Thoughts on the Decisive Moment

The Decisive Moment As mentioned in the course, the concept of the decisive moment has many followers and detractors. Has it pushed photography forward, or has it held it back? In my opinion, it can sometimes hold it back, as it has led to a sense of snobbery within the street photography community. Henri Cartier-Bresson […]

Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank

Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank (FOX, Gerald, 2005) Shown on ITV’s The South Bank Show in 2005, this documentary offers an intimate look at one of the world’s greatest living photographers, Robert Frank. Initially, after watching the first five minutes, I found Frank to come across as rude and petulant, which […]

Philip Lorca – diCorsa

Philip-Lorca diCorcia – Photographer (Born 1951) Simon, my tutor, suggested I explore the work of Philip-Lorca diCorcia in comparison to that of Bruce Gilden (or Bruce Davidson). Immediately, the differences in their styles are apparent, though both convey an intense reality in their images. Where Gilden “ambushes” his subjects, capturing spontaneous action to produce raw, […]

Bruce Davidsons – Subway

Bruce Davidson – Subway Serie Bruce Davidson’s Subway Series is a powerful collection of photographs, created with clear intention and purpose, and it succeeds in what it set out to do. Shot in 1979, during a time when New York’s subways were considered unsafe, poorly managed, and filled with graffiti, Davidson aimed to document this […]

Bruce Gilden

Bruce Gilden Born: 1946, New York Bruce Gilden is a street photographer I greatly admire, though I doubt I could emulate his style—though I wish I could. If you want to find Bruce Gilden, you’ll most likely encounter him on the streets. He’s just as comfortable photographing people in the UK, France, and Japan as […]

The Importance of Depth of Field in Photography

The most political decision you make is where you direct people’s eyes. (Wim Wenders (1997) quoted in Bromberg & Chanarin, 2008) Depth of field is a critical element in image composition, as it allows photographers to guide the viewer’s attention and shape the narrative of the image. A shallow depth of field immediately draws the […]