How lucky I am to be living in Hamburg, Germany. Is what I thought when I heard about the upcoming Retrospective of the influential (I should probably say THE most influential) Street & Documentary Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. This was the first time in 20 Years that the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation has provided original Prints for a proper retrospective. I had the opportunity to join a guided tour through the Exhibition through the Photography Organistion FREELENS, which I am a member of since 2022. Seeing all his iconic images up close and beautifully curated to see his career path through his images was something else. Two films about him were also shown at the Abaton Cinema and the films motivated me to take a walk around the area and photograph a bit with Bressons words and images still vibrating in my mind (See Images at the Bottom). There are no masterworks but hopefully show my mindset in the moment. One thing that has affected me during the guided tour through the exhibition was when our tour guide said at the end "Well, it is unfortunate that this kind of photography is not possible anymore". And to my surprise all (all working professionals by the way) photographers around me who took part of this tour were nodding in agreement. That made me question if I live in my own bubble. Questioning If I'm purposely avoiding the reality of candid photography in public spaces in my country (if you want to read a good German text about the legal situation with street photography in Germany, click here.). But to be honest it actually motivated me even more to continue. Because if nobody does it anymore, who will? I don't need to publish the work. Maybe it's not for now...
Cartier-Bresson in Hamburg! I love this image... And I probably won't ever see a scene like this at this spot (Jungfernstieg).
After I watched the Henri Cartier-Bresson Documentary at the Abaton Cinema, I went on a little walk around the area and took some photos. There are no masterworks but I wanted to see if I take photos differently after having spend over an hour looking at Cartier-Bressons work...
