Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing? What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?) With the photo or video you are examining when was it produced (date)?
The photographer is Henri Cartier-Bresson, he received his first camera in 1929 as he had an interest in photography but didn’t produce professional work till later on.
The photo i have chosen to analyse is Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Photo: Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954. Click here to see photo in full.(the link is to a gallery who is selling a 2003 print of the original photo)
How was the photo or video authored? For instance, with a photo, this would involve understanding the device used to record it and the technology used to prepare the image for publication. Included in this observation may be how the image was recorded (like in a mise-en-scene analysis).
Henri Cartier-Bresson, used a Leica 35mm rangefinder camera fitted with a normal 50 mm lens. The camera offers the most precise focus of any LEICA especially with the 50mm lens. It is also ultrasmooth, quiet and solid in build therefore making it a superior camera for that time.
“Cartier-Bresson’s trademark was candid photography – often in the street – that have marked him as one of the great pioneers of modern photography.” (FRWILKINS, 2018) He captured moments without too much planning, “i never think, i act quickly, I’m impulsive”, he would walk around streets and would rarely take more than one photo, he just waiting for the right moment and got the shot. He once mention, to take portraits and snapshots, you have to be like a cat, do not disturb and capture the person in their environment, in their habitat.
How was the photo or video published? For example, with a photo, this would involve understanding the medium the photo was published in, like for instance – was it print media or the World Wide Web? Was the photo printed? If so how does this printing process affect the photographer’s practice?
The original photo was a Gelatin silver print on paper. This process is common for black and white film which Cartier-Bresson only shot in. This technique can be tedious as the developing, soaking and drying is very repetitive.The process can effect the final outcome of the print if you soak the paper in different time intervals. For maximum density in the blacks of the photo the paper should be soaked longer to achieve this effect. However we are not certain of the specifics when the photo we are analysing was processed but generally the process would be similar to the process above and was most likely the method Cartier-Bresson used.
Another interesting point is that “He insisted that his works not be cropped but otherwise disdained the technical side of photography; the Leica was all he ever wanted to use” (Web.archive.org, 2004) Cartier-Bresson was particular, yet nonchalant with his work at the same time. Particular in the method and final outcome but when it came to getting a perfect shot, there was no strict process, it just happened for him.
How was the photo or video distributed? For instance, with a photo, this would involve understanding how the photo is distributed to multiple viewers. Like for instance, if the photo was printed in a periodical magazine – how is that magazine marketed and distributed to viewers?
The photo has been distributed in galleries in many different places. There have even be professional reprints in 2003 that are available at galleries to purchase, with this specific photo it is $50,000 – 75,000 (Artsy.net, 2018).
References:
Artsy.net. (2018). Henri Cartier-Bresson | Rue Mouffetard, Paris (1954) | Available for Sale | Artsy. [online] Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/henri-cartier-bresson-rue-mouffetard-paris-1960
Web.archive.org. (2004). Henri Cartier-Bresson, Artist Who Used Lens, Dies at 95. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20130510202747/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/04/arts/04CND-CARTIER.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5090&en=11443904bc0a721f&ex=1249358400&partner=rssuserland
FRWILKINS, M. (2018). Henri Cartier-Bresson – Rue Mouffetard, Paris (1954). [online] Aestheticons.wordpress.com. Available at: https://aestheticons.wordpress.com/2017/03/29/henri-cartier-bresson-rue-mouffetard-paris-1954/