Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer who was known for "candid" photography. He was also an early user of 35 mm film. He was born in 1908 and died in 2004. 

Part of his book, The Decisive Moment, 1952

I personally like this photo because it shows how composed a candid photo can be. This photo clearly was taken quickly, as he had to capture the birds flying away, but it looks as if a lot of time and planning went into it. He talks about this candid, quick photography in his book The Decisive Moment. He discussed this with the Washington quote, saying that "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever" (see citation).  I personally really like this element of speed in creativity. While sure, you can sit and compose a shot, I think photography has the ability to capture fleeting moments, which holds a very important place in the art world. 


Bernstein, Adam (August 5, 2004). "The Acknowledged Master of the Moment". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2016