2020 Vision | Seeing Like Henri

There is something about Henri Cartier Bresson that resonates with me.

He struck me as a Bon Vivant with a Leica.

A man who enjoyed and celebrated life even when he wasn’t creating images.

His Leica was always close to hand for the moment when Life said “take me Henri”.

His Leica and 50mm Lens were his companions throughout his life.

I feel the same way about my deck of cards and my Camera.

He used his 50mm like it was a 35mm, which gave breathing space for his images. This I found intriguing because I interpreted this as using a 50mm as environmental context.

I am studying his images at present - reverse engineering his vision and placement.

Studying the work of great masters is part of my mental make up, not to copy, to understand.

Understanding is key.

The 50mm on a Leica must have been perfect for Henri Cartier Bresson.

My Camera, The X100F has a fixed Lens at 23mm. This means it’s field of view is classic 35mm on a Full Frame. This gives a lot more context and space around my subject.

This Camera is amazing because it comes with a Digital Conversion Gimmick. I can change the focal length from 35mm to 50mm and would you believe a whopping 70mm.

Look at these two images of my mother.

35mm and 50mm side by side and here’s the best part, the image quality is dam good for online sharing. For printing, I take no chances.

So there you have it, a little tribute to one of my heroes.

Thanks for Reading x