Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson, as I understand, is the pioneer of street photography. This is the genre of photography that I enjoy the most and thus find joy in looking at his work.
In my effort of trying to understand the photographer, I learnt about some of the factors that made his photographs so exceptional. The first learning was about Bresson’s personality. His shy nature shows through the techniques he used. This is evident from his choice of camera; a Leica 35mm film camera which was small enough to not bother anyone. Further, his effort of painting the shiny parts of his camera black made it even less conspicuous. Because of these practices he avoided the factor of camera consciousness and captured his subjects, as naturally as he could.
The second learning was of his technique of the “decisive moment” — a split second that reveals the larger truth of a situation. As stated by the New York Times, the concept of decisive moment shaped modern street photography. He waited patiently to photograph the exact moment that would reveal a truth otherwise unseen. In one article the director Louis Malle says, “despite all the turmoil at the peak of the student protests in Paris in May 1968, Mr. Cartier-Bresson took photographs at the rate of only about four an hour.”
I recognised this concept as well as its power in the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and of the Indians.
In today’s world when most photographs are posed and the shutter moves at the speed of lightning, Cartier Bresson's style of patience and naturalness is something I’ve rarely seen and find intriguing.
Robert Capa
The next photographer I chose to write about is Robert Capa. I am interested in the subject of war and love to see work based around it. War reveals some of the worst sides of humanity. It puts on display the cruelty, aggression and blind loyalty that some women and men feel towards their country or religion.
To me personally, Robert Capa’s work shows the beauty in war. This beauty that I talk about is the beauty in his skill and not in the war itself. When I saw the photographs of the Chinese soldier, I felt a sense of sadness. I believe I was moved by the picture, because of the way in which it was shot. It was a close-up shot and I could see nothing other than the soldiers face. This made me concentrate on his expressions, which clearly depicts his distress. He was famed for saying, "If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough."
A few others that I really connected to were the photos he shot on Omaha Beach in 1944. These included a set of 11 photos. What I loved the most was the ratio of the soldiers to the background. This made it possible to see the smoke in the war zone sky. The haze makes the picture look delicate which I find ironic in a war photograph. Another thing I noticed was that a few of the pictures were blurry, which gave it movement. It also made me feel the rush in the atmosphere that would’ve been on the Omaha beach that day.
What I like the most about Robert Capa’s work is the subject of his photographs. He shot not just the war but also its direct and indirect aftermath. The two images I like the most in this subject; The Mothers of Naples and The Shaved Women of Chartes.
Bruce Davidson
I chose to write about Bruce Davidson as he was the only contemporary photographer from the list of photographers we had to study for the assignment. What stood out the most was the inclusion of colour in his work unlike the others on the list.
To begin with, I first came across his photos as they resurfaced during the recent Black Lives Matter movement. His photographs of the numerous Black american protests and those of the civil rights demonstrators from Selma in 1965 were heavily referenced. I found the images captivating because of the use of lighting in the shots. The brightness of the whites and its ratio to black is what grabbed my attention the most.
Further, the portraits taken in the poverty stricken block of Harlem; East 100th Street are photographs I found to be the most heart rending. I believe these emotions arise while viewing the portraits because of the inclusion of the shamble neighbourhood as well, in the pictures. This is unlike those of Robert Capa’s close up shots, but still just as effective.
Lastly, my absolute favourite series was that of the “New York Subway”. Here again the lighting is truly something I found jaw dropping. There are multiple colours in the picture but none of them are fluorescent and have a darker shade. This keeps intact the feel of the subway. "I wanted to transform the subway from its dark, degrading, and impersonal reality into images that open up our experience again to the color, sensuality, and vitality of the individual souls that ride it each day” said Bruce Davidson.
The The way Bruce Davidson uses lighting in his images is something that has struck me the most. It calls out for your attention. I particularly find ‘purpose; in his photography.
