Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3 2004) was a French photographer. He was commonly considered the undisputed master of candid photography using the small-format 35mm rangefinder camera.

Related Topics:
August 22 - 1908 - August 3 - 2004 - French - Photographer - Rangefinder

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Cartier-Bresson was considered by most to be the father of photojournalism. He exclusively used the Leica 35 mm rangefinder cameras equipped with normal 50mm lenses or occasionally a telephoto for landscapes. He would have the camera's chrome body taped black to make it less conspicuous. He was one of the first photographers to shoot in the 35mm format and helped to develop the photojournalistic "street photography" style that influenced generations of photographers to come. Kodak's Plus-X and Tri-X films and the sharpness of Leica lenses allowed documentary photographers work almost by stealth, to capture the events that surrounded them. Photographers were no longer bound by a huge press camera, or an intrusive flash gun and bulbs. These photographers operated with what Henri called "the velvet hand...the hawk's eye." Henri never photographed with a flash bulb. He said: "Impolite...like coming to a concert with a pistol in your hand." He believed in composing his photographs in his camera and not in the darkroom. His showcased this belief by having his photographs be printed at full-frame and completely free of any manipulation.

Related Topics:
Photojournalism - Leica - 50mm - Street photography - Kodak's - Plus-X - Tri-X

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Henri is long regarded as one of the art world's most unassuming personalities. He disliked publicity and exhibited a ferocious shyness since his days in hiding from the Nazis during World War II. He dismissed those applying the term "art" to his pictures. He felt that they were just gut reactions to moments he happened on.

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"The simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression...In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotif." — Henri Cartier-Bresson

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