Timeless photography lessons from Cartier-Bresson

Welcome to another episode of our series “Books” and today we bring Cartier-Bresson’s “The Europeans” to the table and this is a fantastic book from which we can take many lessons, so I hope this video is helpful in anyway shape or form. Thank you for watching & supporting the channel and thank you MPB for sponsoring this video!

Work & Socials

Footage from Cartier-Bresson interview

Music
My name is Carnival
Original by Jackson C. Frank
Performed by Connor Rogers

Video Breakdown
00:00 Intro
01:53 Lesson One
03:22 Lesson Two
05:20 Lesson Three
06:42 Lesson Four
09:22 Lesson Five
10:20 Conclusions

“A photographer must always work with the greatest respect for his subject and in terms of his own point of view.”

Timeless Photography Lessons by Cartier-Bresson
by Tatiana Hopper
December 2022

Copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.

Under this guidance, I’ve created content which is guided towards the education, celebration and promotion of said photographs and photographers who have contributed immensely to the art of photography.

An effort is made by the presenter, verbally and through the usage of links (in the video’s description) to encourage the audience to explore the work presented beyond the video and engage with said content through books, articles and relevant links to each photographer’s own social media.

Therefore, I believe the inclusion of said images, footage and other sources can overall add depth and appreciation for the subject of the video whilst also enriching the visuals and dynamics of the it. All within what is within the fair use scope and YouTube’s policies.

#cartier-bresson #filmphotography #photography #blackandwhite #leica #35mm #theeuropeans #MyMPB @mpbcom

[dvgofaz]

This book makes me ask; "why was Henri there? Did he stand in that street all day for that image? Did he go there every day for a week when the light was good, waiting for something or someone interesting to cross his path? In the Gelderland photo...who are those 2 people and why was he there with them? Are they arguing? Are they strangers just passing...and how did he see that image coming? My point is this; the photos are the result of a moment/places that he found and captured. His compositions are elegant and sophisticated to be sure, i think his brilliance was in his hunting. how did he do that? What was he thinking? How did he know to be there over and over(wherever 'there' was..)? Films were slow then, cameras were clunky, you had to anticipate and see a shot before it was there and yet so many of his images have a spontaneity to them. Remarkable. Can you imagine what it would have been like to stand there next to him on a sidewalk in Italy and have him give a running commentary as a scene evolves?! Or this, imagine Henri taking you along on a street shooting session and making a youtube like the thousands we have today.
For me the mystery isn't cameras or film or tech...it's what happens behind the eyes right before the shutter clicks.

[brenoestrella]

I really love when you go in depth about a photographer, most channels today only know how to talk about technique, and forget the whole philosophy behind the work.
It's great to see someone discussing this side of photography.

[RickGTI]

Color is always about color. B&W is always about subject. Without light, there is no photography. Great video, I subscribed. Thanks, Rick…..

[dennyoconnor]

I come from the era of film where shooting was bounded in 1, 12, or 36 exposures. You had to stand and watch and try to anticipate the moment. Often, one click was all you would get of the magic . Film, developing, and printing was expensive. I worked in BW because I could afford to do that myself. Shooting Kodachrome or color prints for anything but a special event, wedding, etc. was beyond my means. I could not have imagined a 30 fps camera, 1000's of exposures, and hoping that one picture would accidentally have the magic and justify the entire day. For todays shooters only the large format shooters approach the way we had to work.

[reiniervannek]

When a photography video starts with Jackson C. Frank, you know it's gonna be good

[BGTuyau]

Excellent points about perspective, composition, light, black-and-white versus color and "the human condition" —but in the case of HC-B, there's his genius for capturing "the decisive moment."

[dougmacmillan]

Thanks for highlighting the book. This is a nice introduction to his masterful work. I'm glad you chose to concentrate on his work from an artistic instead of technical viewpoint.

Regarding B&W, I doubt more the 5% of the rolls I've run through my Leica M3 have been color, though I've run lots of color film through my SLRs. Whenever I photographed with the M3, I thought in black and white. Now I use Fuji cameras with their wonderful film simulations. I use whatever film simulation fits the scene, be it soft or vivid color or B&W. Almost all my street work is in B&W, usually manual focus with vintage film lenses. I've been at it for more than 60 years and I'm having as much fun as ever!

[walkingmanvideo]

One thing that made Bresson’s photos beautiful and enjoyable was the subject material. He photographed in a time where today we find the photos more interesting because the subjects are unique and do not exist in our current time. I suppose you could try to replicate the photos but the subjects of back then were just far more interesting than todays subjects with their dress code and architecture being so different. Old Military war photos are also far more interesting than todays war photography because the subjects in old war photos are far more interesting as we do not see the uniforms or artillery anymore. Perhaps in another 30-50 years the future may appreciate our photos more as the world again will be different.

[CM_]

Thanks, Tatiana. Just keep doing what you‘re doing.

[williamthompson]

I'm really glad that Alex at The Photographic Eye sent me your way all those months ago. Another great show,

[michelphilippeLehaire]

Thank you very much for this video about Cartier-Bresson. What you say about his mastery of perspective is true and very important. As he was also a draftsman and familiar with the painters of the early 20th century, he composed the images in a way that sometimes evoked the pictorial avant-garde of that time, which is unique among photographers.
I don't know if he would have been as talented in color because stylizing in color implies thinking in color, as we see with Steve McCurry, Saul Leiter or Harry Gruyaert, the great Belgian photographer.
As a French photographer, I grew up in the culture of what is called French humanist photography, and I think that if you like Cartier-Bresson and want to know more about this photographic tradition, it is interesting to know the works of Willy Ronis (1910-2009), Marc Riboud (1923-2016), and of course Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) who is probably the best known of these three photographers.

[th.erdmann]

Oh yes, Cartier-Bresson! Not without reasons one of the best photographers of the 20th century.
About lesson four:
Whether Cartier-Bresson's pictures or those of Willy Ronis, Robert Doisneau or August Sander, we only know them in B&W and I think, it doesn't need more to understand the stories they tell us.
To know how it could look like in gorgeous colors, I could recommend a look on to Steve Mc Curry.
Your example of change a color image into a B&W is good to see how much B&W lives from the structure and the contrast. Especially in landscape photography. If you want to shoot B&W you have to think B&W.
Mary christmas! TE

[mikebaginy]

Thanks for your video, Tatiana. Absolutely inspiring!

[markodenda]

Caught myself more and more listening to your content when I can’t watch them only because yours commentary is impeccable.

[continentalgin]

Cartier-Bresson, one of the best of all time!

[rajsingharora]

I don't know about anyone else my life changed forever one fine day when I walked into an exhibition of Cartier Bresson at the NGMA in Mumbai in July 2008 and one image by the master changed my LIFE FOREVER and walked out with Photography in My Life....always & forever grateful to my Guru and teacher HCB.

[hajimegenkai]

Cartier-Bresson 是使我最受感动的伟大的现实主义照相家。
特别是作品的构图，有着绘画的韵味，能给人们留下难忘的回音。

[TommySaliery]

Когда открываешь видео, с четкой установкой вроде "ну что я не слышал про Картье-Брессона", а по итогу с интересом смотришь до конца))

[VictorReynolds]

Thanks for sharing lessons from one of photography’s greats! Being one who loves shooting in B&W, Cartier-Bresson’s work resonates with me.

[Rlancup]

I own that book, and really love Cartier-Bresson. Love what you do too! Thanks ;-)