Henri Cartier Bresson The Decisive Moment

Summary

The speaker reflects on their journey from painting and drawing to photography, viewing it as an intuitive and immediate form of art. They discuss the fluidity of life, the challenge of capturing moments, and the importance of geometry and composition in their work. The speaker emphasizes their disinterest in documentary photography, preferring images that evoke emotions and deeper meanings. They share experiences from photojournalism, the difficulty of portraits, and the joy of being fully immersed in the moment. For them, photography is about saying 'yes' to life, capturing its essence without overthinking.

Takeaways

• 📸 Photography is like drawing; it's an immediate sketch made with intuition and cannot be corrected.
• 🖼️ Life is fluid, and photography captures fleeting moments that cannot be repeated.
• 🔖 The speaker emphasizes not wanting to be labeled as a surrealist photographer, focusing instead on photojournalism.
• 📐 The joy in photography comes from geometry and the relationship between shapes and patterns in the frame.
• 👁️ Capturing a strong relation of shapes and evoking emotions in photography is key for the speaker.
• 📚 Journalism is about more than just documenting facts; it’s about presenting a point of view or an evocative narrative.
• 👤 Portrait photography is difficult, as it involves capturing the essence of a person in a single moment.
• 🔍 The speaker prefers to photograph people in their natural environment, observing them without disturbing the scene.
• 🤫 The process of taking a photo involves being quick, instinctual, and sensitive to the moment.
• 🎯 The essence of photography for the speaker is being fully immersed in the present, capturing the fleeting nature of life with a sense of affirmation: 'Yes, yes, yes.'

Q & A

What is the speaker's perspective on photography as a form of art?

The speaker views photography as a form of immediate sketching done with intuition, where the moment is captured fluidly and cannot be corrected. They find it more aligned with personal artistic expression than documentation or journalism.

Why does the speaker prefer not to identify as a surrealist photographer?

The speaker was advised by Kappa not to label themselves as a surrealist photographer because it could limit their professional opportunities and assignments. Although they feel close to surrealism, they keep it as a private affair and adopt the label of a photojournalist to avoid being categorized.

What importance does geometry hold in the speaker’s approach to photography?

Geometry is of great importance to the speaker, as they focus on establishing a visual rhythm through the relationships between shapes and lines. They find joy in structuring images where everything falls into place with millimeter-level precision.

How does the speaker distinguish between documenting and their own photographic style?

The speaker finds documenting dull and sees photography as more about evocation and visual pleasure. They focus on capturing a scene or moment that tells a story and evokes emotion rather than just presenting facts, which they find uninteresting.

What does the speaker consider the most challenging aspect of photography?

The speaker considers portrait photography to be the most challenging, as it involves trying to capture the essence of a person in a way that reveals their significance. It requires establishing a connection with the subject and navigating their reactions to being photographed.

What does the speaker mean by saying 'you must try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt'?

The speaker uses this metaphor to describe the delicate task of capturing a person’s true self without intrusion. It requires sensitivity to the subject’s personality and environment, like observing without disturbing them.

How does the speaker describe the role of timing in photography?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of instinct and quick reflexes, comparing photography to hunting prey. Capturing the right moment is often a matter of being alert and acting swiftly, as the perfect moment might be fleeting.

How does the speaker feel about overshooting photographs?

The speaker advises against overshooting, comparing it to overeating or overdrinking. Taking too many photos can make one miss the ideal shot, which often occurs in a fraction of a second, in between pressing the shutter.

What analogy does the speaker use to describe the sensation of photographing?

The speaker compares photography to saying 'yes' to life, like the affirmation in James Joyce’s 'Ulysses.' For them, photography is about being fully present in the moment and affirming what they see, whether it’s something they love or hate.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between photography and life?

The speaker views photography as deeply connected to life, capturing its fluidity and fleeting moments. They stress that photography reflects the constant creation and destruction of life, with the camera serving as a tool to affirm existence and emotion.