Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment examines Cartier-Bresson’s influential publication, widely considered to be one of the most important photobooks of the twentieth century. Pioneering for its emphasis on the photograph itself as a unique narrative form, The Decisive Moment was described by Robert…
What is the “decisive moment”?
Here’s an easy way to understand it, with the help of the Greek god Kairos, believe it or not. Henri Cartier Bresson is known for the “Decisive Moment”, but the idea actually comes from the 17th century writings of Cardinal de Retz when he penned “Il n’y a rien dans ce monde qui n’ait un moment decisif”.
How do you capture decisive moments in a photo?
Because decisive moments are found in movement and action, I find that playing around with the portrayal of motion in images to be an amazing way of capturing the energy and pace of the subject. You can do this by using fast or slow shutter speeds.
What happened to Pierre Cartier Bresson in WW2?
In 1940, with the German invasion of France, Cartier-Bresson, who was serving in the Army’s Film and Photo Unit was captured and taken prisoner. He spent 35 months in prisoner-of-war camps, escaping twice, only to be recaptured.
When was the book The Decisive Moment published?
The book was published in 1952 originally titled /Images à la Sauvette/ (“images on the run”) in the French, published in English with a new title, /The Decisive Moment/. The words were actually taken from a quote by the 17th century Cardinal de Retz, who said, “There is nothing in this world that does not have a Decisive moment.”
Why isn’t there a second print of the decisive moment?
At the time the book was published it was immediately clear the book was unique in terms of size but also quality. Even though it was accepted very well by critics, the first sales were not so good: That was the reason there was never the second print. The Decisive Moment wasn’t actually the only name Cartier-Bresson considered.
What do you think about the Cartier-Bresson pamphlet?
The pamphlet is a very nice behind-the-scene book composed of quotes of Henri Cartier-Bresson and some other information about how the book was made. It tells the story of Cartier-Bresson working on the book, the sequencing, work with the publisher, the story of the cover and so on.
