Echoes of the past

A Moment in Liverpool Inspired by Cartier-Bresson

While walking through Liverpool in 2023, I captured a moment that struck me deeply. A shopper, mid-stride, looked down with visible confusion and perhaps discomfort at a homeless person lying in the street. I was mindful in composing the image — careful not to reveal the face of the person on the ground, choosing instead to focus on the passer-by’s reaction.

As soon as I reviewed the photograph, I was reminded of Henri Cartier-Bresson's iconic image taken in La Villette, Paris in 1929. Of course, I make no comparison in terms of mastery — Cartier-Bresson’s work stands alone. His geometry, composition, and instinct for the decisive moment remain untouchable. But having studied his work intensely over the years, I couldn’t help but notice how his teachings and influence have found their way into my own practice.

What truly struck me, though, was not just the visual parallel — but the emotional one. Nearly 93 years after Cartier-Bresson’s photograph, we are still facing the same painful realities: homelessness, poverty, and social neglect. Despite our advances in technology, policy, and awareness, our fellow human beings still struggle each day for shelter, dignity, and survival.

This photograph, for me, became more than just a study in light and composition. It became a reflection — on history, on society, and on our collective responsibility. It’s a quiet but urgent reminder that art can shine a light on uncomfortable truths — and that those truths are still with us as they also were for HBC.