The Decisive Moment – Assignment Notes

The Decisive Moment – Assignment Notes

“Submit assignment notes of between 500 and 1,000 words with your series. Introduce your subject and describe your ‘process’ – your way of working. Then briefly state how you think each image relates to the concept of the decisive moment.”

These notes should be read in conjunction with my learning log at
https://ap231photography.com/
where I have expanded much more on the background to my approach to the assignment and the other subjects covered here. I have also included there the references to my sources for my research and conclusions.

My Approach

Having researched the subject I have concluded that an image which might be considered to show a Decisive Moment (DM) shows the following characteristics:

A: The compositional elements of the image produce balance, harmony, simplicity, and unity with meaningful figure/ground relationship and may incorporate a visual gap, interval, or suspension of some kind. Overall the effect of this composition is to create an element of ambiguity, uncertainty, and even contradiction.

B. The image is captured at a unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment in a precisely timed, unrepeatable, one-chance shot using an unobtrusive, candid, photorealistic image of people in real life situations

C: The final image arouses meaning and emotion about the human condition
This last criterion refers to a narrative aspect to the DM such that each picture is a whole story in itself and the past present and future of the story can be read, summed up at a ‘glance’.

Methodologically I chose to complete this assignment using film cameras and developing and printing my own images. I did this in part as a learning exercise to better understand how Cartier-Bresson and contemporaries worked and to improve my skills of observation and timing. I have sought locations with strong geometric features against which I could capture the “unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment”.

My images
2019-07-30 #01-14
A. In terms of the compositional elements of the image there are strong framing elements of the rear wall, road, railway arch to the side and the railings in the foreground. The girl is positioned in this frame and the blurring shows the urgency of her walking. Her foot is about to strike the ground – she is clearly in motion.
B. Because of her movement, the image is certainly captured at a unique moment in time, and the setting shows an unobtrusive location – she seems unaware of the photographer.
C. Whether the image arouses meaning and emotion about the human condition is debatable, however it does capture the tendency to rush from appointment to appointment characteristic of modern society.
Is this a story in itself? It raises more questions than it answers – where is she going? Why is she in a hurry?…

2019-09-17 #01-13
A. Compositionally there are strong lines across the frame – the beach and the lines of the waves, against these two people watch two dogs in the breaking waves; The people are stationary, huddled against the wind while the dogs run and jump on the beach – clearly in motion.
B. As the people are moving and the pattern of the waves changing, this scene is constantly changing, and the image is one moment in that change. Like the previous the subjects are unaware, and the flattening of perspective suggests a telephoto lens has been used to observe at a distance.
C. This image shows two people indulging in a typical British pastime of enjoying the beach in inclement weather and indulging their dogs who clearly ignore the weather.

2019-09-17 #01-28
A. There are compositional elements here with the path and the overhanging trees framing the cyclists. They are in motion and the front right cyclist is slightly tilted to the left in an unstable position.
B. They are in motion – not only coming towards the photographer, but also moving relative to each other – evidenced by the tilt of the front cyclist. The left-hand cyclist is looking at something off the frame to the left unaware of the photographer.
C. It looks a sunny day with fairly strong shadows, and they are dressed in tee shirts fitting with this – they look like they are out and having an enjoyable ride.

2019-09-17 #02-12
A. The figures in this image are positioned against a background with strong lines – the vertical lines of the architecture and the horizontal lines of the shadows. There is an unseen line – the line of sight of the two women to the left, watching the child run to the person we assume is its mother.
B. The child is running – any further and we could not see its face; the image has been captured at a moment to show that.
C. It is a sunny day, their postures are relaxed – they all look like they are enjoying themselves on a day out…

2019-09-17 #02-13
A. Here the subjects are set against strong architectural features, in the middle of an arch. The ambiguity appears to be that they may be a couple, visiting a historical site but they sit apart – each preoccupied with their own mobile phones.
B. There is less motion obvious in this image, but the subjects’ heads are down, and they have been captured at a time when they are engrossed in their phones.
C. Does this reflect on the human condition in what it suggests about the distance in their relationship – apart physically and emotionally, a stronger relationship with their phones than each other…

2019-07-30 #01-22
A. The subjects here are the vehicles on the road, the courier and the delivery van – they are positioned against the strong lines of the railway viaduct. These move relative to each other and to the photographer.
B. Meanwhile the train moves across the frame independent of the vehicles below. Overall the relative positions of the train and vehicles remain a unique instant in time.
C. To what extent this reflects the human condition is less clear and strong, however the best evidence of this is the comparison with the image from nearly 100 years earlier by Kertesz of Meudon. The urban environment is markedly different – roads busier and less pedestrians.