August 22

August 22 is the birthdate of French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, considered the father of modern photojournalism. He mastered candid photography and the "street photography" style that influenced legions of followers. He was an early adopter of the 35mm format, using only black and white, but disliked making his own prints and was uninterested in the photographic process. Though he documented great events – the Spanish civil war, the liberation of Paris in 1944, the fall of China to the communists, the assassination of Gandhi – he believed that “in photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject.” His pictures of great 20th century figures included a celebrated candid of Albert Camus (pictured).