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NCV
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Black and white are the colours of photography.
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FREE : learn to shoot Landscapes with Henri Cartier Bresson !
- Thread starter Pascal Riben
- Start date
alterstill
Forum Enthusiast
elfroggio
Veteran Member
HCB started with a Kodak Brownie in the md-1910s. After meeting Man Ray in the late 20s he became interested in photography and in 1931 he bought a Leica M1 with a 50mm. At the time, this was the only small portable camera available. At this time, reflex cameras existed but they were not SLR.
Then rest is history.
BTW, about the "decisive moment", he stated in some interview that he would take as many as 5 photos at a time until he felt that it was right. 5 images out of film of 36. And me, I use a camera that does 8 fps and I use it all the time with a CF card that can hold up to 1150 images (raw).
ffnikclif
Leading Member
WOW! Some powerful images here & they show life in a very artistic way. They have indeed stood the test of time. Film will always have some magic that cannot be replicated with digital. That said I do enjoy the work I do in B&W with my digital cameras. But Henri Cattier Bresson was was ahead of his time & had a very destinctive style. He did much to push photography forward.
Fred
Fred
Henri Cartier-Bresson was as we remember the man behind the decisive moment ideas and is applying that here to his more landscape and travel photography and at least for me its a difficult transposition. in many of the images he has succeeded brilliantly in creating magnificent and meaningful images and in others some what prosaic in not down right banal images, but at the end of the day he is still and always will be one of the Giants of photography a wonderful collection
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bosjohn aka John Shick [email protected]
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bosjohn aka John Shick [email protected]
Pascal Riben
Senior Member
For about one hundred years, photography was only in B&W.
Pascal Riben
Senior Member
But didn't you write that photo would be a boring medium if it was only in B&W?
Pascal Riben
Senior Member
You have a good memory and you have understood everything!
Hello Pascal Riben,
since voting doesn't work, as it seems, I'm going to comment!
In the early days of photography the pros used heavy weight cameras on tripod. Sensationally enough some of them travelled to Egypt for instance to letting people back home see how pyramids and camels look like. What's new to people draws their attention, doesn't it? And then the small Leica was invented, which enabled Bresson walking around and let people take part in his look at the world. People still had no tv, no car, no color magazines, travelling was a privilege to few. So Bresson was kind of a representative to them, and since they hadn't seen yet such pictures of daily life here and there, they got interested in these well composed snapshots. The world has changed since then. Nowadays it takes a lot more than nicely made b&w pictures to attract the attention of satisfied consumers!
Although I have never been a fan of b&w photograpy, I respect CB and can enjoy his works.
since voting doesn't work, as it seems, I'm going to comment!
In the early days of photography the pros used heavy weight cameras on tripod. Sensationally enough some of them travelled to Egypt for instance to letting people back home see how pyramids and camels look like. What's new to people draws their attention, doesn't it? And then the small Leica was invented, which enabled Bresson walking around and let people take part in his look at the world. People still had no tv, no car, no color magazines, travelling was a privilege to few. So Bresson was kind of a representative to them, and since they hadn't seen yet such pictures of daily life here and there, they got interested in these well composed snapshots. The world has changed since then. Nowadays it takes a lot more than nicely made b&w pictures to attract the attention of satisfied consumers!
Although I have never been a fan of b&w photograpy, I respect CB and can enjoy his works.
Juri Janasik
Forum Enthusiast
Cal22
Thanks for providing this perspective and these insights. I'll have to mull these over.
Thanks for providing this perspective and these insights. I'll have to mull these over.
In addition to my comment above:
The last two words above are 'satisfied consumers'. Sorry, folks, I meant (over-)saturated consumers!
Of course, Cartier Bresson was a street or people photographer. His photos are proof of his enormous sense for composition. Or should I say: his instinct for composition?
Even his comparatively rare pictures of (cultivated) landscapes show his outstanding composing talent; he makes the elements of the picture correspond to each other like notes in a chord.
The last two words above are 'satisfied consumers'. Sorry, folks, I meant (over-)saturated consumers!
Of course, Cartier Bresson was a street or people photographer. His photos are proof of his enormous sense for composition. Or should I say: his instinct for composition?
Even his comparatively rare pictures of (cultivated) landscapes show his outstanding composing talent; he makes the elements of the picture correspond to each other like notes in a chord.
Pascal Riben
Senior Member
A little late (!) but thank you for your comment Cal22
RomanJohnston
Forum Pro
Taking a great photographer and showing work out of his element is not doing any justice in the person work. If you want to teach a lesson, much like NCV wrote....you need to actually choose a landscape photographer who is KNOWN for shooting landscapes. I have never heard of Micheal Kenna, but the second I saw his work, I knew he was a better landscape photographer to learn from than Bresson.
This leads me to wonder why you chose him instead of someone known for landscape work?
And looking at your responses you just kinda gloss over answering questions like this. A detailed response would be appreciated.
Roman
This leads me to wonder why you chose him instead of someone known for landscape work?
And looking at your responses you just kinda gloss over answering questions like this. A detailed response would be appreciated.
Roman
Pascal Riben
Senior Member
Where do you see I show work out of his elements ? Did you really look the full gallery, which is the book "Landscapes".
HCB is known for landscapes: what do you think he have published a book called "Landscape"? Only people who don't know his work think HCB is "street photography decisive moment" and only this.
I'm afraid you have a very smal and scholar conception of landscapes... and maybe the same one for portraits, still life, etc.
calson
Forum Pro
Sick joke that shows no knowledge of this man's life.
RomanJohnston
Forum Pro
Yeah...actually I did. Wasn't as impressed as I was with even some of the landscape artists here in the forum. Just not impressed...there are PLEANTY of other Landscape artists from his era that have a much more impressive body of landscape work that actually evokes emotion in the end viewer (beside you). I do nothing but landscape photography and have a reasonable understanding of what landscape work should entail....for me, this just isnt it. I accept that you think his work is awesome, my opinion just differs from yours is all. Not a big deal....
Well that would be because his body of work of street photography has that magic...of that work I am DULY IMPRESSED....its wonderful work. As photographers the body of work reflects what we love as a subject. HCB obviously loves people. While he might love his world as well...its not as evident in his work.
I would say you have a very small and scholar concept of photography if you do not understand what I am talking about as it is the ROOT of successful photography.
Roman
Pascal Riben
Senior Member
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