HCB Quotes

[cliveh]

I wondered if anyone would like to comment on the following? I find most of them quite valid.

http://www.photoquotes.com/showquotes.aspx?id=98&name=Cartier-Bresson,Henri

 

[holmburgers]

People like to dog on HCB because he's held up high as this amazing photographer, and apparently some aren't that impressed by his photos.

BUT, I'll maintain that he's a philosopher's photographer. The things he says are valid and often brilliant ruminations on the art of photographing.

 

[blansky]

Interesting quotes.

I always found his photographs to be visually interesting and somewhat quirky. They often carry a sense of humor about them.

In fact if someone thought what he does is easy, go out one day with a few rolls of film and see if you can do it.

Betcha can't.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I think photography is what you want it to be, which is different for everybody.

His way was one way, and there are many ways, more or less valid depending on your own views.

 

[36cm2]

I think photography is what you want it to be, which is different for everybody.

His way was one way, and there are many ways, more or less valid depending on your own views.

I agree with this. It always bothered me that HCB didn't print his own work and, as I understood it, didn't care much for printing generally. To me that's a big part of photography. Capturing the moment is only part of it for me. Don't get me wrong, though, HCB's a rockstar no doubt.

 

[Vaughn]

My favorite -- the one that resonates the mostly strongly in me.

This recognition, in real life, of a rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation, being a simultaneous coalition – an organic coordination of visual elements. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

I think photography is what you want it to be, which is different for everybody.

His way was one way, and there are many ways, more or less valid depending on your own views.

Exactly!

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

My favorite -- the one that resonates the mostly strongly in me.

This recognition, in real life, of a rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation, being a simultaneous coalition – an organic coordination of visual elements. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Don't get me wrong, I love Cartier-Bresson, and I have the utmost respect for your words and contributions, Vaughn. But how does one 'coordinate' visual elements? Unless you actually reach out and physically move things around, you have no control of how things are coordinated; they happen the way they happen because X amount of people, animals, and other objects decide to move based on their intention and forces of nature. The photographer is not in control of anything other than the shutter and where to aim the lens. I really love how Jay Maisel calls it 'framing' instead of composition.

 

[cliveh]

I think photography is what you want it to be, which is different for everybody.

His way was one way, and there are many ways, more or less valid depending on your own views.

Thomas, I would also agree with this. Art has many perspectives.

 

[cliveh]

This recognition, in real life, of a rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation, being a simultaneous coalition – an organic coordination of visual elements. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Don't get me wrong, I love Cartier-Bresson, and I have the utmost respect for your words and contributions, Vaughn. But how does one 'coordinate' visual elements? Unless you actually reach out and physically move things around, you have no control of how things are coordinated; they happen the way they happen because X amount of people, animals, and other objects decide to move based on their intention and forces of nature. The photographer is not in control of anything other than the shutter and where to aim the lens. I really love how Jay Maisel calls it 'framing' instead of composition.

However Thomas, I don't agree with your take on this. The coordination of visual elements is a combination of framing, flow of time and the moment you press the shutter. You don't have to physically move things around. That sounds a bit like Photoshop.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

However Thomas, I don't agree with your take on this. The coordination of visual elements is a combination of framing, flow of time and the moment you press the shutter. You don't have to physically move things around. That sounds a bit like Photoshop.

From Merriam-Webster Online:

Coordinate:

transitive verb​

1​

​

: to put in the same order or rank​

2​

​

: to bring into a common action, movement, or condition :harmonize <we need to coordinate our schedules>​

3​

​

: to attach so as to form a coordination complex​

intransitive verb​

​

1​

​

: to be or become coordinate especially so as to act together in a smooth concerted way​

2​

​

: to combine by means of a coordinate bond​

I think the word coordinate can be interpreted many ways, and I was reading too much into my understanding of the word, which to me means 'to move things around so to align with other things'. It's how I have always understood the word 'coordinate'.

Stretching my imagination I suppose one could coordinate by perhaps placing a certain level of importance on objects in front of a camera, and record them with a photograph when they align favorably.
Is that actually a true meaning of the word? To coordinate by waiting for others to align how you wish them to?

 

[cliveh]

From Merriam-Webster Online:

Coordinate:

transitive verb​

1​

​

: to put in the same order or rank​

2​

​

: to bring into a common action, movement, or condition :harmonize <we need to coordinate our schedules>​

3​

​

: to attach so as to form a coordination complex​

intransitive verb​

​

1​

​

: to be or become coordinate especially so as to act together in a smooth concerted way​

2​

​

: to combine by means of a coordinate bond​

I think the word coordinate can be interpreted many ways, and I was reading too much into my understanding of the word, which to me means 'to move things around so to align with other things'. It's how I have always understood the word 'coordinate'.

Stretching my imagination I suppose one could coordinate by perhaps placing a certain level of importance on objects in front of a camera, and record them with a photograph when they align favorably.
Is that actually a true meaning of the word? To coordinate by waiting for others to align how you wish them to?

The French definition and translation into English may be slightly different. It would be interesting to hear from French speakers about this quote.

 

[holmburgers]

You're coordinating the image being projected from the lens onto the film via placement and timing. This is a reasonable way to interpret "to bring into a common action, movement or condition, harmonize"

Let's also not forget that this is a translation, and with any translation there could be multiple meanings in either of the two languages. This is splitting hairs I think Thomas.

 

[Vaughn]

...Don't get me wrong, I love Cartier-Bresson, and I have the utmost respect for your words and contributions, Vaughn. But how does one 'coordinate' visual elements?...

Although pretty well answered already, I will go with the "bringing into harmony" the many elements we find and/or control in making an image...the quality of light, camera position, focal length, the landscape and its many elements, etc.

While in this there is a bit of the king from The Little Prince where the king rules the sun by requiring it to rise every morning (if I remember it right), for me it comes down to the ability to see the possibilities and finding the image to expose onto the film.

 

[cliveh]

I think one of his best quotes is this-

“I find that you have to blend in like a fish in water, you have to forget yourself, you have to take your time, that's what I reproach our era for not doing. Drawing is slow, it is a meditation, but you have to know how to go slow in order to go quickly, slowness can mean splendour. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

The reason I like this quote is because it is almost a dichotomy of the technique he employed.

 

[blansky]

..

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

You're coordinating the image being projected from the lens onto the film via placement and timing. This is a reasonable way to interpret "to bring into a common action, movement or condition, harmonize"

Let's also not forget that this is a translation, and with any translation there could be multiple meanings in either of the two languages. This is splitting hairs I think Thomas.

Splitting hairs? I thought it was an important distinction of that whole quote. Plus, we're good at splitting hairs here on APUG, and wouldn't you want to argue with HCB?
Please don't take it too seriously. I'm just trying to wrap my head around something I plainly did not find reasonable.

 

[blansky]

Don't get me wrong, I love Cartier-Bresson, and I have the utmost respect for your words and contributions, Vaughn. But how does one 'coordinate' visual elements? Unless you actually reach out and physically move things around, you have no control of how things are coordinated; they happen the way they happen because X amount of people, animals, and other objects decide to move based on their intention and forces of nature. The photographer is not in control of anything other than the shutter and where to aim the lens. I really love how Jay Maisel calls it 'framing' instead of composition.

Couldnt disagree more. That's what we do is manipulate the visual elements.

I think all he's talking about is knowing how to place yourself so those elements are in their "best" possible place/location.

In other words framing the shot, which we all know can make or break a picture by position, lens choice, and angle of the dangle.

In some cases in street photography, place yourself, then let the action come to you. In other cases when walking around sometimes, the simple act of crouching down can give you the shot/impact.

 

[Vaughn]

I think all he's talking about is knowing how to place yourself so those elements are in their "best" possible place/location...

Including, of course, placing oneself properly in time...

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Couldnt disagree more. That's what we do is manipulate the visual elements.

I think all he's talking about is knowing how to place yourself so those elements are in their "best" possible place/location.

In other words framing the shot, which we all know can make or break a picture by position, lens choice, and angle of the dangle.

In some cases in street photography, place yourself, then let the action come to you. In other cases when walking around sometimes, the simple act of crouching down can give you the shot/impact.

I thought I said that all the photographer is in control of is the shutter and where to point the lens. What other magical powers do photographers possess?

 

[Vaughn]

...What other magical powers do photographers possess?

The magic of art...

If I could explain it, it would not be magic.

Substitute 'mystery' for 'magic', if 'magic' seems too unicornish...

 

[markbarendt]

I thought I said that all the photographer is in control of is the shutter and where to point the lens. What other magical powers do photographers possess?

Most importantly to me, point of view/perspective; where I point the lens from.

Also though: aperture (what to leave in/out of focus), pallette & texture (film & filter choices), plane of focus (tilt/swing/...), type of lens (soft/sharp/...).

 

[Bill Burk]

I only got through a few of HCB's quotes before I realized this site has about 26 letters of the alphabet worth of photographers...

 

[blansky]

I thought I said that all the photographer is in control of is the shutter and where to point the lens. What other magical powers do photographers possess?

So where do you think "where to point the lens" differs from what the quote stated.

And "where to point the lens" covers a lot of territory, pardon the pun.

 

[holmburgers]

Splitting hairs? I thought it was an important distinction of that whole quote. Plus, we're good at splitting hairs here on APUG, and wouldn't you want to argue with HCB?
Please don't take it too seriously. I'm just trying to wrap my head around something I plainly did not find reasonable.

I agree, we're awesome at splitting hairs here. Some reports indicate that indeed the finest hair splitting has occurred at APUG. On July 28th, 2010, post #45,634,646, a conversation about Rodinal & rangefinders resulted in a human hair being split 16 different times resulting in a mean diameter of 4.375µm.

...

Just had to inject some levity. I don't think we disagree at all, I was just feeling saucier yesterday...