"To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event."
-Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson is known for his photojournalistic style—a “sharpshooter with an uncanny ability to capture the ‘decisive moment.’” He aspired to tell a story succinctly with one striking picture. He was the first photographer to have his work displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The landmark show, called "The Decisive Moment" celebrated his spontaneous ability to capture a moment.

"He aspired to tell a story succinctly with one striking picture.”
Born in Chantaloupe, France, the young Cartier-Bresson was given a small camera and took snapshots of the family’s vacations in the countryside. For 2 years he also studied painting in a Paris studio. His painting developed his sensitive eye for composition that is evident in his work.

A shy artist, Cartier-Bresson was comfortable behind his camera, taking photos unobtrusively. In his own words, with his camera he would be “prowling the streets all day. . .ready to pounce, determined to ‘trap’ life, to preserve life in the act of living.”

Throughout his career he used a 35-millimeter camera, a Leica, which he appreciated for its speed, mobility, and the large number of exposures per loading.

Cartier-Bresson believed that human dignity is an essential part of the work of a photojournalist—having a love for and understanding of people. He approached his subjects with respect and unobtrusiveness that enabled him to capture his subjects with a relaxed and casual brilliance, with candid and unstudied gesture.

* Like Henri Cartier-Bresson, photographer/artists Raya and Deborah of A Beautiful Day Photography strive to incorporate into their work the finest aspects of photojournalism:
The ability to capture the ‘decisive moment’” and tell a story succinctly with one striking picture. We are constantly on the alert for important details and special moments.

* An instinctive and sensitive eye for composition
We are artists, trained in drawing and painting, composition and color, as well as photography.

* To preserve life in the act of living, As unobtrusive as Henri Cartier-Bresson, we seek to capture the unfolding events of your special day.

 

 

* To captured truth, beauty, and the essence of what it means to be human in our photographs. It is important to us to capture in our photography all the emotional elements of your wedding day—the joy, the anticipation, and, of course, a love that will last for eternity.