Profound. Read it again, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” I’d like to use it as a talking point to discuss artistic development in photography.
Cartier-Bresson was not obsessed with the technical aspects of photography, his obsession was capturing the moment.“Sharpness is a bourgeois concept,” he once said, so having the latest and greatest equipment was of no concern to him. His statement refers to practice and developing an artistic eye and developing the intuition of capturing that moment.
I’ve literally taken thousands of photos, many of those shot back in the days of film, where you might shoot a couple of rolls a week. These days, 10,000 photos is nothing. Looking back at some of my earliest images, it’s interesting to see my own personal artistic development and how far I’ve advanced. Photography is a lot more than taking a sharp, well exposed image, it’s about capturing a moment in time and being a storyteller. Henri Cartier-Bresson was a master at this.
There is no substitute for experience, get out there and shoot. Evaluate, shoot again. Grow, develop your own style. Reflect on where you came from and watch your progress.
Thank you Mr Cartier-Bresson.
