That fraction of a second is one of the many things that fascinates me about photography. How about you?

A FRACTION OF A SECOND

A fraction of a second. Have you ever really thought about that? Your life can be altered in a fraction of a second. Moments of joy culminate in a person’s reaction/expression/smile/laugh happens in a fraction of a second. Some decisions are made in a fraction of a second… and on, and on.

There are many images I have taken that no longer exist, or have irrevocably changed by the next hour, day, week, year. But, if you really think about it on a granular level, the subjects aren’t the same in the next 5 minutes really. The light has already changed, the shadows have moved, and the subjects themselves have changed.

This quote, for me, seems like it goes hand in hand with the concept that Henri Cartier-Bresson coined as “the decisive moment”.

DECISIVE MOMENT

Henri Cartier-Bresson (Aug. 22, 1908 - Aug. 03, 2004) was a street photographer/photojournalist so he knew a thing or two about capturing decisive moments in a fraction of a second. He even wrote a book about the decisive moment in photography.

Cartier-Bresson was a master at capturing a spontaneous moment that enriched the composition, as well as the story he wanted to tell. As I understand it, he employed his skills of knowing, and his skills at intuition to capture some of his iconic images.

KNOWLEDGE

There is a Cartier-Bresson image (Hyères, France (1932)) of stairs that curve down to the cobblestone street below. However, the image also includes a bicycler in motion on the street which completes the composition. The image tells the story in such an understated way that you hardly even think about how he created that image. Did he use his knowledge (or observation) that someone would walk, drive, or bicycle into view? Did he wait for a bicycle rider to enter the frame at just the spot he envisioned so he could release the shutter at just the right moment? If the bicycle were not included, would the image tell a story at all?

INTUITION

In another Cartier-Bresson image (Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1932)), he captures a man jumping across a water puddle. The man’s form is reflected in the undisturbed water below his feet which hover ever so slightly above the surface of the water. If you look closely, you will see a poster in the background that, in a way, mimics the graceful leap at that exact moment. Oh, that dramatic tension of capturing the moment before the surface of the water is broken and the form of the subject is changed.

I don’t know the story about this photograph, but I like to think this is an example of intuition. He saw what was about to happen and clicked the shutter to capture that fraction of a second before the surface of the water was disturbed and the man was no longer in the frame. That, my friend, is a “decisive moment” in my book.

Your Turn

Cartier-Bresson’s photography is easy to gloss over until you consider that the odds are against you to capture someone spontaneously jumping mid-air over a water puddle - especially with a film camera.

I hope you can find some time in your day to study a few of Cartier-Bresson’s images. Take some time with them and enjoy the stories - and the decisive moment he captured so well.