Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) is one of the most influential photographers of all time. Many even consider him the best photographer, the “eye of the century”. He started out as a photojournalist and documentary photographer. HCB travelled the whole world. His trips led him to India, Africa, China, the USA, and all over Europe. He brought back extraordinary photo reportages that touched both the senses and the heart. They were like movies told in several images that would play inside the head of the observer; informing, documenting and raising questions.

Yet Henri Cartier-Bresson did not only deeply influence generations of news photographers, he also left his imprint on the genre of street photography Links to an external site.. In 1968 he gradually withdrew from photographing and dedicated more time to painting.

The legendary French photographer coined the term of the decisive moment Links to an external site.. Henri Cartier-Bresson himself summed up this concept as follows: “To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgnie1F6uVY Links to an external site.