The "Decisive Moment"

This famous concept is often attributed to one of the greatest 20th Century photographers, Henri Cartier-Bresson. He said, "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition in a fraction of a second the significance of an event, as well as the precise organization the forms that give that event its proper expression."

Every situation contains an instant within which everything comes together. Photographically, it is about timing, anticipating, waiting for that critical second - and pressing the shutter. Actually, many situations contain a few of these definitive moments.

Consider photographing an old man about to smoke a pipe. Key photographic points might include the flare of the match as it is struck, the glow of the tobacco as he moment he lights it, or perhaps the soft cloud of smoke when he exhales. 

This "decisive moment" has differing degrees of significance. For (hard) news it is crucial. History does not repeat, and the very apex of an event, captured in a single frame, can define and shape our memories of the past. The immediacy and lasting resonance of some of the most powerful news photographs are tied up with the blink-and-you-miss-it essence of the moments they have caught. Think of Nick Ut's picture of the child running from a Napalm attack, Capa's picture of the fallen soldier, Yasushi Nagao's photo of Inejiro Asanuma's assassination, Oded Balilty's picture, "The Power of One".

The principle applies even to daily news. There are moments in every situation which simply make for better pictures than other moments. Whenever there is a press conference, for example, the photographers' flashes fire in a mad burst whenever the speaker looks up. This is because the strongest pictures (usually) show the eyes, which are often the most important part of any photograph. They show the emotion and pull the viewer in; they tell the story. A photo of a face looking down is not engaging, so not many pictures are taken when the speaker is reading from the script.

It hardly needs mentioning that the best sports photographers know what to look for in order to capture their definitive moments. They have a feel for the flow and rhythm of the game, and (perhaps) have a better insight as to what the individual players may be likely to do. To a degree, they can predict the action; they look to frame and focus their shots in time to capture these moments. And as you might expect, along the sidelines of the sports pitches, the shutters click in a flurry all at once during the tackles, throws, clashes and goals.

Context

It strikes me that whether an image has captured a definitive instant - and therefore the value of that image -may often be related to its context. Simply put, things need explaining for these kinds of "defining moment" pictures because they are often event-based. A caption may be necessary, then, to fix the image in time. After all, a picture all about an instant is as much about the "when" as much as the "what".

There is a famous photograph you may know, which - without its caption and out of context - merely shows the face of a young boy looking shocked (or perhaps surprised?). At best, it is an unusual expression, a funny look on a child's face. So what? Taken in context, it is a really wonderful example of the decisive moment. The boy in the picture, Harold Whittles, had been given a hearing aid and the photograph (by Jack Bradley) catches the very instant he hears his name for the first time. To me this is a perfect example of Cartier-Bresson's principle, and an example of the importance of context.

The importance of eyes/faces that I mentioned earlier brings to mind another example of the importance of context. There is a fantastic photograph taken by Jeremy Selwyn in Gleneagles of Tony Blair on July 7, 2005 - the day of the London bombings. Mr Blair is on some steps, having heard the news of the attacks. He is looking down, standing somewhat awkwardly - and the emotion is clear. However, I remember being told that, actually, Mr Blair was simply walking down the steps, watching his feet as he did so. Neither broken nor at a loss at all - just making sure not to trip. It doesn't really matter if true or not (although I prefer this version).

In any case, without context, it is a picture of the former Prime Minister walking. But put into its context, it is an extremely powerful shot that captures the moment exactly. It sums up the story and emotion in an instant, an instant that possibly only lasted a second or two. And most photographers would not have taken it.

Other kinds of moments

The principle has a different role and significance in landscape and nature photography. These disciplines involve planning, timing, anticipating. Mainly, though, a great deal of patience - and even a little luck. It is a much 'broader' decisive moment which the photographer has been waiting for. Waking before dawn, trekking for miles, then waiting, cold and tired on a hill for the interplay of cloud and light to be exactly so*. Or waiting - silently! - for minutes or hours, for a tiny bird to move into shot and stay just long enough to get a few frames.

Of course, many pictures are not about catching a moment. Some are based on a mood or a feeling. Others are about colour, shape, or size. Others focus on beauty, still others' significance is in social commentary or simple documentary. Many more have their impact precisely because they are timeless. It is not a rule or guideline, but something to be borne in mind when shooting 'events'. We need to learn to predict and anticipate. This is about paying attention and being aware of the flow of things. If we can predict, we are better prepared to catch that moment when it comes.

*As an aside, there is something peculiar about people's interest in equipment, megapixels and f-stop settings, as if these are particularly important. But, oddly, there is not so much interest in what goes into creating a picture. It is the photographer that takes the picture, not the camera. The camera is just a tool. Perhaps this might be the subject of an article...