In punching around for images for inspiration for the Vintage challenge I stumbled upon an interview published in the New York Times last year, originally taken in 1971 of Henri Catrier Bresson, the chief hero in my photographic pantheon, and I though his words worth sharing.
Part 1 Living and looking;
Part 2 There are no maybes.
"But at the same time, I am not a political analyst or an economist. I don’t know how to count. It’s not that. I’m obsessed by one thing, the visual pleasure.
In photography, you’ve just got the intuition. And it’s there. You’ve done it. The only way to correct is to make the next picture.
The greatest joy for me is geometry; that means a structure. You can’t go shooting for structure, for shapes, for patterns and all this, but it is a sensuous pleasure, an intellectual pleasure, at the same time to have everything in the right place. It’s a recognition of an order which is in front of you.
The difference between a good picture and a mediocre picture is a question of millimeters — small, small differences — but it’s essential. I didn’t think there is such a big difference between photographers. Very little difference. But it is that little difference that counts, maybe." |
