read about Robert Frank, Joel Meyerowitz, and Vivian Maier.

Henri Cartier Bresson’s story

Cartier-Bresson was known for his ability to capture the decisive moment, a split-second of perfect timing when all the elements in a photograph align to create a powerful and meaningful image. His photographs often depicted candid moments and ordinary people, and his work had a profound influence on the development of documentary photography.

Throughout his career, Cartier-Bresson traveled extensively and captured images of people and cultures worldwide. He had a keen eye for composition and was skilled at using light and shadow to create depth and contrast in his images. His photographs were often characterized by their simplicity and elegance, and his use of geometry and pattern made a sense of balance and harmony in his work.

Some of Cartier-Bresson’s most famous images include “Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare”, a photograph of a man jumping over a puddle, “Gandhi at his Spinning Wheel”, a portrait of the Indian leader, and “Hyères, France”, a photograph of a young boy carrying two bottles. His work was celebrated for its ability to capture the beauty and complexity of the world around us, and he was praised for his ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Cartier-Bresson also published several books on photography, including “The Decisive Moment” and “Images à la Sauvette”, which was published in English as “The Mind’s Eye”. These books remain influential today and are considered essential reading for anyone interested in photography.

In conclusion, Henri Cartier-Bresson was a remarkable photographer who revolutionized the field of photojournalism and street photography. His ability to capture the decisive moment and his keen eye for composition and light continue to inspire photographers around the world. His work serves as a testament to the power of photography to capture the beauty and complexity of the world around us.