When images become a grey metaphor

Henri Cartier-Bresson, "one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century," once said: "Among all means of expression, photography is the only one that can capture the instant. A photographer is always looking for that delicate, irreplaceable instant that he perceives, and this characteristic of capturing the instant has become the most unique mark of the camera. A writer can write freely, and the sequence of time does not pose any obstacle to a writer. However, for a photographer, once an instant disappears, it is gone forever."

©Yu-Hung Lee

As more and more people engage in photography, we have long lost the meaning of reality. Images have become a metaphor, with each person interpreting them differently. Philosophical theories about photography are often dull, but almost every photography enthusiast knows Bresson's "The Decisive Moment." I personally believe he added a touch of romanticism to photography; his capture of moments is so precise and poetic. In his photographs, we can see ordinary moments in life imbued with an extraordinary sense of story. This romantic pursuit of the moment is also at the core of Bresson's photographic art.

©Yu-Hung Lee

The Myriad Paths of Photography

In "Grey Metaphors," Taiwanese author Yu-Hung Lee not only delves into his understanding of Bresson's theory but also highlights the integration of many Eastern and Western philosophies. Bresson's "Decisive Moment" emphasizes capturing the uniqueness and importance of that split second. This theory is not just a technical challenge but also a philosophical thought. This aligns with the core philosophy of Zen's "Kyudo" (the way of the bow), where the archer can only use an intuitive mental method, requiring the mind to draw the bow. Through continuous practice, one reaches a philosophy of self-cultivation; otherwise, it's just shooting aimlessly. Applied to the theory of the "Decisive Moment," it is as if the photographer, through continuous practice, develops their own mental method, choosing which camera, lens, aperture, scene composition, the subject being gazed at, when to wait, and when to press the shutter, etc. "Though there are three thousand weak waters, I take but one scoop." Why this particular instant? These seemingly random decisions are actually the result of that complex yet simple formula within each photographer's heart.

For me, photography is a medium that records my truest feelings in the moment, and it is also the photographer's intuition. As the author says: "In photography, opportunity and instant are inseparable, and intuition is the catalyst for both. But what is intuition? Only the photographer knows, because it is a sensation."

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