Henri Cartier-Bresson

August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004

Cartier-Bresson gave us several rules of photography to follow.

- Understanding Diagonals- The Art of Waiting, not Hunting- Finding A Likeness in Disconnected Objects- Establishing a Strong Figure To Ground Relationship- Shadow Play

• First, let’s discuss How these rules came about…

Henri Cartier-Bresson (H.C-B) originally trained as a classical painter but found the Surrealist photographers of his time (the early 1930’s) more fascinating… So, he began learning the languageof photography.

In that day and age, the best camera on the market was a Leica which used pre-fabricated exposure panels (frames) with a 3:2 aspect ratio.

H. C-B adhered to the “Rule of the Golden Rectangle” Not merely another way to say “Rule of Thirds”, it is a geometric computation using the same numbers that scientists believe give us the formula for beauty in the human face…

The ratio of 1.618 to 1 Mathematically speaking: Graphing the ratio within a 3:2 frame provides you with a nautilus shape.

Graphing in all 4 directions, the smallest sections of the nautilus mark the intersect points of:

“The Golden Rectangle” …Which, coincidentally,

coinsides with … “The Rule of Thirds”!!!Freaky, huh!?!

Diagonals = Effect Putting a featured element on a diagonal will give a more effective photograph.

Diagonals have names…And reciprocals

Diagonals by Knut SkjærvenHCB would often see a shot that he liked and would wait for a person to move through one of the diagonals.

This is not a Henri Cartier-Bresson, but it does illustrate the two diagonals: the Sinister Diagonal and the Baroque Diagonal, which he used religiously.

In the picture in the lower right, you see the Sinister Diagonal and it’s reciprocal (the line extending

from the opposite upper corner and intersecting the Sinister at a 90o angle ). Using a reciprocal is as good as using a diagonal but more difficult to determine through the lens.

The amazing thing is: He was able to see all of these angles … In the moment! He never cropped his photos to make the angles work.

Sinister DiagonalSinister reciprocal

H.C-B learned the impact Repetition can have in a work of art while studying painting and he carried that over to photography.

“Playing” with shadows can also have dramatic effect:

“Figure to Ground Relationship” Refers to a Dark focal point on a Light background or a Light focal point on a Dark background.

(Notice the diagonal)

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Painter/Mathematician who used both disciplines in understanding the science behind creating a message in a photograph.

The End• Images and information from:

– http://www.adammarelliphoto.com/2011/09/henri-cartier-bresson/

-- http://fotogenetic.dearingfilm.com/golden_rectangle_2.html

-- http://www.photographyicon.com/goldenratio/ -- http://streetphotographerstoolbox.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/baroque-and-sinister-diagonals/

-- http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/08/10-things-henri-cartier- bresson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/

When asked, “What makes a great composition?” Cartier-Bresson replied, “Geometry.”