The Decisive Moment - Part 1

So today by request - I'm going to do talk about the Decisive Moment.
For those not in the know, "the Decisive Moment" is a phrase attributed to the great French photojournalist, Henri Cartier-Bresson. Bresson defined this as a photographer's intuitive ability to understand the precise moment of clicking the shutter when all elements are perfectly in place. The most perfect image can only be made at this "decisive moment".
I love Cartier-Bresson - he's a huge influence on me. I have some thoughts about what exactly this meant that I want to share with you in this episode. This is largely opinion and we might not agree, but I really feel like what he meant by this has been distorted and turned to myth by photographers and photography fans that have put the Cartier-Bresson legacy on a pedestal.
From Henri himself:
• The Decisive Moment - ...
The two photographers I'm contrasting in this talk art Bresson and Robert Frank who couldn't be more opposite in the style of their work. But I like to talk about them together because I believe both had "decisive moments" that meant different things to them.
On my channel you will find videos about photography, cinematography, post processing tutorials for Capture One, Lightroom and Photoshop, photo assignments that YOU can participate in, the Artist Series and of course me vlogging about my personal life. The Artist Series is an ongoing set of videos I produce as documentaries on living photographers. I am extremely passionate about photography and video and my goal in making these videos is to share my passion and enthusiasm with you! Don’t forget to subscribe and make sure to hit the like button and share this video if you enjoyed it!
Ted Forbes
The Art of Photography
2830 S. Hulen, Studio 133
Fort Worth, TX 76109
US of A

[@KAGilligan]

Thanks, Ted. Time machine here from 2012. Look at how far you have come! Congratulations. Kevin

[@NeilBlenkiron]

Someone once told me that luck is an acronym for Labor Under Correct Knowledge. Without getting too metaphysical I have found that if I am looking for a subject and I 'put it out there' so-to-speak then no matter where I go that subject usually appears in one form or another. Try it next time you;re out and about. Select say "red cars" as your subject and then see how many you come across on your daily commute.

[@08photog]

i'm going through your older videos a few years back I went to SF moma, they had on display cartier bressons' contact sheet for the person on the bicycle , at the bottom of the staircase, hyeres france. So, yup, some shots he did set up for the decisive moment. In my mind that takes nothing away from his work. But, it did open my eyes to the reality that some of these famous images were pre conceived and then photographed. Agree with everything you say in this one Ted (I dont always do that :-) )

[@GeraldMoncrief]

I agree with Ted only to a point. From what I understand of how Bresson got his shots he would compose the shot and then wait. I always took that to mean the camera is on a tripod. In one of his interviews he said that he would take more than one shot if the person walking into the scene didn't work in his composition. The decisive part is just the timing. What is it that we here now? Wait for it, wait. CLICK. So, street photographer, no. Artist having an preconceived idea and being patient enough to wait for it, yes. That is just what I feel but I don't know either. I very much enjoy your videos and look forward to seeing more.

[@EdwardAllenCanada]

Nice piece Ted, this sort of discussion is so much more valuable to help photogs develop their own sense of vision & purpose than a review of the latest camera bag. We all see the world differently & respond to it differently, and as such both Frank & HCB were unique voices. It's down to us as individuals to find our own, and I have the horrible suspicion this is something we have to "earn" through our repeated efforts, reflections and refinement over time.

[@karlcoppack5951]

Thanks Ted, big fan of your show but the old videos have a valuable place for my uni work!

[@CumulusSkies]

I liked this show. You're not blubbering. Listening to you and your opinions is no different than what I've experienced in many of the photography classes I've taken. Yes, it's your opinion, but that's what photo instructors do too. Keep up the good work, and yes, I watched the entire show. ; ) Cheers!

[@blankplanet1476]

Always thought of HCB as a very unique photographer. He was a "street photographer" through and through(one of the founding fathers of the genre, as we all know). Yet he was more much inline with the likes of Martin Munkácsi(his hero), Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, etc than other street photographers due to his intensive use of design elements and dynamic symmetry. Most other street photographers, even the famous ones, are basically the children of Frank, Klein, Winnogrand, etc and the type of photography these guys were/are doing are essentially raising a middle finger toward formal techniques and standards in visual art. So HCB was a guy who was doing everything that his contemporaries hated but also managed to be admired, had influenced and inspired many many greats and essentially came out as one of the greatest ever! Yet at the same time very few bother to pick up where he left off since although they loved his pictures they hated what he was doing lol. The only other big time photographer that I know of who seem to continue the path that HCB built comes from the art world(Harry Gruyaert).

[@DavidBirchphoto1.]

Great video ted, i have been doing photography for a while now and Cartier- Bresson was the first photographer i found out about, he died in 2004 by the way. Really liking your blog videos keep up the good work.

[@theartofphotography]

I think we're on the same opinion here. That is a great video. I think that might be on the DVD that was done a few years before he died. I'll have to get that.

[@theartofphotography]

That's amazing - thanks for sharing that! Well I'll be damned if he's not the luckiest dude ever. He does go on after to start talking about form… lucky on that shot, but the man had an amazing eye and sense of composition for sure.

[@oderycke]

The decisive moment is also something the photographer is looking for and he will find it if he makes the effort to do so according to Cartier Bresson. Also, from what we read in our french photography magazines :) HCB was setting the frame and waiting for something to happen (most of a time a human being passing by and positioning itself exactly where HCB wanted it), at least this is what we are told. Hope it gives you a little enlightment from what I know being french :) :) :)

[@OK585]

That Luck & Geometry scene is a part of a documentary "Just Plain Love" (here on YT as well) where he talks about his work and other artists that influenced him

[@theartofphotography]

Get The Americans. Its what he's most known for and its seminal. Its shown up in many variations over the years, but any of them are fine. Its amazing.

[@jamescowman7672]

Its interesting that everyone talks about the decisive moment, the rule of thirds etc when they talk about his images. HCB was trained by Andre Lhote. All of HCB's images are composed using the armatures of the 1.5 film negative and overlapped root 4 rectangles. Bresson was trained in Dynamic Symmetry and knew how to compose his images based on that. So when he talks about the Decisive Moment it's when everything in the frame gels to create a composition that is based on the geometry of the golden section (not meaning the Phi rectangle, but the golden section of the overlapped root 4). Most people misunderstand or misapply when they talk about his work and the golden section. A Phi rectangle is not a 1.5 (35mm). His use of the golden section (in the correct way) is evident in every photograph he has ever taken or shown. Bresson doesn't use the rule of thirds because the rule of thirds isn't accurate for the 1.5 rectangle of the 35mm negative. All the intersecting points are wrong for that particular rectangle. If you understand Dynamic Symmetry you can look at all the artists work before 1915 because they all used it in everything thing they did. Bresson was a master designer and it shows in everything he does and hence the reason most of his images are considered masterpieces. As far as the picture of the man jumping over the puddle it was cropped. Check out Bressons book called Scrapbook. He shoved his camera through a hole in a fence, and in no way was staged. It was one of only two images he ever cropped. And the reason he never cropped is because it would destroy the dynamic symmetry of the 1.5. It wasn't a vanity decision. And regarding the machine gun strategy or thoughts, Bresson fully admitted there were no rules regarding that. Some scenes he shot a lot of frames, others not so much. It depends on the situation. He would never stage a shot because it went against everything he believed in.

[@Oly1435]

Thank you for all your videos!

[@0precision0]

Ted, what book would you recommend to get familiar with Robert Frank's work? Thanks!

[@OK585]

Right, I wanted to point out that there is the whole thing available too, because I liked it a lot. :)

[@JanKratochvilcom]

Thanks again, Ted, keep up your great work. Wish all the best!

[@Arthangover1]

i thought i read somewhere that the "man jumping over the puddle" picture by bresson was complete luck. He didnt even look when he took the shot. He shoved his camera through a fence, took the a picture and thats what came out. I don't know how true that is. i forget where i heard it but it is pretty amazing.

[@DandGBears]

My favorite episode Ted! Please do a show or talk about Eugene smith as well!

[@woodedape]

Awesome!!! Always inspiring!!!

[@puupipo]

Did some searching after watching that clip and I found out that the whole documentary that clip is from is on KZbin, named: "Photographer - Henri Cartier - Bresson Just Plain Love (otar ioseliani)". Enjoy! (I will, at least!)

[@stevenxue1]

Yeah I watched that too.

[@parisgala88]

what's the golden ratio?

[@flipperkoning]

What happened to the ginger cat, is it his/her summer costume? Street photography is misleading term and i think HCB is more a Humanitarian Photo Journalist, his work from China where the drought made a lot of people starving from hunger and the Hookers in Mexico come to mind as an example! I bought a book of him hoping it had the picture he took of Marilyn Monroe in it unfortunately it didn't, but it's packed with great photographs!

[@smorgis]

What's wrong with the cats stomach??

[@thunderchild010]

Great vlog episode, I'm off to do some googling. More of the same please.

[@GettingNegative]

I’m distracted by the cats.

[@robcoghan5204]

Bresson is very difficult for academics and pragmatists in general, you want to bring him back to earth but you can't. this may frustrate the mortal and sincere.

[@litoeazndogE]

One thing that I've learned about this style of photographer is you have to know how to run with your gear LOL

[@andychandler3992]

Leave the cellphone at home and completely ground yourself in the now.

[@1Harnish]

u have got a lovely CAT behind....

[@mp4podcastDOTcom]

I just took my best street photo on 500px I'm mp4podcast the photo is called Working the Night Shift Away

[@splootan]

Dude your crazy! do your home work!! Bresson took that shot as the gentleman below said by sticking his cam through the fence and bam!! took the shot hence why the exposure is not so great! jeez! do your homework then analyse!! otherwise! I like your style ;)

[@robertbutts9835]

the photo of the guy jumping over the puddle does nothing for me. But if that is classic moment then .. I love Mary Ellen Mark she said its about good graphics and powerful content ... I always keep that in mind when out .