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Art

During the 20th century, both fine art photography and documentary photography became accepted by the English-speaking art world and the garelly system. In the United States, a handful of photographers, including Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, John Szarkowski, F. Holland Day, and Edward Weston, spent their lives advocating for photography as a fine art. At first, fine art photographers tried to imitate painting styles. This movement is called Pictorialism, often using soft focus for a dreamy, 'romantic' look. In reaction to that, Weston, Ansel Adams, and others formed the group f/64 to advocate straight photography the photograph as a (sharply focused) thing in itself and not an imitation of something else.

The aesthetics of photography is a matter that continues to be discussed regularly, especially in artistic circles. Many artists argued that photography was the mechanical reproduction of an image. If photography is authentically art, then photography in the context of art would need redefinition, such as determining what component of a photograph makes it beautiful to the viewer. The controversy began with the earliest images "written with light"; Nicéphore Niépce, Louis Daguerre, and others among the very earliest photographers were met with acclaim, but some questioned if their work met the definitions and purposes of art.

Clive Bell in his classic essay Art states that only "significant form" can distinguish art from what is not art.

There must be some one quality without which a work of art cannot exist; possessing which, in the least degree, no work is altogether worthless. What is this quality? What quality is shared by all objects that provoke our aesthetic emotions? What quality is common to Sta. Sophia and the windows at Chartres, Mexican sculpture, a Persian bowl, Chinese carpets, Giotto's frescoes at Padua, and the masterpieces of Poussin, Piero della Francesca, and Cezanne? Only one answer seems possible significant form. In each, lines and colors combined in a particular way, certain forms and relations of forms, stir our aesthetic emotions.

BEGINNINGS:

In the early nineteenth century, in 1826, French scientist Nicephore Niepce was a first photographic images, unpublished, could not be permanently fixed. The oldest photograph that remains is a reproduction of the image known as View from the Window at Le Gras, obtained in 1826 with the use of a camera obscura and a support via a chemical emulsion sensitive silver salts.

When Niepce ...began his research needed eight hours of exposure to daylight, for their images. In 1839, Louis Daguerre made public its process for obtaining photographs onto a polished silver surface, which he called daguerreotype. Solved some technical problems of the initial Niepce and reduced exposure times required. Almost at the same time Hercules Florence, Hippolythe Bayard and William Fox Talbot developed alternative methods. The Fox Talbot created by negative got a paper, and from these negatives reproduced positive prints, also on paper. The negative-positive process called calotype of Talbot or talbotipo.

Initially, the daguerreotype was much more popular, as it was very useful for portraits. These "daguerreotype portraits" began to spread among the bourgeoisie of the industrial revolution, being much cheaper than painted, giving a great impetus to this new technique.

Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004) was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography. He helped develop the "street photography" or "real life reportage" style that has influenced generations of photographers who followed.

Always preached the idea to catch the decisive moment, translated version of his "image to the sauvette" coming to mean more precisely "pictures on the sly." It was, therefore, to the head, eye and heart in the moment that develops the climax of an action.

For some, Cartier-Bresson is a mythical figure in twentieth century photography.One of his best biographers (Pierre Assouline) the appeal as "the eye of thecentury."

I invite you to comment that you think of this photographer and his brilliant photographs.
Henri Cartier Bresson :)