Henri Cartier-Bresson - About the 'decisive moment'

“For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to “give a meaning” to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.
To take a photograph is to hold one’s breath when all faculties converge in a face of fleeing reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.
To take a photograph means to recognize – simultaneously and within a fraction of a second– both the fact itself and the rigorous organisation 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.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson
(http://www.henricartierbresson.org/index_en.htm)

Bresson’s concept of the ‘decisive moment’ is perfectly illustrated in his photograph Behind the Gare St. Lazare, 1932. In this photograph Bresson captured the man attempting to jump over the puddle. In order to be able to freeze this particular moment, this tiny fraction of a second, Bresson must have been concentrated, patient and ready for the potential image to reveal in front of him.

Behind the Gare St. Lazare, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

The ‘decisive moment’ is about being in the right spot at the right time. Reading about Bresson’s concept made me understand how crucial it is, as a photographer, to stay alert, vigilant and aware of what is happening around us at all times. With this kind of perceptual approach, one will be able to notice and capture the most meaningful seconds of human experience. We must follow our intuition and derive our understanding of the world from within ourselves in order to be able to recognise the ‘decisive moments’.