Henri Cartier-Bresson
(1908-2004)
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French painter who turned his attention towards photography. It is not surprising then, to notice some surrealist influence in his photographs. He used his Leica 35mm camera with a 50 mm lens for all of his photos. With this small, portable camera, he was able to take pictures spontaneously and from many interesting angles. He usually didn’t use a flash because it killed the natural lighting and he wanted to capture effects of subtle natural luminosity. His approach to photography was that of “instant drawing”, meaning he could capture elusive images in the opening and closing of a shutter. He had a knack of getting the right shot. This could be the influence of his painting, which deals a lot with composition and placement. Cartier-Bresson’s pictures are taken in black and white, both horizontally and vertically. They are mostly taken of landscapes and people. His shots of scenery often have some strange aspect to them, whether it be the perspective or composition. His portraits are mainly of unusual people, or of someone who would appear different to his audience.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1318621
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R14T1LX&nm=Henri%20Cartier%20-%20Bresson
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