"The Decisive Moment" by Henri Cartier-Bresson (+Outlook 2019)

In this first episode of Greg's Library, we take a closer look at Henri Cartier-Bresson's "The Decisive Moment" which was first published in 1952 by Simon & Schuster. As there were only 10.000 copies made of the original and they are quite expensive today, we focus on the wonderful facsimile by Steidl - arguably one of the best photo book publishers out there. Take a look here, if you're interested in purchasing the book:
steidl.de/Books/The-Decisive-...
If you'd like to get in touch or see some early behind the scenes footage, find me on Instagram: / analog_insights

[@yorkieinnz4648]

Books will never die...Thanks.

[@PatrickMullerLeichlingen]

I have to finally comment on one of your videos: I think you guys are doing a great job here. Really like this format of book-reviews as well, though it's a bit dangerous for my purse ... ;)

[@Stego86]

Great! that's what I call a library! Looking forward to see more!

[@jamesstratakos8732]

Yes, continue to add insight into the genre of photography!

[@Blofeld76]

Great episode. More photobook reviews please. 👍😊

[@blaxton2]

From the back ground in your set, it looks like you could make hundreds of videos, discussing photo books. I would eagerly await each one. Thanks for this pilot episode. Cartier-Bresson's Decisive Moment was the perfect choice. Your other ideas for programming sound great as well. By the way, I completely agree about Steidl publishing. I have a few books published by them. The quality is unbelievably good-and I do mean unbelievably good. How they can produce such consistently high quality and remain economically viable is a mystery but the quality is amazing.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your kind feedback and additional assessment of Steidl publishing. This really helps! :)

[@trevr10]

Really enjoyed this episode, looking forward to more of Greg's library mixed in with the usual video's

[@diegoblanco3200]

Congratulations on your channel! Your videos have great quality, and to me stand out from what’s already out there. I hope you produce more behind the shoot videos on 2019, and the darkroom printing techniques Greg is taking about sound really interesting! Will be definitely checking them out.

[@muharremaltintas]

I love your channel. And great photobook review episode. It's warm feeling and more informative. I really expect to see the next ones. Congratulations. And happy new year!

[@AndrewSeywright]

Great video from you both, very excited about your suggested videos covering lab techniques! Have a Happy New Year when it comes

[@DominicUliano]

Great video! I have been very interested in this book for a long time. Looking forward to the seeing the new videos you described in your Outlook 2019. Cheers!

[@richardsimms251]

Great presentation. Fun. Canada.

[@jonmnelson]

I love your videos. They’re so informative and calm. I love being included in your conversations. Thank you!

[@darrellmacleod202]

What a wonderful episode Max. I love where you’re going with your channel. Always entertaining and great learning. Your visit to Wetzlar would make a delightful episode (or perhaps mini-series). Looking forward to 2019 with you three. Exciting.

[@billhackley3540]

very excited about where you are going.

[@Nat.ImagesLarge.F.Photographer]

Fantastic!

[@mamiyapress]

A great Analogue channel, looking forward to 2019, keep up the excellent work.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your comment! Really appreciate it, especially since you've been here from the very start. :)

[@akanthony100]

I'm glad you are uploading frequently

[@AnalogInsights]

Me too. If I have time, I'm creating and uploading videos. :)

[@michelbrousset4941]

Congratulations! Bravo for a great channel. Looking forward to 2019.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your kind comment. :)

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

I like the concept of choosing a book to talk about. Please do more! Your work is highly appreciated.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks for your positive feedback. We'll certainly do more of these episodes in the future. :)

[@noonsound4894]

Always the best & this is no exception. 👍

[@joshneill7695]

Superb first edition of 'Gregs Library'! I am so glad you started with this monumental book, and I am even happier for the link to obtain it 😊 I look forward to all your ideas coming to fruition in the new year and wish you Max (and Greg!) a very Happy and Succesful 2019. Thank you for your wonderful videos!!

[@AnalogInsights]

Thank you for your lovely comment. I really appreciate it. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it so much that you will actually purchase the book. I'm also really looking forward to 2019 and all the interesting episodes coming up on the channel. :)

[@Laurens__]

Winter is coming. Great video.

[@steveg8322]

Do more,by all means.Very absorbing video, love to peruse Greg's library .

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your feedback, Steve. We'll definitely do more of these after this positive reception.

[@kamilkalmonowicz4948]

One of my favorite YT channels. Great job Max. I look forward to seeing how your channel develops and which topics you are going to cover. There's an interesting collection of books in Greg's library. I wish only the sound quality of this particular video was better - but you probably already noticed it. Cheers!

[@AnalogInsights]

Kamil Kalmonowicz We will definitely improve the audio quality for the next edition of Greg’s library. Sorry about that! And thanks for your kind feedback and words.

[@brunomartelli8163]

Great, can't wait for your new content.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much! :)

[@thedondeluxe6941]

Great video as usual! And still no dislikes after four days! That's quite the achievement these days :-)

[@michelk5]

Love this awesome channel!

[@michaelh.gerloff3659]

Thank you very much for starting this series, it is stimulating! HCB is, of course, one of the most influencing photographers in the 20th century. Two things came to my mind when I saw your review. The obvious is that nowadays many photographers would have problems shooting photos like he did, in this hit&run way. There was and still is a lot of discussion going on about personality rights - and I wonder if we will see icons of (street) photography like these of HCB, Dorothea Lange, Weegee, or Vivian Maier. In the last few weeks I have seen a lot of photo critic videos on KZbin. And seeing some of HCB's photos I had to grin. "Ah, the man's arm on the left is cut while there is some free space on the right - HCB should have moved a bit ..." (9:20) Wonder if his photos would find mercy in the critics' eyes :D About that photo and the photo with the man in the café (8:45): I am not a fan of 2-page photos if you can not see it plain. If it has to be this size I prefer a fold-out page.

[@dmitrym3311]

Great video! Thanks for your channel! See you in the new year!

[@AnalogInsights]

Thank you for your nice comment. Really appreciate it! :)

[@bratwurstprag9979]

Great video, thank you.

[@henricvs]

Such interesting content. Thank you.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your comment. Glad to hear you like it. :)

[@adamturner7304]

You have great ideas love the book review as well

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much. We'll do our best to actually implement the ideas. :)

[@fishemrock]

Great content

[@edwinparker6732]

I eagerly anticipate this coming year's videos :) Devotees of H C-B should seek out the book "Sextet: T. S. Eliot & Truman Capote & Others" by John Malcolm Brinnin. Easy to find on the used market. In the chapter "Just Like Java" the author describes his journey in 1947 with Cartier-Bresson 16,000 miles across America and back as guide, chauffeur, camera assistant and note-taker for the commentary to accompany H C-B's photos in a proposed book of the trip. By the time they return to New York you'll be as exhausted as the author and have fresh insights into Cartier-Bresson's drive and personality.

[@kyoko61400]

Great video! I also have a large photobooks library and this fac simile of « The decisive moment » is one of my favorite books. I have the french version. Just a suggestion: I suffered a bit for the book when you started turning the pages to show some pictures. It might be more efficient to insert a few examples of images from time to time during the conversation. Thank you again for this exciting and very pleasant moment in your company. It was also « decisive » for me since I subscribed to your channel. The french title of this legendary book is « Images à la sauvette »...

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your kind words and elaborate comment. And, welcome to our channel! :) Yes, you're definitely right. Deciding up front which images to show and putting small, removable markers in the book is another important learning that we had extracted from this first attempt.

[@velvia7880]

I have the 2015 reprint. Amazing book and quality. Cartier Bresson, a master of composition. Learn composition from this book, the other old master painters and then apply it to your own work and style.

[@janw.jensen2490]

I couldn't help to notice Greggs watch, the Citizen Automatic. I have the same watch. It saved my hand once, so it's special to me. Gregg probably have more photo books than I do. If he has something by Walther Benser other than MY LIFE WITH THE LEICA, I would like to see it.

[@JPKVan17]

Another great video, thanks for the link for Steidl books. So, Jules has a kickstarter project?

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks for your kind comment. Glad you like the video. No, Jules won't turn it into a kickstarter project. But he's certainly eager to show you guys the camera. :)

[@Disco_Shrew]

More book reviews please!

[@JaapV12]

Nice project. I think the book 'Workers' by Sebastião Salgado is almost on the same level; honorable second place.

[@kristielau6779]

Love your content! The only thing I would recommend is getting Greg a mic haha It was slightly hard to hear him at times

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks so much for your feedback. I actually ordered a proper audio recorder for such sessions this morning to avoid the bad sound in the future. :)

[@BobBrewerHawaii]

Wonderful. How can I be notified of similar videos?

[@AnalogInsights]

Bob Brewer Thanks. Just subscribe to the channel or only the playlist Greg’s Library. :)

[@rbruce63]

Amazing! We get Steidl books in Costa Rica my home country! Do you know if the first edition of this book was made in offset process or in gravure printing process?

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks for your comment. As far as we know, it's an offset print.

[@siggimac]

Hello Max, another great video again. I am sure I am not the only one who would like to know more about Greg. Who is he, where are his photos to be found? Maybe this could be the theme of another video.

[@Gabez82]

Hi Max, I wanted to ask, have you seen the Minolta Mirror Photographic Magazine? It was a publication from circa 1975-1994. The magazine was very similar to a National Geographic Magazine but more about the photographer behind the camera, a behind the scenes look as it were. They are very beautiful photos published within, all done of course with Minolta cameras and lenses. Perhaps you can include them in your video and shoot with your Minolta XD-7 again! Minolta made excellent glass, that rivaled all others. Great content. Cheers- from Los Angeles.

[@davidmilton2956]

Gentlemen, thank you for this review which is fantastic. If you have a copy in Greg’s library can you review the trilogy of books from from Fan Ho, sadly the first book in the series (Yesterday) is very expensive now but the other two are still affordable (A Hong Kong memoir and The living theatre). Secondly can you recommend a good Ansel Adams book?...there are many available but sadly most are not of a good quality.

[@ianthomas465]

David Milton, I have a big Ansel Adams library but the books I learned most of was the trilogy „The Camera“, „The Negative“ and „The Positive“. I think they are available for a reasonable price. I know Fan Ho and I absolutely like his work but unfortunately I donˋt have even one of his books already. Time for an improvement and thanks for the inspiration. Cheers, Greg

[@harrylew]

Informative and Inspiring interview! BTW, who is this Greg fellow?

[@ianthomas465]

Hi Harry Lew. I am the third and latest part of the Analog Insights trio. I am a photographer since the age of 14, member of several analog photo circles and camera collector. You cannot find me on social media as I avoid facebook, Instagram and however all these things are named as I prefer to spending my time outside of my job with my family, my friends, music and photography. Best regards and cheers, Greg

[@dennislam8102]

haha. thought G1 video will be the latest one

[@AnalogInsights]

Haha. No, we often have several parallel productions at once. :)

[@Martin-ci1og]

Very Nice! Little critique: you should sort out that audio, it doesnt sound very good.

[@AnalogInsights]

Martin Thanks for your feedback. The next episode will have better audio. I promise. :)

[@nocommentnoname1111]

The presentation of the pictures the book leaves something to be desired.

[@AnalogInsights]

Thanks for your comment. Please let us know what we could improve. More scenes showing the book? More in-depth conversation and/or details about the book's content, history, creation & publishing process? Just let us know for future episodes.

[@Raychristofer]

Hello Max how are you? You know I'm a forever fan of you and the channel, I have to say though I agree with noname because the book is the main subject so the images are most important and you can still talk in the background. What can help is an overhead mount tripod above the book so it fills the frame while you turn the pages. I have a second channel reading historic biography children's books which I use this overhead method alternating from me reading to the shot of the book overhead, best of both worlds. Max the videos with only you in it have a perfect pacing and I miss that aspect here but its of course more difficult with two people. but this book review is a great idea, you will find your stride in time as with all things. I predict this will be your most popular episode, congrats bro.

[@AnalogInsights]

@@Raychristofer Thanks for your input and constructive feedback. I really appreciate it and we will consider doing it in such a fashion in the future. :)

[@Iggy_Garcia]

Most of HCB photos are "The Staged Moment", not "The Decisive Moment" in my opinion.

[@dukenukem5768]

I could believe that one or two are staged, or at least he asked the subject to hold it for a photo, but the vast majority are candid.

[@klinkhamerphoto]

audio 😢

[@yasha8951]

Moving back from b&w and color it’s a bit unpleasant

[@stephanerone]

the super cheap sound quality stopped me in 30 seconds

[@jaimecarras6024]

He was an amazing photographer but i think there's no such thing as a decisive moment in photography.

[@adamm4926]

The creation of any image requires a decisive moment.

[@jaimecarras6024]

@@adamm4926 obviously, in the sense that you make a decision but i mean there is nothing crucial or most important about an image. Ultimately an image is just a copy of reality.

[@adamm4926]

@@jaimecarras6024 ah yes, if one is satisfied with mediocrity.

[@jaimecarras6024]

@@adamm4926 we are all mediocre. And it's a beautiful thing. I enjoy the process of making copies and i'm never satisfied.

[@steveg8322]

A double edged sword ,gentlemen, in the era of motor driven 35mm cameras all those images whirring by,one could definitely pick a decisive moment among them though perhaps two photographers may not have agreed which one that was.