The Decisive Moment

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s book called “The Decisive Moment” has been called one of the most important photobooks of the twentieth century. The photos from the book show how decisions made by the photographer at an important moment within the constant flow of life (I lifted this explanation from Google) actually shape the final outcome.

Capturing an image at the precise moment whether it be the peak of action or a more pastoral image that memorializes the time and place is very hard to do even for the experts. However that doesn’t mean it is beyond the capability of even the newest photographer.

A lot of the success comes down to having your camera ready to shoot in the moment when something extraordinary is about to or is happening. It also requires you to alert to the possibilities that around the next coroner a photo maybe waiting for you to see it.

This famous 1932 image by Cartier-Bresson is often cited as an example of his “decisive moment” form of photography.

You can find this image everywhere that there’s a puddle, a reflection and someone stepping off into space.