--- title: "5 Composition Quotes By Henri Cartier-Bresson" description: "5 Composition quotes by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Plus more from Henri Cartier-Bresson and more Composition sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/henri-cartier-bresson-3438_camera-and-photograp_there-is-a-creative-fraction-of-a-second_1248217.jpg" --- > [There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/there-is-a-creative-fraction-of-a-second-when-you-are-taking-a/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/henri-cartier-bresson-3438_camera-and-photograp_there-is-a-creative-fraction-of-a-second_1248217.jpg) > [To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/to-me-photography-is-the-simultaneous-recognition-in-a-fraction-of-a-2/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e0/henri-cartier-bresson-3438_appearing_to-me-photography-is-the-simultaneous-re_1309585.jpg) > [...it is seldom indeed that a composition which was poor when the picture was taken can be improved by reshaping it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/it-is-seldom-indeed-that-a-composition-which-was-poor-when-the/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/henri-cartier-bresson-3438_composition_it-is-seldom-indeed-that-a-composition-w_1385143.jpg) > [Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/your-eye-must-see-a-composition-or-an-expression-that-life-itself/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/henri-cartier-bresson-3438_camera-and-photograp_your-eye-must-see-a-composition-or-an-ex_2401034.jpg) > [This recognition, in real life, of a rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/this-recognition-in-real-life-of-a-rhythm-of-surfaces-lines-and/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/henri-cartier-bresson-3438_coalitions_this-recognition-in-real-life-of-a-rhyth_3109203.jpg) ## Other authors on Composition ## More by Henri Cartier-Bresson > [Inside movement there is one moment in which the elements are in balance. Photography must seize the importance of this moment and hold immobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/inside-movement-there-is-one-moment-in-which-the-elements-are-in/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Rene Char wrote somewhere, apropos poetry, that there are those who create and those who discover; they are too completely different worlds. Photograph also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/rene-char-wrote-somewhere-apropos-poetry-that-there-are-those-who/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Photography is, for me, a spontaneous impulse coming from an ever attentive eye which captures the moment and its eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/photography-is-for-me-a-spontaneous-impulse-coming-from-an-ever/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [The camera is for us a tool, not a pretty mechanical toy ... people think far too much about techniques and not enough about seeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/the-camera-is-for-us-a-tool-not-a-pretty-mechanical-toy-people-think/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [In order to give meaning to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what he frames. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/in-order-to-give-meaning-to-the-world-one-has-to-feel-oneself/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/to-me-photography-is-the-simultaneous-recognition-in-a-fraction-of-a/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [The intensive use of photographs by mass media lays ever fresh responsibilities upon the photographer. We have to acknowledge the existence of a chasm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/the-intensive-use-of-photographs-by-mass-media-lays-ever-fresh/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Reality offers us such wealth that we must cut some of it out on the spot, simplify. The question is, do we always cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/reality-offers-us-such-wealth-that-we-must-cut-some-of-it-out-on-the/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [What do you think I'm a professor of? The little finger? (On offers of honorary doctorates.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/what-do-you-think-i-m-a-professor-of-the-little-finger-on-offers-of/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Why do photographers start giving numbers to their prints? It’s absurd. What do you do when the 20th print has been done? Do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/why-do-photographers-start-giving-numbers-to-their-prints-it-s-absurd/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Photography appears to be an easy activity; in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/photography-appears-to-be-an-easy-activity-in-fact-it-is-a-varied-and/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Give me inspiration over information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/give-me-inspiration-over-information/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [Photography is only intuition, a perpetual interrogation - everything except a stage set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/photography-is-only-intuition-a-perpetual-interrogation-everything/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [The picture is good or not from the moment it was caught in the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/the-picture-is-good-or-not-from-the-moment-it-was-caught-in-the-camera/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [I'm not responsible for my photographs. Photography is not documentary, but intuition, a poetic experience. It's drowning yourself, dissolving yourself, and then sniff, sniff,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/i-m-not-responsible-for-my-photographs-photography-is-not-documentary/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composition/henri-cartier-bresson/#itemlist", "name": "5 Composition Quotes By Henri Cartier-Bresson", "numberOfItems": 5, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! 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