Notes

ICP Class Week 7

These are some notes from watching a DVD about Henri- Cartier Bresson that were inspiration to me and my work.

This image was sourced from http://sunwalked.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/cartier-bresson-child-carrying-painting.jpg

NOTES

Henri - Cartier Bresson was a surrealist which I had never realised before. In all my experience of Bresson, I have found his method of photography fascinating. His 'decisive moment' has shaped photography forever.

Learning that he was a surrealist photographer maybe explained more to me about the way that he see's.

He was told not to call himself a surrealist photographer and instead to refer to himself as a photojournalist. And so I have understood him this way. But to learn that he was in fact a surrealist photographer posing under the title of a photojournalist helps me to understand more where his flare in shapes and form, design and lines appear in his work.

I have always been a massive fan of his work and the moments that he was able to capture. He had a sense, an intuition that allowed him to be able to pick the 'decisive moment'

He spoke of how you can overshoot and how you can want to keep pressing the shutter. 'You shoot and you have the urge to shoot again, and the photo might have been in between.' It teaches a lot about the patience in seeing and observing.

'Don't overshoot - like overeating.'

'Be yourself and forget yourself'

This quote resonated with me as I have been coming into issues related to this a lot lately. I was reading an interview with a professional photographer who claims that if you remove the emotion from a photo, you are more likely to produce a better photo - better in the sense that the representation will be more accurate to true form - as you will be recording what is there and not your experience of it.

I found this to be useful information as there have been times that I have shot something based on the sounds and feel around at the time and been disappointed when I have seen the results.

But then, when in a talk with photographer Joel Meyerowitz - who's work I admire - he claims 'If you can capture your feelings, you'll get a good photo'.

Which I would have to say I can also claim to have worked for me. I feel that when I am emotionally in tune with my process of photographing, I take photos on a much deeper level and my understanding of form and composition comes more fluidly, than when I am shooting for the sake of getting my 36 for instance.

I guess there is merit in both of these cases. Henri - Cartier Bresson's quote seems to bring a calm to this argument for me, as I feel what he is saying is that you can be you - know what you are, know what things mean to you and what you like - take notice and then take no notice. Shoot beyond yourself.

There is a quote - which I'm not sure of its reference - that says

'Once you get past I and then you, you stop reflecting on yourself and start to see what is around you.'

Since I have been shooting my 36 a day, there are days when I do struggle. They seem to be the days that all I am doing is walking repeated journeys and although I try to see the new that is around me - this city is constantly changing - there are limits to that some days.

'There are some places where the pulse beats more'

I have often thought that there were places that inspired me more than others - not necessarily the more 'tourist' places but also just some places may have a vibe or a grittiness that speaks to me. It reminds me that there will be days that I am in places where the pulse isn't beating as strong and it is my job to accept this and see what is around me anyhow.

If I could just take the places that inspire me, I could be brilliant! But I need to keep practising so I can actually be brilliant.

These are some quotes that just inspired me:

'Life is once, forever'

'You have to try and get between the skin of a person and their shirt - which is very hard'

The difference between a good photo and a mediocre one is millimeters - my joy is finding it.'

'Inspiration comes from living'

'I know too much and not enough'

'It can be a sketchbook, the camera.'

'Yes Yes, Yes. It's like an affirmation. And all the maybes should go in the bin.'

This last quote is one to live your life by.