How to Shoot Photos Like Henri Cartier-Bresson

[@ThePhotographicEye]

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[@tunasandwich8049]

Candid photographs are the best kind of photographs It really immerses you to the natural lifestyle of the people at that moment Bresson's work actually opened my eyes to seeing that the people back then were not so different than us

[@hurleygreen927]

You're highlighting one of THE BEST photographers of all time! I especially enjoy the black and white images for moodiness... THANKS FOR THIS!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@tylerwhitney]

"A symphony of elements" is exactly what I would call a beautiful and successful image. I will be using that from now on!! ❤

[@qnetx]

The Decisive Moment is also a key component of successful sports and wildlife photography. When I’m out in the wetlands photographing birds and animals, listening is an invaluable resource as well.

[@JesusChrist-xb7jq]

I was about to say something similar. Not just using your ears, but knowing the layout and finding the best position and knowing the habits of the animals, like how a bird lowers its head right before takeoff.

[@Mister_EL.]

I find Bresson's images breathtaking! Nothing to do with the technicals, but the moments are so unique and strong...

[@dreacul]

The subway sequence at 5:20 is filmed in my town, Bucharest hahaa and that particular station is a place where I enjoy taking photos. Felt nice, it connected me to the story.

[@jonathanm9436]

I found this one to be so very instructive - not only about the decisive moment (which reminds us what to look for) but also about the patience that is required to wait for it to occur. Not to force it, or there's luck with 400 shots of hope. Both Cartier-Bresson's images obviously, and yours, show us that there are many moments of magic even in modern orchestrated events. I'll watch this video again.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@jonathanm9436]

@@ThePhotographicEye And I did (watch it again). Well worth reinforcing the messages. Great stuff.

[@gainde1137]

It's all about observation and anticipation.

[@lesformes462]

Alex, (if I might be so bold) u explore passionately so many aspects of photography that are not only instructive but also thought provoking, I thank you for your enthusiasm in shearing unselfishly your gift in today algorithm driven world.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Wow, thanks!

[@klartext2225]

Thanks for showing me some HCB pictures I never saw before! About half I know be heart now (owning 4 books on HCB), but he must have shot sooo much stuff there will always be more. And you never get tired of seeing fresh stuff from his archives. PLUS: Your wedding photography is really special, I like your empathy there! Decisive moments all around, beautiful. :-)))

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@GJSsongsmith]

The “ nail varnish “ shot is genus !

[@marcuzas1]

Looking at HCB’s contact sheets was a relief for me in that they revealed he commonly shot an entire roll of images of a scene before choosing the one which would later become iconic. It means his magic is accessible to most any photographer if they have an eye for possibilities and a bit of patience.

[@c.augustin]

This "shot an entire roll of images" would be the reason why he adopted the Leica (or rather a very small 35 mm camera) for his work, as it was a) small and unobtrusive and b) far cheaper per shot than any other format of the time. I think there was even a famous image that took him more than one roll (I remember seeing two sheets of a particular scene, but I might be mistaken).

[@SylvainDuford]

Yeah, and from the number system he used to mark his rolls of film, it is estimated that he took around 300,000 photos during his life. Only about 20 or so are famous. So don't lose patience or despair because you're not good at catching "the decisive moment".

[@yeohi]

@@SylvainDuford He took many 100s of fantastic photos of equal quality to your so-called famous ones. His thousands of photos of lesser quality are still out of reach of most photographers. No reason to despair. No matter hard you practice the 100-yard dash, you're not gonna catch Usain Bolt.

[@BrunoChalifour]

"he commonly shot an entire roll of images of a scene" ... let us not replace one myth by another. Both are erroneous. "Behind Gare Str Lazare" being such a counter example of what you are asserting and there are loads of other counter examples.

[@SS-jt9ex]

@@BrunoChalifour He isn't wrong though.

[@guusbeeld]

Man, do I love your thoughts about Photography...

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@tedbrown7908]

The Saying is - an iron fist in a velvet glove. Your Version is a better fit for photography. I did my first real street photography yesterday and it felt good. It was at a street festival and people knew I was there with my big lens, and it didn't bother them. A 50ish guy tried to make faces in front of my lens and I had my finger on the shutter button, I fired away. His wife and family started laughing at him because I caught him in the moment. I wasn't even looking through the viewfinder. Post processing showed I nailed the picture of his face and smile.

[@FrankBasel2024]

Thx so much for the Cartier-Bresson presentation! Enjoyed it and took many inputs away with me.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

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[@brandonmartinezstudio]

A symphony of elements - Thank you, this is beautiful

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@FlyFishingProf]

As many of you have commented, these videos by Alex are a jewel within the KZbin world. Very professional produced and presented. I’ve been watching/following Alex’s videos from the beginning and, besides the content, it dawned on me why I keep returning to watch his short films. It’s Alex. Yes the content is special, but Alex as the presenter is what draws me into each presentation, always watching to the end. As always, I look forward to his next video. Thank you Alex, I wish you the best.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Wow, thank you! Thanks really very kind of you to say so. I really appreciate your support!

[@bizpixvegas7651]

Great video Alex. Love the subjects you cover. I am a big fan of Cartier-Bresson. Back in my brief wedding photography days, I shot candid, "decisive" moments and had fun doing it. Then, I came across a few pros who tried to show me the way and told me those photos do not sell and to shoot photos that sell! That was year 2004. I left the wedding world in 2007 and never went back. Fast forward to 2023, the photographers who charge the big bucks so to speak all shoot decisive moment style. Go figure! I do landscape photography now but whenever I get a chance to shoot none landscape work, I look for the decisive moment. When I shot weddings, I had a following. They came to me for my decisive moment work not my "say cheese" stuff!!

[@SylvainDuford]

Sorry to contradict, but HBC never talked of "The Decisive Moment", that was the translation chosen by his editor and he didn't agree with it and was slightly miffed by all the talk about "Decisive Moment" being attributed to him. The title he used for his book in French was "Images à la Sauvette" which translates to "Images on the run" or "Images on the sly". If you insist on using moment instead of image, it would be more like "The fleeting moment". So it never was about planning or waiting for the "decisive moment". It was more about being attentive and ready to catch that fleeting moment when it appears in front of you.

[@lorenschwiderski]

Yes!

[@gsx-phantom645]

To say it was NEVER about planning or waiting I feel is doing Bresson a disservice since it implies a random approach (or luck) to his photography and I certainly don't see that in his body of work. I does look to me like he's often seen an opportunity develop and waited for elements to align before pressing the shutter...

[@DanScott1]

Spot on. And that being attentive and ready is about how connected you are with you and the heights of your own joy frequency. That's why he danced, he was excited, lighter and expectant.

[@lorenschwiderski]

@@gsx-phantom645 The quote of all times has to be, "luck favors the prepared." It is true that a shot is prepared, but it is usually within a matter of seconds, while other times in a second. We will never see Bresson's misses, as he would say, he is but a human. He loved people, and this helped in relations between his camera, his eye, and the world about him. Being an artist, he had a grip on composition -- the geometry. This is possibly why he preferred the use of 50mm, the less distortion and best composition lens one can have for a split second image. I hope you are enjoying your street photography. We can agree that Bresson is one of the best. Take care and have fun, Loren

[@KRE808]

Lots of great points but the last really resonated with me. I’ve never understood photographers walking the streets with headphones or earbuds in, one of my main no-nos since I think it’s essential to be fully invested in what is happening around you (and for keeping oneself safe as well), but until you mentioned it I didn’t realize that yes, hearing what’s going on (and what might be about to go on) is also crucial…. Always love how you are able to talk about photography philosophically but never pretentiously!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Wow, thank you

[@Hirsutechin]

Something to also consider is HCB’s love of Surrealism and how many of his compositions borrow from it. I had a very enjoyable read through “The Europeans” recently and apart from his Puckish sense of fun in so many images, the surrealism was unmistakable in many. Some excellent images of your own in the video too! ❤

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you.

[@VagabondKing100]

Thank you for this video. It helped solidify some thoughts I’ve had recently. If I can try and restate your idea: The Decisive Moment is a combination of emotional & intellectual presence and intention inside an experience based feedback loop that is layered on a foundation of technical competence. I’ve taught three photographers over the last couple months how to do my job. One of the best comments was “oh wow, you really put a lot of thought into this.” A whole lot of what I do is solely based on how I have learned to look at the available light and how I position myself and the object to be photographed. I watch the weather and clouds like a hawk. It is all done on purpose. It is the exact opposite of just running around taking quick snapshots.

[@BrunoChalifour]

Why give a lamer definition of HCB's photographing strategy when he explained it all eloquently in his introduction of "The Decisive Moment"? It is not just about "spontenaety" (the way spontaneity is butchered in the video) but yes, the mind and the eye and the heart.

[@Poppycockify]

Fantastic video, Alex. Love that shot of the lady-obscured by a curtain with just one heel visible-walking into the guy’s office. So suggestive ❤

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@glen-kun]

I really enjoy your channel, and loved this video. I am not a photographer but do the social media for my bakery, and I find I am constantly hunting for moments to capture, but always frustrated as I would need to bake at the same time, and coworkers sometimes get frustrated when I pause to take photos or videos. This video taught me the important of thinking of the ways I could set up beforehand to minimize distraction and maximize my chances for great images or videos!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@docDeutschmann]

Thank you for this inspirational (and at the same time very instructional) video. However, it made me think about HCB's approach, and now I see even more clearly why a Leica was his choice of tool. Besides being small and of great quality, once it is setup (aperture, exposure, focus by scale, or by an object where he was anticipating the action to take place) it will release the shutter immediately. "Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet." ;-)

[@nikytamayo]

I've always felt that a musical background made one a better writer. Never thought about it applied to photography.

[@mvw5721]

Henri himself disliked 'the decisive moment'. Indeed, his contact sheets show that his great images required him to 'work the scene', taking multiple photos of the same scene at different angles, moments and perspectives. He hustled hard to get the desired shots and he would spend a lot of time with his contact sheets, determining which photos he decided were his 'best'. Henri: "Sometimes you have to milk the cow a lot to get a little bit of cheese.”

[@barnseyb6031]

I like your comment. I think we are sometimes led to believe that the "decisive moment" is where someone takes a single photo just at the right time. In reality, it is often a photo (chosen from many photos) when the ideal moment occurred. (As you mentioned about Henri and his contact sheets)

[@unstanic]

@@barnseyb6031 Especially those with groups of people starring at you. As everybody knows, in a single shot of a group of people someone will have their eyes closed lol

[@epinhervin9355]

But if HCB got more than hundred decisive moment it mean he like it eventhough he did not admit it or just joking when he said he hate it 😂

[@uwetrenkner9716]

Your wedding images are amazing!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you so much!!

[@johna.benigno4172]

Hello Alex. Once again, a well thought out presentation about Bresson's work. As a photography teacher, I'm often asked to define "the decisive moment". Over the years, I've come up with a definition to start the discussion. The decisive moment is when time and space combine to capture a significant action. Then, we talk and talk and talk, and then talk some more. Feel free to use this if you think it helps the discussion.

[@BrunoChalifour]

Just read the introduction to "the Decisive Moment and you'll get a good if not better definition, "the alignment of eye, mind and heart." Look at the Greek term Kairos. There is no use to water down one's ideas just quote them.

[@TheUrbandilema]

Very tru henri was a great master...henri wife also is an awesome photographer..the decisive moment to me is part of osberving the human presence..when i go the street i observe the people as well as the light..great topic sir and have a great Sunday

[@barnseyb6031]

Love this video Alex. Your own photos are amazing. ❤

[@gsx-phantom645]

One of your best videos to date...

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you. X

[@ShaneBaker]

To my mind, the master of the decisive moment is HC-B's fellow Magnum photographer, Elliott Erwitt. That man's awareness and anticipation (of people and animals) is a super power!

[@gurnbass]

Erwitt‘s „Museum Watching“ is one of my favorite books; it shows his mastery of the decisive moment.

[@BrunoChalifour]

Most Magnum photographers will meet such criteria too.

[@clausmannsperger4432]

That‘s what it‘s all about! Thank you so much for this Video, it helped me alot, to find my way with it

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Glad it helped!

[@johnclay7644]

informatiive video on the decisive moment concept, Don McCullin (war photography) is another great example informative photo content.

[@ChetanDodwad]

Wonderful explanation. Thank you so much

[@ThePhotographicEye]

You are welcome!

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Use your ears - you are so right. So underused. Thank you Alex for another masterclass. ❤

[@ThePhotographicEye]

You're so welcome!

[@NoosaHeads]

Good presentation. Very inspiring. Karsh of Ottawa and Henri Bresson are my most revered photographers.

[@Rob.1340]

Thank you. All the best. 👍📷😎

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks. You to

[@Sunil778-l4c]

*_Dear Sir, with all due respect, I'd like to humbly request you to make a video on all "Photographic Terms" "Photography Glossary" that a photographer must know to excel in his/her craft, thank you!🙏😇🙏*

[@rgarlinyc]

Very insightful, very encouraging - very helpful. Thank you immensely.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

You're very welcome

[@nocommentnoname1111]

The DM is something that you can talk about but cannot really teach. It is instinctive and it comes from the soul. You can talk about it theoretically all you want but ultimately you either got it or you don't.

[@seaeagles6025]

Hi Alex, Thanks for sharing your Black and White photos they were very natural, and they are the best photos. When your subject doesn't know your taking their photo and the photo turns out great, that's a skill, and you have that great skill Alex. When i go out photographing i never think of the decisive moment, i know what it is but now you have inspired me to be ready, patient, and waiting for the decisive moment. Liked when you said, you want the decisive moment to land like a Butterfly. Thank you for this great video. 😃

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you for watching

[@seaeagles6025]

@@ThePhotographicEye Your very welcome Alex 🙂

[@richmatthews9344]

Love this, thank you Alex ❤

[@andrewjackomos363]

Great clip. Thank you

[@nadominhoca]

I REALLY like your videos. You know what you are talking about.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Glad you like them!

[@nathan.dunahoo]

Love the content as always, thank you!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

My pleasure!

[@sionkaze]

That's awesome that you offer mentoring. I would love more info regarding this

[@tedphillips2951]

Wonderful video! Thanks

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Our pleasure!

[@johnmoody2365]

I certainly agree that many people that call themselves a 'street photographer', which includes most of those served up by the algorithm with snare drum dominated musac, actually walk around urban areas clicking aimlessly anything in sight. Accepting HCB may not have got the shot through careful timing of a single frame, but still likely only a few, the use of film with a finite number of frames definitely concentrates the mind to make every frame count. Now with digital cameras, that restriction is essentially lifted and as you say these 'street photographers' capture anything and everything in the hope they get lucky.

[@BrunoChalifour]

The tool is not enough to change the way a photographer works. The difference in training, experience may as what matters is the way the tools are being used and that is the photographer's responsibility. Having moved from decades of film to two decades of digital cameras now, my own practice has not change, nor have the practices of many photographers I know. Let us look at the most used camera these days, smartphones... people do not take twenty shots of the same scene either.

[@andrewcroft2570]

Great video Alex, Henri Cartier Bresson takes some stunning pictures, I know that wedding photography is a completely different genre but you take some exceptional pictures yourself.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@marccabuy926]

Hi Alex, I want to let you know that Cartier-Bresson's photobook "The Decisive Moment" is in reprint, but in a smaller format and possible 3x cheaper than the former but outsold luxury version. I have ordered a copy of the French version: Images à la Sauvette. That version has been reprinted last June. Marc.

[@Mandibil]

The decisive moment imo ... is about not thinking that you should necessarily take the shot as soon that you get a notion of a scene coming together ... it is about having a sense of the scenes potential but wait until its full potential has unfolded and THEN you have the decisive moment. It may not occur ... but if it does, that is when magic happens

[@kamaur01]

Bresson made me want to learn photography

[@ntlopes1]

I really like your excellent work. Congratulations! Please don't stop or give up. Your videos are great and very enlightening. Thanks. Bresson was a friend and frequented the members and actions of the French Surrialist Movement (his friendship with Breton and with Giacometti is known). Do you know what the "hasard objectif" technique is? Well, that's "the Decisive Moment"... If you read all the «"technical"» texts about the movement's poetic creativity, you'll quickly find the "technique" of the Hasard objectif/decisive Moment... (The work André Breton's "Nadja" was made with the application of some «surrielist techniques», one of them was Le Hasard Objectif. Decisive Moment is Bresson's photographic version of l'hasard objectif). It is not a demerit, quite the contrary! Only a visual poet like Bresson would have the ability to carry out this «translation».

[@veivoli]

One of images in this video included the word "spontaneity." I recall listening to a Peter, Paul, and Mary concert many years ago where one of them (a bloke, so it wasn't Mary (and the more I think about it, I believe it was Peter Yarrow - but it was a long time ago)) was organising the theatre in to three groups to sing a round, which I seem to recall was "Rock my Soul in the Bosom of Abraham." He said something I've never forgotten, and am probably misquoting: "If you want spontaneity you have to rehearse." I referred to the quote attributed to Seneca the Younger regarding luck in a reply to another poster...

[@raysville7256]

Xcellent content.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@JerryNovak]

Preparing for The Decisive Moment is important. Frame your shot. Set the aperture and shutter speed for the conditions. Do you need everything in focus? Do you need to stop motion? Decide how you are going to make the shot before the composition becomes perfect. Once you are ready, THEN you just look for the decisive moment and shoot it.

[@deckmiller3652]

There's this lecture by Agnes Sire (Director of HCB Foundation) about how Cartier-Bresson got tired of the decisive moment and felt trapped by the term he never really coined. The decisive moment is not even the English translation of the title of his book.

[@BrunoChalifour]

True but it is also at the beginning of the book. It is the quote by Cardinal de Retz at the top of the introduction to the book by Cartier-Bresson himself. And that is why Simon not & Schuster used it rather than a lame translation of Images à la sauvette... and it was not such a bad idea as the expression stuck.

[@youevil9846]

Nowadays it is harder to walk around and wait for the precise moment. Back in the days people were excited to see a camera with the possibility of being part of photographic memory. Modern human beings are so self conscious that they do not appreciate being part of a photo,. Cellphones are everywhere and everyone is taking selfies.

[@ThePurpleHarpoon]

At 14:47 Bresson should have shot those two young dudes in portrait orientation. Now I have to imagine how cool their trousers and shoes looked.

[@boatman222345]

Excellent video both thought provoking and challenging! Today's spray and pray style of photography would not have been possible in HCB's time because the available technology would not have allowed it. In that HCB enjoyed a real advantage over photographers today. Lost somewhere amidst the never ending succession of auto features and multiple frames per second is the somewhat intangible but nonetheless all important satisfaction of being sufficiently in tune with the moments of life so as to be able to capture in a single image both the process leading up to as well as the actual "moment" somehow defining the essence of the event. There is a world of difference between holding down the shutter button for 5 seconds and 50 frames and then selecting the best frame and standing quietly in keen anticipation of the decisive moment and confidently pressing the shutter button when it happens.

[@BrunoChalifour]

Wrong about the technology (a 350-shot roll of film in a Leica existed in post WW II years0 ; many camera manufacturer added motors-drives to their camera bodies. The issue was more cost. Even today not everyone "sprays and prays". Usually it is a youth issue, trying to compensate a lack of understanding, mastering and practice of he medium with "spraying" which may result in missing the right shot by the way. And I am not even mentioning the time wasted editing, and the memory space lost.

[@boatman222345]

@@BrunoChalifour By "available technology" I was referring to the cost of film and developing. I had a camera equipped with a motor drive years ago but the only way I would have been able to afford to spray and pray was if I worked for the government!

[@ChoppersModelworks]

Other less mentioned photographers are also interesting to look into sometimes. Such as Julia Margaret Cameron and Lewis Carroll.

[@BrunoChalifour]

You'll have a problem using them to illustrate the "Decisive Moment". ;o)

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Mr. Kilbee, really great wedding photographs. They transcend just documenting an event. You captured such a wide array of emotions and lovely little intimate moments, all the while, crafting some very good compositions. They didn't mind receiving the images in Black and White? I imagine not everyone can appreciate the beauty of B&W imagery.

[@yeohi]

I'm sure they got what they paid for.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@r.c8756]

The only problem with that idea of "right moment" is that as a newbie, you haven’t developped that instinct of when the right moment is and therefore you may very well wait forever and never take any photos at all. No matter how good the advice, I can’t help but thinking you can’t get it right without getting it wrong a lot before. I think, maybe you NEED to "machinegun" a lot and take a lot of disappointing images before having enough experience to have at least a slight idea of what it is you’re looking for. Well, I guess maybe some people get it faster and more naturally than others, for whom it’s a whole process... BTW I love the idea of using ears to make photos, that’s such an interesting take.

[@rogerbradbury9713]

Yes, it requires practise; lots and lots of practise, like any skill. But you will not learn if you just machine gun (AKA spray and pray); if that's all you ever do, you will never learn to recognise the right moment. You may get a photo that's caught the right moment, but you will have no idea how to do it again. Instead, take plenty of photos but make every single one count. Then you will learn how to do it.

[@BrunoChalifour]

"Machinegunning" is definitely not the solution as it implies quantity but not quality. Regular if not constant thoughtful practice does help though.

[@ysabelledurant]

Another great episode. Just do not agree to the fact that "luck" is not really a crucial part of it. the Ls (Light, Location, Luck) are but yet, the decisive moment is too

[@mikefoster6018]

I feel like Bresson, Robert Doisneux and other greats distinguish themselves massively from middle-of-the road street photography by ensuring enough story or meaning in those photos. There's enough to ensure you have something to digest, with a determination to about confusing imagery that would block the emotional response. And the meaning is subtle, sometimes humorous, and non-didactic.

[@robertmccutchan5450]

Alex, what are your thoughts on doing multiple shot bursts? My method is to find my composition, wait for the "decisive moment", and then I usually take a 2 or 3 shot burst of that moment, or maybe more if there is a LOT of action going on. I seem to have more good pictures to choose from this way. I'm NOT a fan of the "spray and pray" method, and I think there is no substitute for learning composition, and waiting for the right right moment within that composition.

[@AA-ni3km]

I was going to say the same thing. If you've been waiting for a moment - and it happens - why risk missing the moment by taking a single shot (and mis-timing that single shot by 0.2s)? Take shots at 5+ FPS and make sure you don't miss the moment. Also, you don't know in advance which precise moment will be best. Is it the foot hovering above the water or the foot just entering the water? Answer: Take both and decide later. I suggest not wasting time wondering about purity in your process - do what it takes to get the shot.

[@DanScott1]

If your spraying, your not connected, there's only one image coming to you.. are you ready?

[@litoco]

Tak!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

thanks!

[@tonebonetones]

I think, however, it is also an extra dimension of difficulty, today. Not just being ready for that moment, but increased privacy and paranoia make it difficult to shoot off the cuff, close enough to catch people unguarded. In Bresson's time, photography was still a novelty and an old man taking pictures would not cause any paranoia from the subjects.

[@BrunoChalifour]

Not quite a novelty as the illustrated press was quite vibrant and most people had family pictures (by the way he died in 2004 and professionally photographed until the late 1970s). As for paranoia whenever he went to the USSR or China, he was closely supervised; in the remote countryside of the world people would also look at you suspiciously. There are so many smart-phones around now that even museum guards do not bother asking you not to take photographs.

[@Mryves13]

❤❤❤

[@jackslater8688]

Was his primary or only aspect ratio 3:2?

[@stevemphoto]

I know that subway station you are speaking of :)

[@ThePhotographicEye]

You sure do Steve! Have you been back there at all?

[@stevemphoto]

@@ThePhotographicEye Not really. However, I did walk by it the other day while dropping of some film. I've been thinking differently about my photography as a whole.

[@lukjs5239]

Great video, thanks. Cartier Bresson should be one of the pillar of everybody's photographic path. (P.S. would it be possible to add in description the music you use in your video?🙏)

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks you.

[@sputumtube]

Cartier Bresson was a very gifted photographer and a brave man who was captured by the Germans in WW2 not just once, but twice. He escaped both times. His family were also very wealthy which meant that he could follow his passion and get paid for it. He never developed or printed his own images which left him free to snap away with abandon. His 'hit rate' was less than 1 in 10, so 90% of his images were discarded. We only see his best work, and his book The Decisive Moment are a collection of this 10%. A founder member of Magnum, but still a fallible man.

[@alstuart8801]

nice video

[@findingselfagain4014]

Yes hunting is the thing, one must be prepared all the time Cartier used a 24mm on a range finder he made himself invisable. I knew one of his agency shooters Brian Brake, he would say things are predictable. My thing is to expect an image to happen the secret is to predict it to happen.

[@robertbridges4686]

Bresson danced

[@hurleygreen927]

FOLLOWUP COMMENTS: His photos all seem to be shot in 50mm format...is that true? And to me, what makes his images so great is that they almost look set up and sometimeds POSED! :) I LUV IT!

[@GeorgeKrauskopf-r4d]

Perhaps someone can find documentation that Henri Cartier-Bresson actually said the quote attributed to him: “The decisive moment”?

[@urbandiscount]

We know the jumping over the puddle photograph was rehearsed. He asked the circus person to jump again. and he shot a few frames, not one and chose the best one.

[@angelamaloney4871]

Sounds like the decisive moment is another way of describing an important street photography technique-standing around and waiting for something to happen. Find a good spot and just hang around to see what happens. :-) No books ordered. I have several of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work and am fairly familiar with it.

[@BrunoChalifour]

What other street photography techniques are there to produce interesting if not good street photographs?

[@angelamaloney4871]

@@BrunoChalifour There are as many techniques as there are street photographers. Look at Bruce Gilden for an example of someone quite different from Cartier-Bresson. Albeit not someone I’d likely emulate.

[@BrunoChalifour]

@@angelamaloney4871 Neither would I!!! But let us face it you are referring to an obnoxious extreme whose technique has more to do with agressive and again obnoxious portraiture (granted in the street) than the street photography. The environment (the street) matters very little in his portrait. You could describe it "another way of describing" portraiture ;o)

[@angelamaloney4871]

@@BrunoChalifour Well, I'm afraid I'm just not into the whole gatekeeping thing where we make up rigid rules for a genre and include/exclude based on them. Bruce Gilden is pretty widely recognized as a street photographer, but you're certainly welcome to disagree. Which would, of course, do nothing to address your original question.

[@BrunoChalifour]

@@angelamaloney4871 Well so to go back to my original question, what other street photography technique do you know? If everyone has one then there should be plenty of options other than Bruce Gilden (by the way Hitler is a very recognised name too but do we need another one? In other one being known may not be enough to be interesting or good).

[@PhotoArtBrussels]

Hi Alex, irrespective of the concept of making a photograph; these days we are confronted with the rights of the subject. What is you input on handling the modern day street photography challenge? Certainly here in de EU we need a written approval for publication of any photo by the subject(s) in it; and there is the right of portrait, people can change their minds when they want to.

[@barrytcook1]

you are dead right .... no luck to the decisive moment ....the more I practice the luckier i get ....arnole palmer ...gary player ... not sure who said it ...but so so true ...

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

Ok, I tried to look up the work 'unboringed' from your thumbnail and I can't find a definition?🤔

[@c.augustin]

Creative freedom in playing with the English language.

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

@@c.augustin 🤣. I was just curious what was meant!

[@c.augustin]

@@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk Oh, that's easy for a non-native speaker/reader like me: boring - unboring (negated) - unboringed (make a verb out of an adjective). I have to admit that this is not meant to be in the dictionary, but I guess this is how languages evolve … 😁 (As a German I might be familiar with creating new words - we do it by combining them into monsters … 😁)

[@yeohi]

@@c.augustin unbored

[@CoffeeandPhotographyTalk]

@@c.augustin understood - I took some german in high school, monsters indeed! LOL

[@itakephotos1141]

But I fear interrupting that decisive moment and then it is gone, or worse I'm invasive.

[@yeohi]

The composition is a critical part of the decisive moment. Sadly, you don't talk specifically about the composition of any of the photos. How come?

[@klartext2225]

Since HCB never used zooms - he "zoomed" with his feet, I think composition always came very automatic to him, he had to be fast and when you are trained, you find your framing in one second. Because often there are not so many good options for framing a scene with a 40 mm lens.

[@clt8762]

Why ? To redo what has already been done and probably worse... ?

[@RustyKnorr]

The decisive moment was total BS. If you look at his contact sheets he shot as many shots as anyone else trying to get the right timing. It’s not like he magically only took one frame of each composition. He was a great photographer, not a wizard. I think Elliot Erwitt was just as amazing if not more so at capturing the once in a lifetime timing that made the shot.

[@saalikreynolds3064]

Sorry, I don't get it. I believe Cartier-Bresson is over-praised.