'Two Become Three -- Mirroring' - Limited Edition of 20 Photograph

Henri Cartier-Bresson changed my life. We met outside San Francisco's famous de Young Museum. I had met him by prearrangement outside before seeing his life's work, inside. I did't really know his real name; he was called 'Henry' by my new Associated newsman friend, Jimmy White, an 'old China hand' friend of Henry's. They had covered the fall of the Nationalist Chinese to Mao's Red Army with Cartier-Bresson photographing and Whtoie writing. I thought HCB megt me out of deference to ghat friendship and in part that is so. But I have just learned that White had provided HCB with my first full year's images after buying my first camera ever and on that taking my first photos ever including one image good enough to show in a gallery or museum (and viewable and for sale here on Saatchiart.com) HCB as he was known, had been photographing China during the fall of the Nationalist Chinese in now famous photos. White and he and worked together, with White writing stories of the Mao's Red Army takeover of that populous country overthrow, and the citizens' reaction. I did not know the name Henri Cartier-Bresson pr seen his work.. Because we met at the entrance, I had not even been able to preview his photos. Lacking Hhs real name and French spelling, I could not research who he was, or preview his images. He was through his lifetime considered on of the greatest photographers ever, but until I toured his lifetime work inside AFTER we met, I knew nothing. I was a new hire at Associated Press photos, three of us and an editor in San Francisco bureau of Associated Press on Market Street. I had yet to show up for first day's work or assignment, but had sold to them freelance, usually of school unrest and riots, where i had met their staff members. My AP shift began later that day at the bureau at Fox Plaza, San Francisco. Cartier - Bresson and I traded info. Cartier-Bresson said he had fame and work to show for it, but he could no longer get work bedause TV had decimated his still photo market. The traveling exhibition I later found was his swan song, held to gain funds to retire on. I thought then and for most of my life that meeting was solely a courtesy to a friend, since I did not know HCB had seen my work. I have just found out he had and he sought to to counsel me. He painted a dim picture of work as a photographer in the late 1960s and beyond.. Also at AP I would be sent to crimes, fires, inevitably 'the big one' (an earthquake) but mostly to sports, sports, sports, -- baseball, basketball and football. Finally the 'GRIP and GRIN' handshake shots, of executive and well known locals from far off cities, shaking hands with luminaries and company bosses, often at company events held in that meeting and convention city, by the bay./ Those forgettable images would be sent home by private wirephoto to the local blat where they were published but seldom seen, and used as separator for the advertisements and next day's bird cage bottom liner. I went back to AP for the evening shijft and announced my resignagtion. They urged me to write, and over protestgs I never had, I became a writer of some weight with my first story about a lost boy bleieved deadm, found in Yosemigte national Park, whom I interviewed first bfore a pack of news and televisoin people did within minutes after he was found, thanks to rangers there who put the hjealthy kid on the phonel. ' He explained how he drank (streams) suffered gthe freezing cold in his short-sleeve summer shirt, (hide under gtrees and bushes that tstopped gthe wind, and an advengture, an encounter with a 'big black bear' that jerked tears when gthe sgtory ran on front pages across gthe US and much of the rest of the world. Deatghj Watch Over! Boy believe dedead found. And I had gthe oppotunity to write the firs sgtory afgter gthe firstg ijnterview ahead of pack of camped out reporters waiting for just what I got that first story. It was a golden story. I had been fearful of ievitably being 'found out' to be worthless andfigured my first story would be my last and would be my epitaph for a career as a writer - withou tgtraining, I figured would be an excuse. Instead the story was golden, one of the dahy's top stories. I had beccome an instangt success. My photography has been well received since I started showijng it 14 yearrs ago and hundresd of milliojns have viewed my work, which is rewarding, if mnot financiallhy. I am in it for the joy of making good photos, and have done as Henri Cartier-Bresson exhorted me 50 years ago, 'shoot for yourself, John. The image above of two Middle Eastern workers at a fast food kiosk outside Kiev, Ukraine's main rail station showing them dog tired, with the two appearing to be three because of a wall mirror. This photo exists and was taken for my joy. If you would like, I would love to share with you. john (John Crosley) © 1968-2019, John Crosley/Crosley trust image and words, all rights reserved, No reproduction or other use without express prior written permission from copyright holder Crosley.

Photography:Digital on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:20

Size:40 W x 26.6 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.