Tellicherry peppercorns...it all starts here!
One of my favorite photographers is Henri Cartier_Bresson. He was noted for his instinct in pressing the shutter at exactly the right moment…called “the decisive moment”. I remember one of my teachers giving us the impression that Cartier-Bresson had a sixth sense about when to press the shutter button. I didn’t buy that, but I do think he had patience and could wait for the picture to happen. I believe that he chose a good background and then bided his time. I also think he could see relationships in movement, elements and expression. Originally trained as a painter, he brought those skills to photography.
It isn’t easy to wait. I’ve tried it. I can remember a situation where I was waiting on a street in San Francisco. The background was not special. I was just waiting for my husband with my camera in hand. After a while, I gave up and put my camera away. Not more than 5 minutes later, a huge Great Dane ambled up and greeted a gorgeous blonde woman by standing on its hind legs and licking her face. They were about the same height and they both were slender and had blonde hair. That photo would have made my day, but I didn’t have enough patience to wait.
Another thing that Cartier-Bresson stressed was what he called ‘geometry’. You can relate it to the rule of thirds or the 2/5-3/5 rule or maybe think of circles, triangles, S curves, etc. These relationships between elements in your photo will bring it to the next level.
What is an S curve? When you can trace an imaginary S from one element to another. (I should have one on hand for you, but I don’t.) I started this blog today because I love the photo above of a stevedore hoisting sacks of Tellicherry peppercorns in Kochin, Kerala India. This represents a series of horizontal lines with a circle in between the second and third lines. I think it makes a bold statement. Or you could say it represents a “U” by tracing the outline of the man and his burden. Call it what you will, I think it is pleasing to the eye. It is simple. It is colorful. It tells a story.
This man looks strong and he is, but he was rather tiny and thin. When he saw my camera, he wanted to show me how strong he was. I got a shot of his face as well, but I like this one best.