A Wonderful Photograph

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French street photographer in the 1930s, and was known for his "decisive moments"; oftentimes, his most successful photographs were due to his waiting in one spot in order to capture the perfect photograph. This photo of his in particular, to me, stands out because of the other photographic elements working together in this image. Firstly, his print has a high range of contrast without losing any detail of his scene. The crispness of the photo really highlights the blur of the biker; this tells his audience the biker was moving (of course) and that Bresson had fully prepared the composition of his photograph, and waited for precisely the right moment to capture his image. The spiral of the staircase also provide a pleasing leading line right to his subject, who is just above the top right "third" section of his composition. The direction of the path that intersects with the rails of the stairs, in conjunction with the direction of the biker, create movement in the photograph. Additionally, the layers within the photo with the photographer's point of view give it a great deal of depth; the handrail in the foreground, the descending steps in the middle-ground, and biker in the foreground give the viewers the sense that they could actually be there, witnessing the biker. Overall, Bresson's piece showcases fantastic technical ability, composition, and, most importantly, patience.