Most, if not all, photographers know about Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment”. To loosely paraphrase, it’s a fleeting slice of time when as a photographer, your eye and camera are synchronized by intuition to capture something that once it passes, is forever lost. In that fraction of a second, the significance of the moment and all the visual design elements come together to form what we all crave–a perfect picture.
I returned from my safari a little weary from carrying the weight of expectation. Since then I’ve processed my images and had more than a few surprises. There were no perfect pictures. None that I could say met Bresson’s threshold test of a decisive moment but I do believe one or two came closer than never before. As I shared these images with you, I received so much encouragement and more than a few of you called me on my initial feelings. What I have come to realize is that as a photographer learning this craft, the decisive moments are less important than the defining moments.
What is a defining moment? A defining moment results in a change in the way you do something; it convinces you that you’re on the right track or the wrong one, for that matter. It can even completely transform the way you see yourself. Here’s the thing–sometimes you don’t realize you’ve just been through a defining moment. It is only when you look back that you can see you’ve been changed. So was this safari a defining moment for me? It was but more because there were small defining moments rather than one big eureka moment. When I look back at my images of people, I feel I was on the wrong track believing that they were something I couldn’t do or wouldn’t enjoy creating. Two of my favourite images from the trip were of people and that was something I didn’t expect.
Defining moments don’t always change you; sometimes they simply confirm something that already is. There are constraints and challenges shooting on a safari that you will not face elsewhere. It is tempting to do anything just to get a great shot. Some photographers on the trip were very focused and tenacious about making the most of every opportunity we had. What I learnt is that I could never be a photographer who would sacrifice a relationship for a shot. I would rather be the fifth person riding up front with little opportunity to create images than the person who was responsible for us being one van short. This is who I was before the safari and who I still want to be today. Whatever I put into the creative process will be reflected in the final photograph and it will not go unnoticed if I create an image that takes away from someone else.
For someone who is learning photography, defining moments are more significant than decisive moments because I don’t believe you can achieve the latter without the former. We need to have confirming and transforming experiences to build our skills and polish our craft so when the moment for a perfect picture presents itself, we will be ready.
Well thought out Sabrina. Not to go all Tao on the idea but I believe to many folks are thinking to much into the making of images instead of just being. Art is being, craft comes along but a well crafted photo with no soul and nothing of the photographer is just craft. Just make the images you feel right about making, let the craft be a part of the making but be yourself. Part of who a person is always shows in the images they make, the camera does look both ways.
Thanks Ray, you can go Tao on here anytime
Great shot and great post Sabrina. I think you are exactly right. As people and photographers we could spend our entire lives trying to capture a decisive moment, but we really need to pay more attention to those defining moments.
One of the wonderful things about defining moments is that we all have them but as you’ve said Ed, they come to life when we recognize them.
I am similar in my way of thinking, I will not destroy a relationship, with man or nature, to get a shot. there are too many good images out there for us. I also like how well you do in expressing yourself with your writing. I enjoy the writing as much as your images.
Thanks Monte. Some days I do better in my writing than my photography but both benefit from more practice
Beautiful image and even better post. I have to concur with Monte here, you certainly have a gift with words. Thank you for your inspiration.
Welcome Younes! So nice to see you here. I am glad you found some inspiration in my words as I find so much in your images. Your photographic journey still blows me away!
I so agree with the defining moments on this trip. Your people images are wonderful! This trip was a great learning experience on several levels. I never thought I would enjoy photographing people as much as I did.
You have a great way expressing the experiences we had on the trip! I wish I had a better way with words. So many thoughts are going through my head, but putting them down on paper (or rather in the computer) is tough for me.
Thanks Beate. That you and I both came to learn we would enjoy photographing people on this trip has now become part of this defining moment for me.
A great post, Sabrina. And I can’t add any further to the comments of the others so let me just add…wouldnt it be exciting to pull that cat’s tail?!
Dave, meet Ray.
Ray, meet my good friend and one third of my Vancouver photographic trio, Dave.
I think I’ll just get out of the way now!
@Dave Terpening
Pull the cats tail?? LOl you and I could hang together for sure
Really nice post. Words and image both. Well done, Sabrina.
Thanks Mark. Coming from a true communicator, I’ll just revel a little in your words
Sabrina, I love reading your blog, almost as much as I enjoyed our philosophical discussions in the early and late hours of the day on safari.
You can really write! AND *surprise* you can really take people pictures! So, obviously the trip did you well, and perhaps changed the course of your photography? I think generally, when you go on a trip of a lifetime, the hope is always there that you will come back with that perfect picture, capturing the perfect moment, in the perfect lighting, with the perfect gesture… which really only happens when the universe aligns to make it so. This being the case, we shouldn’t have been so hard on ourselves! I am happy to read that after reflecting on the trip, the defining moments were abundant, and the experience rich. It was for me as well. I so hope we can travel again sometime. I will bring my 17-35:)
Sabrina, I think there are two types of “defining” moments. The first is as you describe: a place or an experience that changes you, whether you know it right away. Then there’s that “tipping point” moment, where things you’ve done and thought about come together with an experience and together they change you.
I think both of these happened in Africa for you. You had experiences with your people photography that you didn’t expect and the result was a new definition of you as a “people photographer”. However, I think you also had moments where your thinking and seeing shifted to a new level, even though you had done those same things before—and now, you can no longer return to what you were before the trip. (I hope I’m making sense here.)
Another great post. Keep them coming!
(Oh, and Krista? As of next Monday, Sabrina won’t need to borrow your 17-35 any more
)
You’re making lots of sense Stuart. The “tipping point” is a excellent way of expressing it. It would be next to impossible to go back to my previous way of thinking now that I’ve had this experience.
WELL said, Sabrina!
You make a very important point that I try to remember when caught up in the moment. That’s especially true if your presence will be exposed. It takes personal discipline to “wait” for the moment rather than firing off.
[...] A while back I wrote a piece about the “I’m only an amateur” mentality. In brief it was an unashamed rally call to photographers everywhere to stop seeing themselves as merely an enthusiast [...]
Great article Sabrina! (New reader here from David’s blog)
Welcome Tyler.
Thanks for dropping by; I’m pleased you enjoyed this post.
[...] the soul. Who cares if you’re a pro or not? We’re all learning, all getting better at this. As my friend Sabrina Henry wrote recently, it might just be that defining moments are more important… So to the amateur out there, I’m reminding you, you aren’t “just an amateur.” To the pro, [...]