“To take photographs is to hold one’s breath when all faculties converge in the face of fleeing reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.
To take photographs means to recognize – simultaneously and within a fraction of a second – both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart on the same axis
As far as I am concerned, taking photographs is a means to understanding which cannot be separated from other means of visual expression. It is a way of shouting, of freeing oneself, not of proving or asserting one’s originality. It is a way of life.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers
When one finishes a book that really digs deep and grabs your heart, your inner self, it is hard to put into words the realization that finally – finally! – you’ve found something that speaks to what you too are feeling but cannot express in your own words. After finishing The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers
The book is a journey into the life and thoughts of Bresson, probably one of the most celebrated photographers of the 20th Century. Written in three parts, Bresson delves into his thoughts on photography, art and life in Part 1: The Camera as Sketchbook, writes about his travels and travails in different countries such as Russia, China and Cuba in Part 2: Time and Place, and offers his thoughts on other famous photographers and friends such as Robert Doisneau, Robert Capa, Jean Renior and Andre Breton, among others in Part 3: On Photographers and Friends.
This little book – it’s only 107 pages – is a testament to photographic and artistic genius. It is packed with insights and vignettes of the life of an expert observer of the everyday and mundane, yet he sees the beauty and excitement in it all.
It’s a great read, and I highly recommend The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers