You may possibly be the only person who actually understands what this discussion is about.

 

No

 

Actually, I was thinking the opposite, but you made me re-think. I thought in the HCB sense, it was probably (for me) the best one posted to date, but the juxtaposition is not really instantaneous as it is in HCB's Reflections:

 

No

 

The more I study this, the more contrived it seems.

 

You're confused? I'm confused! On the one hand you say something I post is well seen but with no decisive moment. On the other hand, you now say the rationale is an image which is well balanced.
Think I'll leave you two buddies to your mutual admiration.

 

Hi Catriona, I don't think I deserved that. I really don't understand why you felt I did.

 

Afraid there is really no substitute for reading what is actually said. It is a called a discussion. I made no definitive statement. Sorry that not everything you post seems to others to be a decisive moment. It clearly rankles.

 

No, one thing he didn't do was contrive it. Think it has to be seen in context as the early days when he and few others were exploring this kind of photography.

 

Perhaps not contrived but not that wonderful either. You and I have both shown variations on the theme which seem more interesting to me. At the end of the day all opinions on art are entirely subjective so we shouldn't really let the zealots wind us up.

 

And by Zealots you mean people who hold differing opinions to you and express them, which you seem to find extremely irritating, while claiming having opinions is important. In fact, having opinions is so important to you, that you've got me on ignore because reading mine annoys you so much. Unless of course you couldn't help yourself.

 

I was out yesterday and there have been a lot of posts .... but I'm no clearer really.

Was (is) this a decisive moment ?

BV9R0207.jpg by Pete, on Flickr

 

HCB.... 0
Saul Leiter.... 10

As I said, I'm leaving you to it, but this is my preference.

 

It's a real shame, it's a discussion about a photography concept on a photography forum, I don't think anyone was rude or offensive, we just disagree about whether some images are decisive moments. Some of your shots are fantastic, as always.

 

I'm not sure why anyone gets hung up on the DM. It's a cliche, or a 'rule' like that of thirds, odd numbers etc. It (a DM) is absolutely not enough to 'make' a photo on its own. Light, composure, tone, etc. all play their part. What's that quote about "sharp pictures of a fuzzy concept"? In the context of the OP in the other forum, we are trying to discuss and define what the DM is so that we can understand it better, so it is a shame that folk seem to be falling out. Oh, and @Catriona - I prefer Leiter too, far less contrived and has more lasting power. I think a lot of HCB's success was down to his presence in the golden age of photography, a liberal pinch of nostalgia and so on.

 

I wonder whether HCB noticed the leaping figure in the poster in the background as he was taking the shot, with me I usually find the lucky coincidence once I'm home and sitting in front of a computer.

 

That's what I loved about the magnum contact sheet book, you could see all the 'duds.' This helps to humanise the great photographers, as it's easy to falsely assume every shot they took was special when in reality they just knew to only show their best.

 

Yep, I've got that book, slowly going through it, loving it.

 

I've just looked through the thread. Really interested to see what everyone's opinions are on the definition of the decisive moment. I saw this article recently, https://photoworks.org.uk/less-decisive-moments-magnum-photos-square-print-sale/#close-no of established photographers deciding their decisive moment. For me, if I had took the same photo as Martin Parr, I would've probably just seen it as a good photo, I wouldn't of considered it a DM, yet he does.

I find it intriguing how the DM is so different to everyone. Following up from my original dissertation post, this is actually what I've decided to explore. It's a working title but something along the lines of 'The Theoretical Interpretations of The Decisive Moment'. Most people have posted street photography on this thread.. What about other genres? Landscape, portraiture, fine art? Do you think there can be a DM in any of those?

 

I don't really feel experienced enough to weigh in on this. But am interested because I'm in my first year of a photography degree and my next assignment I start in two weeks time is "the decisive moment". From the little I've learnt so far is that supposedly even if I take the same picture twice within half a second without moving, it's still two different pictures because something will have changed: the lighting, a leaf moving, a shadow changing.

My initial idea (and it's recommend you choose a subject your interested in) was to take pictures of motorsport. So surely every picture will be a decisive moment. But I don't really feel it will be submittable unless I capture something "worthy" for want of a better word. Eg a car spinning out or going off the track or grabbing some air. Yet if I mount my camera on a tripod on a corner and try and get the same car taking the same line every lap for 20 laps, it's unlikely any of the photos would be exactly the same. So surely each is a DM?!?