Inspired by a Master - Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier Bresson was a French born photographer who became known in the 20th century. He was considered the father of photojournalism and became a master of candid photography. In 1947, Henri along with three other photographers founded Magnum Photography which aimed to use photography in the service of humanity. He is best known for The Decisive Moment which is a concept refers to capturing an event that is ephemeral and spontaneous, where the image represent the event itself.

I chose Henri Bresson as my photographer because i felt a connection. I find candid pictures captivating and he was a master of candid photography and wish to become one myself. Henri’s The Decisive Moment inspired me to look at photography in a different way. In a way where a photo is able to tell its viewer the essence of the event. Henri also applied geometry to many of his photos and as a result I found myself looking for horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines along with a variety of geometric shapes while working on this project. I began to view my surrounding environment differently as I considered and discovered different ways to frame and capture an image.