After finding out we would be shooting with a 50mm this week, I decided to look into photographers who had mainly used this type of camera and came across Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Henri was a French photographer who was said to be an expert at candid photography. He loved taking photos of “The Decisive Moment” and liked to pass unnoticed in the crowd so as to take more “real” photographs. He was even known to wrap his camera body in black tape so as to be less conspicuous.
He was an interesting photographer in that he didn’t enjoy developing or making his own prints. He had no more interest in the science behind photography than what allowed him to convey his ideas. In his own words:
“Technique is important only insofar as you must master it in order to communicate what you see… The camera for us is a tool, not a pretty mechanical toy … In any case, people think far too much about techniques and not enough about seeing.”
It is definitely an interesting view to have and one that I have certainly never come across before. Any thoughts?
4.341 INTRO TO PHOTOGRAPHY AND RELATED MEDIA 