Week 4: Photography by Henri Cartier-Bresson (A picture a day)

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photograph taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos, 1933

This is a photograph by a famous photographer taken in Madrid, Spain by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1933. I chose this picture as I love how the simple ordinary elements come together to create a striking photograph because of the various design elements and design principles involved. The design elements involved in this picture are shape, texture and size, and the design principles i see are repetition and balance.

I think that the main visual identity of this picture are the rectangular and squarish shapes on the wall. The shapes on the walls are in a darker shade than the white wall so it creates a contrast and this allows the repeated shapes to stand out more.Even though the shapes which are repeated on the walls seem to be in a random display, there is a strong concentration  in the centre, because of the slightly larger rectangle windows. The slightly larger rectangular brings the viewers to the centre of the picture as there is a contrast in shape.

When i view this picture, I view it from top to bottom. This is because the contrast of the boys in the bottom who are in a darker shade of this black and white picture and the white walls, the white part of the wall stands out more. You can also see that the hard wall has a rough texture as compared to the softer and smoother feel of the clothing, hair and skin of the boys in the bottom of the picture. This also creates a contrast, in terms of texture.

All these design elements and design principles come together playfully, to create this lovely photograph. This shows that design principles and design elements are important rules to follow or use as guidelines in any form of art to create something extraordinary out of the ordinary.