Nature Photography: In the Footsteps of Henri Cartier-Bresson

Cartier-Bresson first popularized the concept of the “decisive moment:” that sliver of time when all elements of an image align, and the photographer can tell a complete story and fully engage the viewer. Nature is an ever-changing scene. Therefore, in that fleeting moment when the sun just clears the horizon, when a shadow falls in precisely the right spot, when the trees reach peak color, when a flower peaks in bloom–the photographer must be ready to capture it.

In this class, we will apply Bresson’s concepts to nature photography, as plants bloom, the tides come and go, or clouds or reflections enhance a scene. Explore the use of the decisive moment to enhance your nature compositions and how to train the eye and brain to anticipate the evolving scene. Students will spend time in the classroom learning the concepts, have two field sessions to apply them, and a critique session.