Connecting Essay Analysis 'Documentary' -

Connecting Essay's - 

Documentary: 

Henri-Cartier Bresson Photograph - 

My Photograph - 

The above photographs, one of which is mine, are linked due to not only the subjects of the image but also the techniques used to create them.

Some practical similarities of the two photographs are based upon the idea that Henri-Cartier Bresson used a 50mm lens and was the founder of 'The Decisive Moment' movement. I studied Bresson's work before beginning my documentary photography  project and so was able to implement the ideals of Bresson's work which therefore influenced the final outcome of my own images. I took my photographs on a 28-90mm lens but used the 50mm setting thus adhering to the norms of Bresson's work. Additionally, I also conformed to the idea of 'The Decisive Moment' as I carried my camera around for the entirety of the holiday period taking photographs which I would never be able to re-create as it was a specific, decisive, moment.

Furthermore, the two specific photographs shown above are subject examples of childhood. Bresson exemplified children at play in the 1900s in the rubble of post-conflict areas. This depicts the innocence of childhood and simply wanting to play despite the destruction that surrounds them. I chose to compare my picture, of my young cousin, to Bresson's work as it again displayed the innocence and happiness of childhood. My picture documents the reaction post-board game and the excitement of play witnessed through a child's eyes and perspective.

Finally, I chose to edit my image so that it reflected the black and white/ sepia appearance of Bresson's photography which was, due to the time period, taken on a film camera that did not shoot colour. Using Photoshop CC 2014 I edited my image into black and white to create the nostalgic atmosphere captured in Bresson's own photography. I also used curves and the contrast tool to add more tone and variation between the lights and darks of the photograph which is reminiscent of Bresson's work.

However, one significant difference between the two photographs is that my image was taken at a later time period than Bresson's. Bresson was a photographer in the early 1900s through to the early 2000s yet Bresson had already died whilst I was photographing in the documentary style inspired by Bresson in 2015.