Jump to content

The Decisive Moment?


bill_carson

Recommended Posts

Nice shot, Bill.

 

I think some decisive moments are debatable, however. Here, for example, a fraction of a second earlier might have caught the fellow at the middle of the boat mid-air as he jumped in. A second or two later might catch the fellow at the bow in that position. I'm not sure which of the three alternative shots tell the story better, but it's a point that can be debated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, Bill:

 

Yours IS a very good photo, IMHO.

 

But I'd like to follow Ralph's observation: it could well be that an image showing your subject at a different fraction of a second earlier/later could have caught the critical moment when a given movement is just to be completed and makes you complete it in your mind making you feel the movement implied in your photo as in real life. Of course the classical example is HC-B's photo of the guy jumping over the pond.

 

I'm constantly trying to catch decisive moments though with few success: when I do get the sense of movement, the overall graphic quality of the photo seldom is satisfactory. I assume that to consistently get both things together you actually have to be HC-B himself . . . but I continue trying. Who knows, some day . . .?

 

-Iván

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice snap, although I don't think it has quite the drama and wit to qualify as a decisive moment in what I understand to be the HCB sense.

 

Talking of the famous Gare Saint Lazare photograph, I was looking at it the other day. The man is jumping off a ladder laid on the ground as a walkway, into a large expanse of water flooding the field/carpark, whatever it is, as part of his trip across this flooded area. So that while Cartier-Bresson had only a fraction of a second to get it right with this one person, no doubt many people were also taking the same route and he had many opportunities to get it right. I don't think the picture can be held up as an example of quick reflexes, conception and execution in a split second and so on - it is a set up shot, in the sense that HCB placed himself in the best position to take the picture and no doubt tried it over and over until he was pretty certain he'd got it. This was one of his standard techniques, and it certainly gave good results for him. It would certainly be interesting to see the contact sheets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All: Thanks for your responses and kind remarks; I appreciate all.

Several postings explored the contents of this frame and my selection of it as, "The Decisive Moment"; they speculated upon what might have happened before and after the exposure that I used. I dug out the contact sheet and I note that I had stated that I exposed, "--five or six" frames but I actually had shot only three frames. However, these three frames show the basis for my use of the title, "The Decisive Moment" and I'm sure that when you see the 'before' and the 'after' frames that you will agree with my choice. Again thanks for your thoughts and comments on the photo and the subject, "The DM." Bill Carson<div>004PHE-11070584.thumb.jpg.309d0dbe6ef003a572682f37aea2ed84.jpg</div>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting to see the contact images. It's a shame that your

original framing (in-camera) cropped out most of the person

standing on the right hand side. The inclusion of this figure

would, in my opinion, have added a greater depth to the image

you were looking to achieve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...