Martine Franck Composition Lessons: Surrealism, Triangles

FRANCE. Ile de France region. Paris. 1992 This photo has been selected for a book on Henri CARTIER-BRESSON by Ferdinando SCIANNA to be published by Sciardelli Publishers, Milan , September 1998. It can only be used in connexion to the book. Any other usage is subject to written approval by the author. French photographer Henri CARTIER-BRESSON.

“A photograph isn’t necessarily a lie, but nor is it the truth. It’s more of a fleeting, subjective impression. What I like most about photography is the moment that you can’t anticipate: you have to be constantly watching for it, ready to welcome the unexpected” – Martine Franck

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Compositions:

1. Girl on the bottom of the frame, and kid playing on top-left of the frame:

SWITZERLAND. Basel. Carnival. 1977.

2. Surrealism

Who do the hands belong to?

FRANCE. Paris. 1977. Pompidou Centre, National Museum of Modern Art.
“Paris – New York” exhibition. Photographs from the “Handshow ” by the French artist Robert FILLIOU and the US artist Scott HYDE showing the hands of 24 artists.

3. Older and younger selves

Also note the nice composition with the directions their eyes are looking, adding visual tension:

FRANCE. Paris. Palais des Congres. 1986. Christmas Eve dinner after the midnight mass. Dinner organised by the International Federation of Little Brothers of the Poor. 1986.
FRANCE. Paris. Palais des Congres. 1986. Christmas Eve dinner after the midnight mass. Dinner organised by the International Federation of Little Brothers of the Poor. 1986.
FRANCE. Paris. Palais des Congres. 1986. Christmas Eve dinner after the midnight mass. Dinner organised by the International Federation of Little Brothers of the Poor. 1986.

Humor: Also an older monk vs younger monk:

NEPAL.
Bodnath. Shechen Monastery. Tulku KHENTRUL LODRO RABSEL (12 years old) with his tutor LHAGYEL. At the age of 5, KHENTRUL decided that he had lived enough with his parents and that it was time for him to enter the monastery. Two or three years after their death, important lamas are reincarnated in the body of a child. The search for this child is based on the information left by the lama himself: dreams, visions and the intuition of other lamas. The Tulkus are discovered at 3 or 4 years of age, declared at about 4 or 5 and then enter the monastery at the age of 6. According to the rules of the monastery, each Tulku is instructed by a tutor and is either prevented or restricted from seeing other young monks from their age group. All the Tulkus are called Rinpoche which means “the precious one”.

Another example of old versus young:

Karnataka. Drepung. Rato Dratsang Monastery.
Tenzin TOSAM Rinpoche with his tutor Gen PAGDO.
Two or three years after their death, important lamas are reincarnated in the body of a child. The search for this child is based on the information left by the lama himself: dreams, visions and the intuition of other lamas. The Tulkus are discovered at 3 or 4 years of age, declared at about 4 or 5 and then enter the monastery at the age of 6.
According to the rules of the monastery, each Tulku is instructed by a tutor and is either prevented or restricted from seeing other young monks from their age group. All the Tulkus are called Rinpoche which means “the precious one”.

4. Triangle composition

IRELAND. Dublin. A cemetary of stolen cars in the Darndale Housing Estate. 1993.
IRELAND. Dublin. A cemetary of stolen cars in the Darndale Housing Estate. 1993.

And a nice photo of Henri Cartier-Bresson (her husband):

FRANCE. Paris. French photographer Henri CARTIER-BRESSON. 1992.

FRANCE. Ile de France region. Paris. 1992 This photo has been selected for a book on Henri CARTIER-BRESSON by Ferdinando SCIANNA to be published by Sciardelli Publishers, Milan , September 1998. It can only be used in connexion to the book. Any other usage is subject to written approval by the author. French photographer Henri CARTIER-BRESSON.

Triangles with this old lady in the foreground (nice gesture with the hand over her eye), and the two people in the background:

FRANCE. Ile de France region. Town of Ivry sur Seine. Old people’s home. 1975.
FRANCE. Ile de France region. Town of Ivry sur Seine. Old people’s home. 1975.

5. High perspective, looking down:

Minimalism.

FRANCE. Paris. The “Grande Arche de la Défense” (commercial and financial district). 1989.

6. Humor

The Yangsi making fun of the television crew during the enthronement ceremony.