Can you explain why HCB chose this photo?

[snusmumriken]

I have a copy of the book 'Henri Cartier Bresson: Photographer', originally published by Delpire in 1979. As I understand it, the book's contents were selected by HCB with Delpire, so they can be considered to be HCB's idea of 'My Personal Best'. Of course I am in awe of HCB, and always enjoy this book when I pull it off the shelf. Actually it omits some of my favourite HCB photos, while it includes a few that leave me wondering why they were included. This is one example. I just don't see anything special about it. Can anyone make me see what HCB saw in it, among so many gems?

@cliveh: this might be up your street?

 

[Chan Tran]

I don't know I actually like it. It looks kind of like a drawing (or painting) with the foreground plants blurry. I like the composition that seems to divide the image into 3 sections top to bottom. In fact it's the first image of HCB that I like.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

What's its title?
Actually, I googled it. 1946 France Winter Snow Landscape. The example I found online is better, tonally... but once you upload it here, it's quite dark.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I lightened up in PS to better match the example that I found...

 

[pentaxuser]

I have a copy of the book 'Henri Cartier Bresson: Photographer', originally published by Delpire in 1979. As I understand it, the book's contents were selected by HCB with Delpire, so they can be considered to be HCB's idea of 'My Personal Best'. Of course I am in awe of HCB, and always enjoy this book when I pull it off the shelf. Actually it omits some of my favourite HCB photos, while it includes a few that leave me wondering why they were included. This is one example. I just don't see anything special about it. Can anyone make me see what HCB saw in it, among so many gems?

@cliveh: this might be up your street?

View attachment 385177

Me neither, snusmumriken, and from that it follows I couldn't even begin to offer a reason why in my case other than to state a truism that it must have meant something to him

pentaxuser


pentaxuser

 

[baachitraka]

I like it because of three lines of trees...

 

[Steven Lee]

I don't get it.

 

[xkaes]

I just don't see anything special about it.

I suppose a lot of aeronautical engineers look at the Wright Brothers' plane and ask the same question.

 

[MattKing]

Unless there is an attached narrative, it is important to remember that we have no way of knowing what associations HCB may have had with the image in his mind when he chose it.
Perhaps he found it unusual in its internal struggle with the question: "which is the plane of interest?"
I'm far from an expert on HCB, but I can't recall any other image of his where that struggle is obvious.

 

[retina_restoration]

I imagine that during the “birth of art photography” era, many novel concepts were unveiled for the first time, such as the layering of texture-as-abstract, which is precisely what this photograph is doing. It’s an idea we now take for granted, not considered sophisticated by modern art photography standards, leading us to question why the photographer perceived merit in it.

There’s a lot of unsophisticated photography from the early days that we now view as quaint or simplistic. However, back then, it was a completely new landscape, where everything was fresh and novel, as if we had suddenly, and for the first time developed eyesight.

It’s also possible that Cartier-Bresson was a poor self-editor, a common trait among us all when choosing what to post. How many of us have published mediocre photographs in our feeds simply because we had a fleeting moment of liking for an idea in the photo that day, only to wonder the next day what intrigued us about it? I know I have. Let’s give him some credit. Not every photograph is a masterpiece - even Ansel Adams and Edward Weston published a few “meh” pictures throughout their careers. Despite this, Cartier-Bresson remains a visual pioneer after all these years, and I believe the majority of his work deserves the title. Perhaps not this particular piece, but for him, I’m certain it sparked a worthwhile idea worth exploring.

 

[BrianShaw]

HCB may have had a slightly different feeling about his photography than does history.

 

[Pieter12]

Because he liked it.

 

[MattKing]

Because he liked it.

This is a good answer, except it invites the further question: "Why?"

 

[tstermitz]

I often don't like art photographs of nature shapes (sometimes they're just random shapes - uggh!), but it is one of my personal pursuits. I do find this one very interesting.

HCB was a true master of geometric compositions. This photo is full of repeating patterns and symmetries. Notice that if you split the image into smaller rectangles, each smaller piece is just as well-composed as the main image.

See art composition books, especially "The Painter's Secret Geometry". Or else Google "The armature of the rectangle" or "Harmonic Symmetry". Here is a quick link to an article on the topic:

Composing Art Using Harmonic Symmetry

I'm a mere grasshopper, but once you notice great composition, you can't unsee bad composition. Here is another resource by Tavis Leaf Glover who specifically analyzes HCB photos.

Dynamic Symmetry, Composition and HCB

 

[snusmumriken]

This is a good answer, except it invites the further question: "Why?"

Exactement.

 

[snusmumriken]

I suppose a lot of aeronautical engineers look at the Wright Brothers' plane and ask the same question.

...which implies that this photo was consequential, like the Wright Brothers' plane. But it isn't, at least not that I can see.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I think it might be that he liked the visual trickery.

What I mean by that is, my first reaction was it's a photo of a pool and reflections. This might be due to the low wall/fence on the left (and suggestion of a pools edge on the right) making me initially assume it was a photo of a pool. Once I started to try and make sense of the inconsistent 'reflections' is when I realized it wasn't water at all in the middle distance, but a snow covered yard.

I think he liked the way it plays on initial assumptions.

 

[Saganich]

I'm not a painter, but I like the centering of horizon and the convergent towards the exact midpoint of the plane. Looks like a lesson from Point and line to Plane, the Kandinsky book. Also all the little abstract dots look like figures, and the three lines of trees...

 

[Pieter12]

This is a good answer, except it invites the further question: "Why?"

I don't think that anyone needs to explain why they like something. It is not necessarily something that can be analyzed and put into words. It said something to him that only he might be able to elaborate on. Maybe he met his wife there. Is the photo used as an illustration of a point he was trying to make?

 

[snusmumriken]

I'm not a painter, but I like the centering of horizon and the convergent towards the exact midpoint of the plane. Looks like a lesson from Point and line to Plane, the Kandinsky book. Also all the little abstract dots look like figures, and the three lines of trees...

So, linear shapes found in nature reminding HCB of abstract art of his time? That makes sense to me.

 

[snusmumriken]

I don't think that anyone needs to explain why they like something. It is not necessarily something that can be analyzed and put into words. It said something to him that only he might be able to elaborate on. Maybe he met his wife there. Is the photo used as an illustration of a point he was trying to make?

I agree with you in part. Elliott Erwitt said that the whole point of a photograph was to avoid having to use words (or something to that effect). But putting photos into a publication for sale to others is an act of communication, and if the viewer doesn't "get" the point, the communication has failed, hasn't it?

 

[Sirius Glass]

I don't get it.

You are not alone.

 

[MattKing]

I don't think that anyone needs to explain why they like something. It is not necessarily something that can be analyzed and put into words. It said something to him that only he might be able to elaborate on. Maybe he met his wife there. Is the photo used as an illustration of a point he was trying to make?

While this is entirely correct, in the context of this thread and the question raised in it, my question stands
As mentioned by others, it may be that the entire point of the photo is to raise questions in the viewer’s mind.

 

[Pieter12]

While this is entirely correct, in the context of this thread and the question raised in it, my question stands
As mentioned by others, it may be that the entire point of the photo is to raise questions in the viewer’s mind.

Sometimes photos are chosen because they enhance the flow of the book, even if they do not stand on their own.

 

[awty]

Its a wonderful picture, it has a lot going on and wonderful balance, dont over think it and enjoy.