'To take a photograph is to hold one's breath when all faculties converge in the face of fleeting reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy'Henri Cartier-Bresson
This picture, 'Behind the Gare Saint Lazare, 1936' (right) was taken by the father of modern photography, French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson. It is undoubtedly one of his most famous and sold at a Christie's auction in Paris last week for $590,455. The reason it reached such a price is because it captures what Bresson was all about, 'the decisive moment'. At a time of huge advances in photographic equipment, a fleeting moment could now be captured and Bresson grabbed it, again and again. This became his signature. Photographing moments in time that could be missed in the blink of an eye. He also was a keen observer of the human condition, he loved to photograph people, real people, unaware of his observant lens.
He is probably the most influential, admired and respected figure in the history of photography. He traveled extensively and took thousands of images, each one incredible. Not only was he technically a great photographer, but he also had a highly intuitive eye, his images will always be popular because he mastered the human portrait like no one else.
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