Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Leningrad, 1973

Henri Cartier-Bresson

            Henri Cartier-Bresson revolutionized photography in many different ways such as his ability to use the decisive moment technique, the ease with which he used the golden ration, and his masterful candid street photographs. This photographs incorporates two of his revolutionary skills into one photograph. While using just one of these techniques can make an image interesting, combining them together can make an image even more exciting to look at.

In this photograph, Cartier-Bresson’s use of the decisive moment is displayed by the repetition of the male figure in the image. There is the man walking along with the child, but there is also the large image of the man in the background that is in a very similar position to the man walking on the street. His ability to capture unique and interesting candid street photos is the other technique displayed in this image. With or without the larger man in the background, the image still fells genuine in its presentation. How many times have you walked down the street and seen a gentleman with a child holding that child’s hand? Probably more times than you can count, or its becomes such a mundane sight you do not even notice it any more. The casualness of the image lets the viewer put themselves into the photograph. It allows them to imagine that they are walking down a city street or a city square and this is what they’re seeing. They’re seeing a man out for a walk with a child toddling on little legs trying to keep up.

"Magnum Photos." Magnum Photos. Accessed May 02, 2016. http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3.