Henri Cartier-Bresson called it “The decisive moment.” It is that fraction of a second that, when frozen in time, tells the depth and breadth of a story. It’s the kind of image that you feel as well as see.
It is Lee Harvey Oswald and Detective Jim Leavelle recoiling in anticipation of Jack Ruby pulling the trigger. It is the Falling Man, forever gracefully frozen in time as if at peace with his fate. It is six US Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima.
There are other photos of these events, taken just before or just after the ones that became famous. Those other images would have been adequate to tell us what happened. But, the famous images go so much further.
This blog represents my journey in an endless quest to capture decisive moments, and create memories that we can revisit some day when we’re sitting in our rocking chairs on the porch wishing we could be back there once again.
I have been a writer/photographer since the dark ages when we shot on film. While I have from time to time been paid to shoot, I have not been a traditional professional photographer. I was a medical/surgical photographer during my ten years in hospital public relations “back in the day”, and I was a freelance writer/photographer during that same time. But, mostly I have shot for the simple joy and challenge of “getting the shot”.
And, that’s what I continue to do today. I don’t pretend to be the expert. There are much more advanced shooters out there. But, I do enjoy sharing what I have learned (and continue to learn every day.) I hope you enjoy what you see and maybe pick up a tip or two along the way. Or, better yet, share a tip that the rest of us can use on our next adventure.
“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera…they are made with the eye, heart, and head.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson