The decisive moment, or the art of patience
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
For those interested in the photo at least, the concept of decisive moment expressed by Henri Cartier-Bresson is not unknown.
When I started photography, I have often wondered how photographers like Robert Doisneau, Steve McCurry, or just Henri Cartier-Bresson arrived to capture the decisive moments and with equal success. What did it take to get good passing, good sunshine, or the dog that passes in the final image plane, which gives new meaning to the picture and with the compositions always impeccable. I thought that all this belonged to a little luck and the ability of the artist to "smell good shot."
By taking interest closer to some photographers, I told myself that they were really lucky and had a lot of scents. I soon realized that in fact it was not.
I realized that this whole progressing decisive moment of history was largely a matter of tenacity and perseverance. I've realized when I took the picture I use for my exhibition "Faces of Laos" .
I walked the streets of a village, when I saw these children playing "catch me if you can." I knew I could make a good photo with all this joy and energy from this group of children. I am discreet and I am sitting in a corner of the alley. I first watched the kids for a while, then I stayed for an hour at least to start.
Of all the pictures I took of this session, only one satisfied me with a good kid with good expression, which is passed to the right place, with good characters in the background ... finally, and strength patience, I managed to get the picture I wanted and capture the moment which seemed decisive.
The decisive moment is primarily a matter of determination and perseverance. Exit to return to the right place repeatedly, note the passing of such person as cycling, such a dog and stay posted for hours to seize this moment. By taking interest in methods of work of photographers that I thought lucky and having a flair, my understanding of the decisive moment has been confirmed.
It's all about spending many hours searching for suitable locations, find the best framework, and numerous hours to wait.
A story of patience and observation ...
Tags: henry cartier bresson , decisive moment , Laos , Nepal , Robert Doisneau , steeve mccurry
January 28th, 2010 at 19 h 04 min
Very good article on shooting difficult to implement!
This persevering thee enabled us to share these beautiful pictures ...
Bravo!
January 28th, 2010 at 19 h 09 min
Hi Julien
partially agree.
There are a multitude of situations that do not recur. All the patience in the world makes no difference.
But patiently, taking a personal look at the world around you, it crosses the situation that emerges emotion.
1000 hours of waiting without this personal view would be useless in my opinion, a bit like when you get up on the wrong foot, it is never anything good!
Friendship and bravo for what you do!
January 28th, 2010 at 21 h 06 min
It's true ... but not completely!
Sometimes some pictures to put themselves in the viewfinder, a moment of opportunity where everything is in place.
A moment that can not be used or reproduced in gunning for hours.
It is also a "decisive moment" in which he had, of course, support the right time, having good reflexes, feeling the movement.
Often these moments are the most magical because it was almost impossible to predict what would happen but a good star accompanied our way this day!.
Good luck to you Julian. Regards. JC
January 29th, 2010 at 18 h 32 min
Thank you guys for your visit.
@ Popoli and Frenchmen:
I joined recess on this point. There are images that we will just try again and that will never, unique moments that will not repeat it. When we get to photograph them, these moments become magical.
Where I was getting at is that the photographer of the caliber of those I have cited and many others, go beyond the mere providence or luck. After putting interest in this subject, I discovered that there was much more than just luck.
Cartier-Bresson spent hours walking, search, track, and wait on it. McCurry, speaking of his photo of a woman at her toilette in Kathmandu have confessed shooter almost twenty roll ....
There is always an element of luck in these pictures, but when photographers arrived to collections around with "decisive moment", I think there is more work.
But this notion of decisive moment has been very controversial, criticized, interpreted, and I'm not sure there is very strict definition.
