So, we have reached the last part of my small and woefully incomplete review of Henri Cartier-Bresson. In this final part, there is only one image discussed.
Tight framing and precise timing deliver the decisive moment envisaged by the photographer in this photograph of a cyclist in a Paris street. He is captured as he is about to leave the frame. We see this compositional strategy, which adds tension and drama, in the puddle jumper who is also about to leave the frame, and the peeking man who is looking out of the frame.
This image differs from the others in that it is shot from above, which adds to the sense of motion in the scene.
These images capture glimpses of people going about their ‘normal lives’. This is the power of Cartier-Bresson’s photography: we are treated to moments (albeit ones the artist has chosen for us) in the everyday world that we usually fail to see—and do not give significance to.
His ideas and images have inspired many photographers who have sought ways to capture the mundane as well as the profound moments in the human story.
It has been a pleasure to post this little series, as incomplete and inexpert as it may be. I thank you my friends for taking the time to visit and read this series. I hope it has been enjoyable and some use to you.
Peace
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