Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bressonwas a French humanist photographer considered the master of candid photography, and an early user of 35 mm film. He helped develop street photography, and approvingly cited a notion of the inevitability of a decisive moment, a term adopted as the title for his first major book. His work has influenced many photographers...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhotographer
Date of Birth22 August 1908
CountryFrance
Henri Cartier-Bresson quotes about
photography mean expression
As far as I am concerned, taking photographs is a means of understanding which cannot be separated from other means of visual expression. It is a way of shouting, of freeing oneself, not of proving or asserting one's own originality. It is a way of life.
photography important leica
Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.
photography eye essence
Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.
photography together mixtures
Only a fraction of the camera's possibilities interests me - the marvelous mixture of emotion and geometry, together in a single instant.
photography dancer pockets
A photographer is part pick-pocket and part tightrope dancer.
photography important photographer
They ... asked me: 'How do you make your pictures?' I was puzzled ... I said, I don't know, it's not important.
photography running believe
The only thing which completely was an amazement to me and brought me to photography was the work of Munkacsi. When I saw the photograph of Munkacsi of the black kids running in a wave, I couldn't believe such a thing could be caught with the camera. I said, 'Damn it', I took my camera and went out into the street.
photography technology important
Pictures, regardless of how they are created and recreated, are intended to be looked at. This brings to the forefront not the technology of imaging, which of course is important, but rather what we might call the eyenology (seeing).
photography animal prey
In photography, you've got to be quick, quick, quick, quick...Like an animal and a prey.
photography intuition documentaries
Photography is not documentary, but intuition, a poetic experience.
photography vanishing photographer
Photographers deal in things which are continuously vanishing...
photography real responsibility
The intensive use of photographs by mass media lays ever fresh responsibilities upon the photographer. We have to acknowledge the existence of a chasm between the economic needs of our consumer society and the requirements of those who bear witness to this epoch. This affects us all, particularly the younger generations of photographers. We must take greater care than ever not to allow ourselves to be separated from the real world and from humanity.
photography too-late leica
During the work, you have to be sure that you haven't left any holes, that you've captured everything, because afterwards it will be too late.
photography thinking people
The camera is for us a tool, not a pretty mechanical toy ... people think far too much about techniques and not enough about seeing.