The Mind's Eye [Classic Collection]: Henri Cartier-Bresson on The Decisive Moment

　　● Firsthand accounts from tumultuous times, witnessing China, Cuba, and the Soviet Union, directly reaching the scenes of major 20th-century news events.

　　● The Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation's carefully selected precious works, including: classic photographic works, letters and critiques to friends, handwritten letters, and late-life sketches and drawings.

　　● True to the original spirit, the traditional Chinese edition was translated from "L'imaginaire d'après nature" (1996), published by Fata Morgana, France, at the request of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, presenting the most authentic writings of Cartier-Bresson.

　　"Sometimes, unsatisfied, we stand still, waiting for something to happen; sometimes the whole picture is loose, and a good shot seems impossible to capture, then suddenly someone passes by. We follow his path through the viewfinder, we wait, and wait... then press the shutter, and only then do we leave feeling like we have something in our bag." —Henri Cartier-Bresson

　　One of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, hailed as the "father of modern photojournalism," Henri Cartier-Bresson's poetic and enduring black-and-white photographs, with their golden ratio compositions, have witnessed major historical changes, influencing generations of photographers to this day. In 1947, he co-founded Magnum Photos with war photographer Robert Capa and others. Through his beloved Leica 135 rangefinder camera and 50mm standard lens, we follow his perspective to major historical events and figures—the Spanish Civil War, Castro and Che Guevara in Cuba, the eve of the Communist victory in China, and mere hours before Gandhi's assassination... He was also the first Western photojournalist to enter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, solidifying his indelible position in photographic history.

　　This book is Cartier-Bresson's only and important collection of essential photographic writings, including the complete text of his classic essay "The Decisive Moment," written in 1952. After its publication, this essay became the bible of photojournalism: from how to tell stories through images, photographic subjects, composition, color, technique, clients... and comprehensive thinking, it remains deeply inspiring today, and is Cartier-Bresson's greatest legacy to future generations of photographers.

　　In the book, he also recounts firsthand reports from tumultuous times: China on the eve of the Communist victory in 1948, firsthand interviews with Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevara in 1963, and his first entry into the Soviet Union in 1954, among other historical fragments. The book also includes his letters and critiques to friends such as sculptor Alberto Giacometti, film director Jean Renoir, and photographers André Kertész, Capa, and Ernst Haas. The warm tone and witty insights are observations slowly revealed through the eye of the mind, surrounded by the mists of history and the marks of time.

　　[Cartier-Bresson on Photography]
　　─The Decisive Moment─
　　● Photography asks questions visually and simultaneously makes decisions.
　　● What disappears is gone forever: and this is the anxiety and primary source of originality of a photographer's job.
　　● Photography requires holding one's breath, concentrating all senses on fleeting reality. If one successfully captures this momentary image, both mind and body will feel profound joy.
　　● Photography is a spontaneous impulse triggered by an endless visual attraction, capturing both the moment and eternity.
　　● We find that at the moment the shutter is released, we have instinctively fixed the precise geometric area; without this, the photograph will lack personality and vitality.
　　● My passion has never been for "photography" itself, but for a possibility, in that fraction of a second of self-forgetfulness, for the emotion stirred by capturing a certain subject and the beauty of its form—a geometry awakened by what is presented before the eyes.
　　● To give meaning to the world, one must first experience oneself as being within the world framed by the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, mental discipline, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry.

　　─Photojournalism─
　　● Engaging in photojournalism means telling a story through a series of photographs.
　　● Reporting is a continuous operation of mind, eyes, and heart, to present an issue, set an event, and convey certain impressions.
　　● Sometimes, we think we've taken the most powerful photo, but we continue shooting because we can't definitively predict how the event will unfold.
　　● Avoid rapid, mechanical "spray and pray" shooting, so as not to overload memory with useless scribbles that hinder the clarity of the overall picture.
　　● The memory of each photograph races at the same pace as the event.
　　● Always maintain the utmost respect for your subjects and yourself when photographing.
　　● When photographing, we must ensure that everything has been expressed, leaving no gaps, otherwise it will be too late, and people cannot reverse events or start over.
　　● Ultimately, a photographer's greatest fear is discovering, when flipping through a magazine, that his report went unused...
　　● The camera helps people create a visual chronicle. We, along with other photojournalists, provide information for this fast-moving, busy, often fragmented, and image-hungry world.

　　─Subject─
　　● The subject is not about collecting events; it's about choosing from them, grasping the true facts within profound reality.
　　● From a photographic perspective, the smallest thing can become a great subject, and human trivialities can become the main melody of a movement.

　　─Composition─
　　● For me, photography is about discerning a superficial rhythm, a rhythm of lines, and a rhythm of values from reality.
　　● Looking at a photograph is like looking at a painting; one must see the whole in an instant. Composition is completed simultaneously here, an organic coordination of visual elements.
　　● Composition cannot be baseless; it must arise from necessity, and form cannot be separated from content.
　　● To achieve golden ratio composition, the photographer can only rely on the compass in their eye.
　　● Composition must be one of our concerns, but when taking a photo, it is purely intuitive because we are faced with fleeting moments where everything is in flux.

　　─Photography and Painting─
　　● Photography is immediate action; painting is the result of contemplation.
　　● We photograph out of a premonition of life.
　　● Photography is also a way of crying out, of seeking liberation, not for the purpose of proving, nor affirming its unique originality.
　　● Photography is a way of life.
　　● Pressing the shutter is one of my many sketchbooks.

　　─Technique─
　　● We observe reality with the help of the camera, recording it without misleading through framing or using darkroom tricks. These tricks are transparent to the discerning eye.
　　● The camera is a tool for us, not a lovely mechanical toy. It's enough if it allows us to operate it comfortably and easily, achieving what we want to do.
　　● Holding the camera, aperture, shutter speed, etc., must become reflex actions, just like shifting gears in a car. All operations, even the most complex, are not to be marvelled at.
　　● The views of some people on photographic technique, that is, their unrestrained pursuit of image clarity, always amuse me; is it a passion for meticulous craftsmanship, or do they hope to grasp reality more tightly through the illusion of realism? In any case, these people are far from the core of the real problem, just as another generation tried to wrap their anecdotes in artistic ambiguity.