{"id":69824,"date":"2017-11-18T02:50:03","date_gmt":"2017-11-18T10:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?page_id=69824"},"modified":"2017-11-19T11:31:41","modified_gmt":"2017-11-19T19:31:41","slug":"debunking-the-myth-of-the-decisive-moment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/debunking-the-myth-of-the-decisive-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Debunking the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Myth of the Decisive Moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Contact
Contact sheet from Henri Cartier-Bresson in Seville, Spain, 1933. \u00c2\u00a9 Henri Cartier-Bresson \/ Magnum Photos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I started off in street photography, I believed in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153myth of the decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. What do I mean by that?<\/p>\n

Well, when I first heard of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Decisive Moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Henri Cartier Bresson, I had the wrong impression that he only took one photo of a scene. I imagined Henri Cartier Bresson waltzing into a street scene, carefully aiming his Leica, and taking only one shot and creating masterpieces. I thought he was a demigod\u00e2\u20ac\u201c a photographer who somehow had this magic behind his lens.<\/p>\n

However if we look at his contact sheets, it is a different story. He (and almost all great photographers) never only take one photo of a great potential scene. Out of Henri Cartier Bresson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contact sheets, you can see that almost all of his great images required him \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c taking multiple photos of the same scene at different angles, moments, and perspectives. He hustled hard to get the shots he wanted\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and would spend considerable time with his contact sheets, determining which photos he decided were his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153best\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

Close-ups of the contact sheet from Seville, by Henri Cartier-Bresson:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"meyer<\/p>\n

\"meyer<\/p>\n

One mistake that I see a lot of beginner street photographers is that they only take one photo per scene. I think this is because they too believe in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153myth of the decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and partly because of the fear that they will be caught taking photographs.<\/p>\n

The importance of studying contact sheets<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"meyerHenri Cartier-Bresson looking at contacts at the New York Magnum Office. 1959. \u00c2\u00a9 Rene Burri \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

I have written about contact sheets several times before. For those of you who aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t familiar with what a contact sheet is it is pretty much a sheet of paper which shows all the photographs a photographer shot on a roll of film. And with this sheet of paper, a photographer can use a loupe (small magnifying glass for the eye) and edit (choose) their favorite images. This was done in the days of the darkroom, and when digital didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exist.<\/p>\n

Now of course, we have \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lightroom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d where we can identify all of our photos of a scene digitally. Instead of having to look at tiny thumbnails, we can now see all of our \u00e2\u20ac\u0153almost\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos in full resolution.<\/p>\n

Contact sheets are the best learning tools for a photographer. You can learn from contact sheets from other photographers, and also from your own contact sheets.<\/p>\n

\"meyerHenri Cartier-Bresson. SPAIN. 1933. Valencia. Note the two versions of the photo he was considering from. This was the best.<\/p>\n

\"meyerHenri Cartier-Bresson. SPAIN. 1933. Valencia. This image wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as strong as the prior.<\/p>\n

Analyzing contact sheets from the masters who came before us is the closest thing we have to reading their minds. We can see how they \u00e2\u20ac\u0153worked the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and how they took photos from different perspectives, decided when to hit the shutter, and how many photos they decided to take. Some photographers are able to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153nail\u00e2\u20ac\u009d their photos in just 5-6 shots, while other photographers will shoot a full roll of 36 photos in just one scene.<\/p>\n

Realize that all these master photographers were shooting on film, where it actually cost something to photograph. Now that most of us shoot digitally, there is no excuse for us to not \u00e2\u20ac\u0153work the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and take many different photos of the same scene.<\/p>\n

To learn more about contact sheets, check out my article: \u00e2\u20ac\u015310 Things Street Photographers Can Learn From Magnum Contact Sheets\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/a> and also pick up a copy of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Magnum Contact Sheets\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/a> on Amazon. It will be the best $100 you will ever spend for your photographic education.<\/p>\n

How to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153work the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay, so we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve talked about the importance of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and how important it is to take multiple photos of a scene (not just one photo). So how do you exactly \u00e2\u20ac\u0153work the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?<\/p>\n

A few things to clarify:<\/p>\n

1. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t only just take one photo<\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerContact sheet of Elliott Erwitt, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bulldogs\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, New York, 2000. \u00c2\u00a9 Elliott Erwitt \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

Once again, it is very tempting to only the one photograph when you see a good scene. When I started off in street photography, I would be deathly afraid of offending people or being \u00e2\u20ac\u0153caught in the act\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of photographing strangers.<\/p>\n

However realize that to make a great photograph, you need to work the scene. You will never know when the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153best\u00e2\u20ac\u009d decisive moment will occur. In a scene, there are many different great potential \u00e2\u20ac\u0153decisive moments\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. You generally only know which is the best \u00e2\u20ac\u0153decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d afterwards in the editing phase.<\/p>\n

\"meyer\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bulldogs\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, New York, 2000. \u00c2\u00a9 Elliott Erwitt \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

Even Henri Cartier Bresson once said: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sometimes you have to milk the cow a lot to get a little bit of cheese.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t chimp<\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerAlain Capeilleres, 1976. \u00c2\u00a9 Martine Franck \/ Magnum Photos.<\/p>\n

Another practical tip to better \u00e2\u20ac\u0153work the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is to not \u00e2\u20ac\u0153chimp\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. What is chimping you ask? Well, it is when you look at your LCD screen after you take a photograph. Why do they call that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153chimping\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? Well, apparently film photographers used to make fun of digital photographers by saying they looked like a bunch of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153chimps\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (or monkeys) when they would crowd around their LCD screens and show off the photos they just took.<\/p>\n

\"meyerPhoto by Martine Franck, Provence-Alpes-C\u00c3\u00b4te d\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Azur region. Town of Le Brusc. Pool designed by Alain Capeilleres, 1976. \u00c2\u00a9 Martine Franck \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

So what is so bad about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153chimping\u00e2\u20ac\u009d anyways? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve written an article on why street photographers shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t chimp\u00e2\u20ac\u201c but to sum up, chimping kills your flow when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re out shooting on the streets. Rather than checking your LCD screen several times while working a scene to check for exposure, framing, and what you captured\u00e2\u20ac\u201c it is better to just take a lot of photos at different angles and moments and choose the best photos later.<\/p>\n

3. Linger<\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerContact sheet of Richard Kalvar, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Piazza Della Rotonda\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Rome, Italy, 1980. \u00c2\u00a9 Richard Kalvar \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lingering\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is one of the most difficult things about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Lingering is to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153overstay your welcome\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. It is generally rude to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153linger\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Lingering is like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153loitering\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c you hang around longer than you should, and people look down on it.<\/p>\n

One of the most frequently asked questions I get in my workshops is, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How long should I \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwork a scene\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and linger before I know it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time to leave, or I got the shot?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Well, that is the big problem. We have no idea when we either \u00e2\u20ac\u0153got the shot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve hung around \u00e2\u20ac\u0153long enough\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

Personally, my philosophy is to be the houseguest that overstays his or her welcome. Did you ever have a friend who asked to stay at your place for a week but ends up staying a few months? Be that guy.<\/p>\n

\"meyer\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Piazza Della Rotonda\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Rome, Italy, 1980. \u00c2\u00a9 Richard Kalvar \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

The reason I advocate for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153overstaying your welcome\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is because it is better to linger for a longer period of time because often your best shot will be the last shot. Looking at a lot of contact sheets, especially this image by Richard Kalvar<\/a>, you see that his best image was at the very end (on his 37th frame, quite lucky). If he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t linger around and work the scene, he would\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never gotten his iconic shot.<\/p>\n

Furthermore in street photography, you will only see a great potential scene once in your life. You might see similar scenes, but you will never see the same exact scene with the same exact people, with that background, that light, and that configuration.<\/p>\n

So don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t live with regrets, linger around longer than you should\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153overshoot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a scene.<\/p>\n

A technique I learned from my friend Charlie Kirk<\/a> is if you see a great potential scene, hang around and wait a bit longer before you go in and start taking photos. For example, if you see a cool looking guy smoking\u00e2\u20ac\u201c linger around him and wait for him to take a puff\u00e2\u20ac\u201c then jump in and take a few shots of him inhaling his cigarette.<\/p>\n

Lingering is quite painful to do. It is awkward, makes you feel uncomfortable, and might make your subject feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

One way I get over the awkwardness of lingering and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is by pretending I am photographing something behind them and avoiding eye contact<\/strong>. Because I shoot with a 35mm lens, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to point my camera directly at my subject to get them in the frame.<\/p>\n

Another technique is to smile and interact with my subject<\/strong> while photographing them. For example, if I see a good scene, I might start off by shooting candidly\u00e2\u20ac\u201c then if my subject makes eye contact with me, I will also make eye contact, smile, keep shooting, and even start chatting with them (hey, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re looking good!)<\/p>\n

4. Look for gestures<\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerChe contact sheet. \u00c2\u00a9 Rene Burri \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

When you are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just put your camera to rapid fire mode and start shooting aimlessly. Rather, be very conscious about when you decide to click the shutter.<\/p>\n

\"meyerChe Guevara. \u00c2\u00a9 Rene Burri \/ Magnum Photos<\/p>\n

Generally I make the decision to click the shutter when I see hand gestures. It can be a gesture of someone covering their face, holding their hands by their sides, or pointing in a certain direction.<\/p>\n

Another great tip is to wait for eye contact. Try experimenting taking photos without eye contact, and some photos with eye contact. You never know which photograph will be better. But there is a saying: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153eyes are the windows to the soul\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c which means if you get eye contact in your street photographs, they can be more intimate and emotional.<\/p>\n

5. Keep your feet moving<\/em><\/p>\n

If you ever watch a boxer, they rarely keep their feet still. The most important thing as a boxer is to never put your heels on the ground. The moment you stop moving is the moment you become a sitting duck\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and will be a prime target to be knocked out by your opponent.<\/p>\n

Take the same mindset as a street photographer. When working the scene, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just keep your feet planted on the ground. Keep your feet moving. Take photos from the left, right, take a step forward, a step backwards. Crouch down. Get different angles and perspectives.<\/p>\n

6. Shoot both landscape and portrait photos<\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerContact sheet, VJ Day. Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt<\/p>\n

Also when working the scene, try experimenting taking your photos in both landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) modes. When you are in the heat of the moment and see a great street photography scene, it is often difficult to know which is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153better\u00e2\u20ac\u009d orientation of your camera for the scene.<\/p>\n

So if you have time, try to work out both orientations of your camera\u00e2\u20ac\u201c depending on what kind of image you want to create.<\/p>\n

7. Be calm and patient <\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerJean Gaumy, Iran, 1986.<\/p>\n

When you are working a scene, remember to try to stay calm and patient. We can sometimes get into a frenzy when working the scene, and trying to get \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the shot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. However be calm and patient while you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting\u00e2\u20ac\u201c by analyzing when you need to hit the shutter, how close you need to be to your subject to frame them properly, and distracting elements in the background.<\/p>\n

\"meyerJean Gaumy, Iran, 1986.<\/p>\n

When you start off working the scene as a beginner, you might get too much of an adrenaline rush to stay calm and patient when shooting. But realize that with practice be time, you will be more calm and patient when working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u201c which will help you make better rational choices while shooting, and ultimately help you make better images.<\/p>\n

8. Focus on the background<\/em><\/p>\n

\"meyerMartin Parr contact sheet from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Last Resort<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<\/p>\n

When we are shooting on the streets, we can often focus too much on the subject and not enough on the background.<\/p>\n

My advice is once you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve established who your primary subject (or subjects) are\u00e2\u20ac\u201c focus your eyes on the background. Try to get a clean background that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t district\u00e2\u20ac\u201c and adds to the scene.<\/p>\n

\"meyerThe Last Resort<\/a>, Photo by Martin Parr<\/p>\n

Try to avoid getting random heads, poles, trees, or cars in the background. When you are working the scene, move your feet to get a cleaner background. Messy backgrounds are one of the biggest killers of great potential street photographs.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"meyerContact Sheet by Martin Parr from Spain, 1997<\/p>\n

To increase your odds of getting \u00e2\u20ac\u0153keepers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in street photography, try practicing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153working the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and lingering longer than necessary. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t keep your feet still, always be moving. But at the same time be patient.<\/p>\n

\"meyerPhoto by Martin Parr from his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Common Sense\u00e2\u20ac\u009d book. Spain, 1997<\/p>\n

Also know that by working the scene longer than you need to, it will be strange and awkward. But with time, patience, practice, and a smile\u00e2\u20ac\u201c you will be able to overcome this.<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h2>\n

To learn more, I recommend picking up a copy of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Magnum contact sheets<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or reading the in-depth article I wrote on it: \u00e2\u20ac\u015310 Things Street Photographers Can Learn From Magnum Contact Sheets<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153. Also make sure to check out the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Contact Sheets<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d section at the Iconic Photos Blog.<\/p>\n

If you want to build your confidence in street photography and learn to better \u00e2\u20ac\u0153work the scene\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c join me at one of my upcoming street photography workshops<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I started off in street photography, I believed in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153myth of the decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. What do I mean by that? Well, when I first heard of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Decisive Moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Henri Cartier Bresson, I had the wrong impression that he only took one photo of a scene. I imagined Henri Cartier Bresson waltzing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69822,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-69824","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69824"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70051,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69824\/revisions\/70051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}