Born in Chanteloup, France, in 1908. He studied under Andre Lhote with the hopes of becoming a painter, but from the 1930s was influenced by Man Ray, Atge, and Andre Kertesz,j and began to take photographs. Gathered attention from the snapshots he took on his small Leica camera during his stay in Africa from 1931-1932. Worked on movies in the late 1930s, and had a gig as Jean Renoirs's assistant. Was captured by the Germans during WWII but escaped. Was active in the resistance movement until the end of the war.

In 1947, formed the photo group Magnum Photo with Robert Capa and David Seymour. They toured regions around the world including India, China, USA, USSR, and Japan. Published his first photo collection in 1952 - the title of the US edition, "The Decisive Moment", would become synonymous to Cartier Bresson's photography. His works were more than simple street corner reportage - he masterfully captured images rarely seen in reality, and powerfully influenced many photographers. From the 70s, he focused on prints and drawings. Passed away in 2004.