Any tips for deciding the moment?

[Vivek]

Some have been claiming gear limits the "decisive moment". I have a huge problem finding what that moment is so that at least I can attempt to capture (and blame it on the gear when I fail :salute it/them.

Any tips on what constitute a decisive momentum will be greatly appreciated along with illustrative examples of your own.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[jlm]

for me the decisive moment is more the revealing moment.

i try to make some kind of contact, like eye contact with the subject; often that will lead to an interesting expression or gesture, like a turned head, etc. that will engage the viewer

also watch what the person is up to, try and get their concentration expressed;

i also find if i take fewer shots, i can focus more on each one as i am composing it

 

[turtle]

I'm not sure this is something that can easily be put into words, because we all have a different conception of issue (and therefore what is decisive) and so the moment will change. Also, we do not all seek a decisive moment as such, but perhaps an illustrative scene that triggers a sense of realisation (which will be equally subjective). In the latter case there may not be a decisve moment as such, but instead a series of moments, with photographer interaction and movement, that results in a frame that suits the purpose intended. I'm not sure I like the notion that there is a singular decisive moment. I wonder if it has become a rather more inflexible concept than Cartier Bresson intended.

If you look through the bottom four projects on my personal site (Afghanistan Portfolio Thomas Stanworth) you will get an idea of how I have approached different ideas with a different conception of what is important/decisive/meaningful/effective, or conducive to cultivating a 'sense of realisation'.

If I had to define it, it would be 'the moment at which the scene viewed through the viewfinder is best able to allow for an finished photograph that conveys the reason why you're taking the photo in the first place'. But at the end of the day, its instinctive. I feel it, rather than think it. Thinking about things when not taking photos is a good idea, but thinking too much while taking them rather bad I feel.

 

[Vivek]

Two gem of a reply for a vague post. Thank you both!

 

[Vivek]

I wonder if it has become a rather more inflexible concept than Cartier Bresson intended.

I am trying to figure out what that concept is (as you allude to), especially from a guy who apparently taped up his view finder in his camera.

 

[fotografz]

I suspect I'll regret posting an answer here based on the underlying skepticism and mildly cynical language of your question ... but ... what the heck, why not?:ROTFL:

Contrary to other's opinion, I think "The Decisive Moment" is still a pretty broad swath to work in. HCB may be credited with inventing the photojournalistic phrase and of being a master of the moment, but he wasn't the only one. In Robert Doisneau's book "Three Seconds of Eternity" he alludes to the nature of still photography as tiny segments of time that ultimately add up to maybe 3 seconds captured at 1/500, 1/250, 1/100 of a second. In that way still work can differ from any other form of visual expression.

IMHO and experience:

Obviously, "Decisive Moment" indicates some sort of peak timing that defines the image captured. How one interprets that can range widely ... yet it seems that there are moments that better define a situation, human condition, or alignment of elements more powerfully than others.

"Anticipation" is one tenant of the technique. When I teach the notion, I use a crude example to make the point: See the banana peel on the floor, see the distracted man walking toward it ... wait for it ... wait for it ... snipe the man in midair! HCB's shot of the French policeman walking in front of the gaping mouth facade of a doorway is that type of shot.

However, while extremely important, it has been my experience that "anticipation" is only one aspect of Decisive Moment photography.

Empirical intuitions often play a huge role in capturing just the right fleeting expression, momentary juxtaposition of elements, or unexpected turn of events. As a teacher of mine once quipped, "You have to be outwardly tuned to your surroundings and you must supremely refine that sensitivity to always be ready for the unexpected when it presents itself ... to which I add: "... presents itself in a "blink of an eye".

It is here that honed instincts, practiced reflexes, and a tool that reacts swiftly at your command comes into play.

Here is a cross section of work I've managed over time ... "over time" to demonstrate that it isn't just luck, because everyone gets lucky from time-to-time.

Most are illustrating the human condition but some just took advantage of a fleeting composition, or even a briefly favorable lighting situation.

The Decisive Moment" - fotografz

- Marc

 

[Vivek]

It was a serious Q for those who can take it as one. Thank you for your kind and illustrative reply. Fabulous!

 

[turtle]

LOL, I never heard that one! Wow... but I can kinda understand why a person might try this. I suppose if you have beaten the path for so long, anything to throw a curveball in there.... anything to prevent it being 'the same again' might be welcome. It reminds me of Garry Winogrand's endless efforts to wipe his mind clear of preconceptions and not think about what things 'are about' only what he saw through the viewfinder and then ultimately edited many months (or year) later.

I think a little madness creeps in. I think that madness is something that must be courted to have an edge. Brilliance comes in the last 5% of obsession, after all

As for the 'decisive moment', I understood it to mean something like this:

'a moment of time, sliced out of a larger passage of time, that contains the essence of an experience or event'

I am trying to figure out what that concept is (as you allude to), especially from a guy who apparently taped up his view finder in his camera.

 

[bradhusick]

Pardon the humor here....

Just fire up the D4 and shoot a few hundred frames at 11fps. There's bound to be one good frame in there somewhere.

Or just shoot 4K video at 60fps and frame grab the one that you like best!

 

[bradhusick]

Honestly, a few years ago a buddy of mine and I tried to envision the camera of 2025. We came up with a 1 gigapixel sensor with a fixed wide angle lens (you can crop 1 gigapixel images to get "zoom") that takes a continuous stream of photos at 60fps all day long, uploading the images to a cloud server. Photography then moves from taking photos to editing photos. You go online and review all the day's footage and choose the frames that you think are worthy. Voila, photographs.

Sounds a bit scary, but not that far-fetched eh?

 

[jlm]

begs the question of what is defining the "decisive moment." is it the moment itself, so why not just bang away and sort though the images, or is it the photographer, deciding to press the shutter

 

[Don Libby]

Speaking strictly from a landscape point - I've had times where the light was changing by the millisecond and there I was trying to decide when to press the shutter afraid that as I did I'd miss something slightly better. I think my "decisive moment" is the act of stopping, looking out at the view and deciding whether or not to set the camera up and capture a couple frames. What I try to convey with my photography is what I felt more than what I saw at the moment, so is a "decisive moment" as well.

We should in some cases be able to tell a story without words. Just by using image(s). It's about feeling(s). Do you want to tell an open ended story where the viewer is left with the question of "what's next" or do you want to set the stage for the complete story leaving no doubt in the viewers mind. That too can be considered a "Decisive moment".

Shooting wildlife and nature offers another set of decisive moments. Shooting a bee hovering a petal might be better than one sitting on it. Shooting buffalo in WY I always tried to get a full face if the face was interesting otherwise I move on to another one. Waiting for 2-big bulls to go after each other and but heads or bellow steam is yet another decisive moment.

So what's a "decisive moment" for me? Really kind of hard to say without looking at the subject matter while adding in my own person feelings at the time. It sounds lame however how does "you'll know it when you see it" sound. Even with that I'm still left with the story concept...

Don

 

[Don Libby]

About to head out to meet w/a client and had this thought...

Decisive Moment or Moment of Truth? Which is it?

 

[fotografz]

I once saw an article showing a contact sheet of a news event taken at 10 FPS, and a contact sheet with one shot of the same event. The one shot version was timed perfectly, was published, and won some award ... where the 10 FPS missed the peak moment, and was never published.

Even if we shot 60 FPS, someone has to select the "decisive moment" still image ... which sounds incredibly tedious to me.

Machine gun or Sniper?

- Marc

 

[k-hawinkler]

Machine gun or Sniper?

I would say that might depend on what you are shooting, either one could be the winner.
But of course weeding out lots of shots can be a chore, hopefully to be avoided.

 

[jonoslack]

Well, I understand it completely, but only rarely can I manage it. But I'm willing to put my neck on the line here:

Here's two examples (mundane I realise) which constitute the decisive moment - neither lasted more than a second. . . the only contribution the camera had was in failing to stop me taking the picture.

The Dealer and her Dog

Man's best friend​

incidentally, I don't feel that dogs are compulsory in 'decisive moment' shots

and like Marc, I think anticipation is much more accurate than 10fps (but you do have to practice) Definitely sniper rather than machine gunner (isn't that what video is about)

 

[jonoslack]

Machine gun or Sniper?

I would say that might depend on what you are shooting, either one could be the winner.
But of course weeding out lots of shots can be a chore, hopefully to be avoided.

I think Marc's point is that the machine gunner actually missed the shot . . . and I remember reading an article about a prize winning sports photographer who refused to use continuous because he was sure his timing and anticipation was more accurate than 10 fps.

 

[k-hawinkler]

I think Marc's point is that the machine gunner actually missed the shot . . . and I remember reading an article about a prize winning sports photographer who refused to use continuous because he was sure his timing and anticipation was more accurate than 10 fps.

Thanks Jono.

I suppose Marc and you are assuming that the rapid changes in the subject are commensurate with human, namely the photographers, reaction time.
That seems to be a good assumption when taking pictures of humans of course.

But there are other subjects out there whose reaction time is much much faster than those of humans. What to do then?

 

[Vivek]

But there are other subjects out there whose reaction time is much much faster than those of humans. What to do then?

Use a flash but those aren't associated with the "moments".

(See also: http://gfm.aps.org/ I think there is a lot of art there.)

 

[k-hawinkler]

Use a flash but those aren't associated with the "moments".

(See also: Gallery of Fluid Motion I think there is a lot of art there.)

Thanks Vivek. True, one could use a flash, but that changes the character of the images.