His often attributed arrogance and noble heritage can be traced in his photos through position and distance to the subject, choice of the moment, and refusal to engage.
I don't think you understand how close he was to a great many of his subjects. You need to look at the photos and think how close you need to be with a 50 or 35mm lens.
His often attributed arrogance and noble heritage can be traced in his photos through position and distance to the subject, choice of the moment, and refusal to engage.
This is about as wrong an assessment one can have about Cartier-Bresson as is possible.
I don't see where you get the "often attributed arrogance and noble heritage." Never read that. From anybody serious. On the contrary, he was quite appreciated by other photographers—he was extremely friendly and generous, Koudelka, for one, attested to that—, and it is well documented that when doing portrait sessions, he spent a long time talking—i.e., engaging—with the subject, and very little time actually photographing.
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