master photographer

One of the godfathers of street photography Henrie Cartier Bresson said every photographic scene has a decisive moment. That point in which all the elements that make a picture come together at one moment, the decisive moment. A fraction of a second before or after and the picture has passed and the moment is gone forever. His body of work either on the battlefield or the street corner is filled with just these types of perfectly timed moments, captured at the peak of the movement, creating tension and story from everyday or dramatic elements within his world.

Recently I have been reading about his process and life and decided to strive and find more of those moments for myself and in my photography. This image is one such attempt and could have been created in post quite easily. It would have told the same story, and in the process missed the entire point of his life and work. The organic nature that is street photography, I’m learning, are observation and patience. The decisive moment in every photograph is born and forged in those two things.

I’m thankful that masters like Bresson’s work and life are so well documented. It gives a foundation to where we are today and a place to begin exploration.