The Decisive Moment

The Decisive Moment - Henri- Cartier Bresson

"What is there more fugitive and transitory than the expression on the human face? The first impression given by a particular face is often the right one; but the photographer should try always to substantiate the first impression by "living" with the person concerned. The decisive moment and psychology, no less than camera position, are principal factors in the making of a good portrait. It seems to me it would be pretty difficult to be a good portrait photographer for customers who order and pay since. apart from Maecenas or two, they want to be flattered, and the result is no longer real. The sitter is suspicious of the objectivity of the camera, while what the photographer is after is an acute psychological study of the sitter.

It is true too, that a certain identity is manifest in all the portraits taken by one photographer. The photographer is searching for identity of his sitter, and also trying to fulfill an expression of himself. The true portrait emphasizes neither the suave nor the grotesque, but reflects the personality."