Death: The Decisive Moment

« Henri Cartier-Bresson behind his Leica. »

I heard the news that Henri Cartier-Bresson died while we were in Prague. His style was distinctive and his aloof intimacy with those he captured on film are a precious record of the passage of life where he happened to chance upon it. Documentary photography has always produced the most interesting photos because they tell a story and he wasn't just a photographer, he was a brilliant storyteller. The Guardian has a story about his life and Magnum has a retrospective in photos. May he rest in peace and his immortality be assured in his photographic stories for generations to come. n.b. Leica has finally posted a tribute to the man who defined their camera., Leicaslacker's Ernest and Henri and a tribute from the Smithsonian.

I'm worn out from 4 days in Prague where it was warm and mobbed by tourists and tourist traps. Note to self: next time, visit in the winter when it will still be warmer than Helsinki and have far fewer tourists. It was good to see the familiar Finnish landscape below the wing as we were landing, but I want to know why Finns seem to have this rather odd habit of applauding the piot upon touchdown since the pilot can't hear them and, well, I'd prefer no encores. Judging by the sea of lost baggage at Vantaa, it's good we didn't return yesterday when there was a baggage handlers 1-day strike. I'll have the photos developed and will write more detail on Prague in a few days.