Henri Cartier-Bresson famously defined photography as “the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event, as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.”

You will see that very expression played out in the streets of Santa Fe. The images are simply different, with none of the usual trappings of tourist images. Despite how often this city has been photographed, Stuart has managed to produce something unique, full of clarity – and surprise. How does he do it? He explains that it calls for “a mixture of head and heart and a sympathetic connection with the subject.”

Stuart Cohen has been working at this for 50 years. A Yale graduate, he trained at the New England School of Photography before embarking on a commercial and editorial career spanning from 1973 to the early 2000s. During the golden age of stock photography (1985 -2000), he was represented by top agencies.

In addition, he has authored five consumer books, numerous photography articles, served as the head of a symphony orchestra, and president of a synagogue. All of which seems to have given him a unique perspective on Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment.

—Owen Lipstein

Editor in Chief, Santa Fe Magazine