Cartier-bresson photographed mainly with his Leica rangefinder camera. He is considered the father of photojournalism. Cartier-Bresson used mainly standard focal length of 50 mm. Bresson pictures appeared in the most popular magazines of three decades and has exhibited in all major galleries in the United States and Europe. The exhibition "The Decisive Moment" was the first photographic exhibition, which went to the Louvre.
He studied painting in the studio of Andre Coteneta Lhote and graduated from painting and philosophy at the University of Cambridge.The took his first photographs in 1931. His first exhibition was held in 1932 in New York's Julien Levy Gallery. Then the photographs were rated very favorably. In the 30s Cartier-Bresson participated, among others in the famous ethnographic expedition to Mexico, after which he began working as a freelance photographer. In 1935, from Paul Strand's learned to work with the camera. Then he assisted in the films of Jean Renoir. In 1937, the documentary filmed in Spain, in 1940, he was a prisoner of war camps in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
After escaping from the camp in 1943 he joined the French Resistance. After 1945, was again an independent photographer. He was able to use one of the biggest advantages of photography: the ability to capture a particular moment. According to Cartier-Bresson's not just about any moment, but the decisive moment ( L'instant décisif), which expresses the essence of the moment.
Cartier-Bresson worked for almost all major newspapers and magazines around the world. He was a co-founder of the famous photo agency Magnum with Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour and George Rodger. This took place in 1947 in Paris.
He travels to India, Burma, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Japan and the Soviet Union. In 1982 he was honored with the Foundation Erna and Victor Hasselblad award for lifetime achievement.
Developed by the concept of decisive moment, very influenced the development of modern reportage.
At the end of his life has not had photographs, but he returned to his old passion for drawing and painting. He died at the age of 95 years in the village of Isle-sur-la-Sourge near Marseille.