Photojournalism and the Photographer's Eye

According to Henri Cartier-Bresson, the Photographer’s Eye is the photographer’s ability to see and to show the audience something in a special way; the ability to see an image and the potential behind it at first sight, not just the image. Cartier-Bresson states that “the photographer's eye is perpetually evaluating,” constantly examining things and our surrounding. In everyday life when trying to find a photo subject we find and focus on specific subjects within our perception of reality with our eyes. When taking a photograph the camera’s only task is to record the image on film. At any given moment, in any time or place, there are countless opportunities for a photographer to make an interesting photograph. The “eye” is the ability to "see" such photographs in our mind before they are made.

I found the photograph above in a digital photography contest website. It was taken by an artist by the online alias bspurgeon. The photograph is titled “Skipping to Nirvana.” The photo is of two little girls skipping through a brick tunnel.  It is a black and white photograph with high contrast. The high contrast enhances the dark shadows and intensifies the bright light at the end of the tunnel. This high use of contrast darkens the image of the little girls creating a silhouette like effect while creating a vignette as well. The title of this photograph “Skipping to Nirvana” strongly relates to the photo composition itself. In the photograph the two little girls are skipping away from the camera to what appears like the end of the tunnel. The end of the tunnel is very bright and lit up which emphasizes the idea of a place of complete bliss, delight, and peace; Nirvana. The fact that the silhouettes of the young girls appear so small and far away from the camera show how the photographer stalled or waited until his subjects were close to the end of the tunnel in order to modify the perspective. By doing so he was able to capture the decisive moment that adds both form and life to his photograph. Even though there is movement implied in bspurgeon’s photograph he was able to seize the one moment at which the elements in motion were in balance. bspurgeon was able to capture the excitement and joy of skipping freely like a child through the drastic tilt of his shot.