Henri Cartier-Bresson

By Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004) was a French photographer considered to be the father of photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography. (courtesy of wikipedia)

Technical Aspects
- Leading lines (the spiral) draw the eye inwards to the centre of the photo
- Depth of Field draws the eye first to the bottom left of the photo and adds depth
- Repetition of the children's heads adds to the leading line of the spiral
- Contrast helps the children's heads to stand out from the background and adds depth
- Composition: An uncommon angle looking straight up from the bottom of what appears to be a spiraling staircase
- Smooth spiral shape/line is uncommon but pleasing and interesting to the eye
- Children add further interest and emotion to the shot

Creative Interpretation
- N: The children's heads lose their distinctive traits with distance so they start to look like the same child.
- MO: All the children are lined up close together and all looking down (not necessarily at the photographer). None of them look particularly happy. It's generally what I think about when I think of "orphanage". Strict, unhappy, unloved, lonely yet not alone.