artist precedents

Henri Cartier Brensson

image taken from: http://imgs.abduzeedo.com/files/articles/classic-photography-henri-cartier-bresson/henri-cartier-bresson13.jpg

image retrieved from: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2009/7/20/1248104314737/Henri-Cartier-Bresson-New-001.jpg

image retrieved from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6H3DjsfQTw8pbj73ZMnckuPaBxUJ1vkoVklCUIeevwV7s6IidJ_t8A92rldYDOz5n49nu_vvSxb427lD2j76UAGWBb-RGZYYS_aiqT5w4TibBDPQAQUNOWIWhhDrIm5bp2kPxepji5o/s640/HenriCartierBresson25.jpg

I decided to look at this artist's work because he is one of the most popular photographers when it comes to candid photography, and he is often hailed for his ability to 'capture the moment' to give natural yet expressive photos that fit within the 'street photography' imagery. Brensson's photos show people in their natural daily lives, but what makes his pictures so effective is that in their daily lives, the camera captures a moment that is really visually pleasing and almost tells a story. 

The first image captured my attention because it shows a couple about to kiss, and wat makes this image unique or special is that since the couple are not aware of the fact that they are being photographed, the action of kissing looks more genuine and the image portrays the image of a meaningful gesture from the heart, and this un expected moment is a significant factor in his photographs because it is truthful and the viewers look at these images and can relate to them because an ordinary thing like two men sitting may not seem out of the ordinary, but because a particular moment is captured in the image, the audience's view of something ordinary that they can witness whilst walking down the street, open's their eyes to a new way of looking at it, forcing them to see the beauty or importance in the small things. For example, in the third photograph, the viewer will initially see just a young girl sitting and reading the paper, but as the viewer explores this idea and takes in the image, the viewer can develop a deeper appreciation for the subject/s in the photo, for example the viewer could notice the innocence in her pose, or the contrast between the young woman and the older woman etc...

"There's nothing in this world that doesn't have a decisive moment"- Henri Cartier Brensson.

The importance in the decisive moment is that it's only there once- when it's gone it's gone for good, so the artist emphasizes this in his images where he captures even the smallest details because it is an opportunity that could potentially show something artistic or interesting.