The Decisive Moment

Inside movement there is one moment in which the elements are in balance. Photography must seize the importance of this moment and hold immobile the equilibrium of it.
-Henri Cartier-Bresson

In life, all moments matter, but in photography, one moment matters most. At the risk of sounding trite, newsphotography is all about capturing this "moment". And while it's an understatement to say that the decisive moment is a key principle of the 15 elements of composition, this visual "instant" should remain easy to identify or define.

Decisive moments in photography are universal and can happen anywhere at any time with any type of subject matter(e.g., features, news, sports, etc.). Henri Cartier-Bresson described them as: "the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression." Simply put, a decisive moment consists of both aesthetic as well as informative elements.

I believe an effective news-photo requires three key components: content, organization, and presentation, and all of these features combine to create a decisive moment. And when it comes to pursuing or recognizing these moments, there is no substitute for knowledge--of your subject.

In this basketball example, thanks to past experience, I knew exactly what to expect and how to freeze this decisive moment on film. With the score tied and only seconds left in the game, when the Chicago Bulls called a time out, I anticipated their next move. Sprinting from the opposite end of the court, I switched to a wide angle lens and composed my picture including the scoreboard, well aware that the ball and outcome would be in Michael Jordan's hands. When his teammates cleared the floor and he drove the lane, it was simply a matter of squeezing off a few frames to document the final shot--or in this case, foul--which led to the free-throws and a Bulls' victory.

Before venturing out or while you're on a photo shoot, take a moment to familiarize yourself or recall/reflect on any significant details about your subject--knowledge can be invaluable, while decisive moments are irreplaceable.