Henri Cartier-Bresson coined the phrase the decisive moment to describe the instant when the action
Henri Cartier-Bresson coined the phrase the decisive moment to describe the instant when the action before the lens is not simply captured by the photographer, but organized in such a way as to give it power and grace, balance and form. Decisive moments are not always the same for the athletes or fans as they are for photographers. Capturing the winning touchdown, the diver’s perfect entry into the water, the power of a skier racing in the giant slalom, can establish an imagine in sports eternity, but is not necessarily decisive moment in the photographic sense. Photographers have a responsibility to satisfy their editors and the public, who often seek only the highlights of the game. However, the finest photographers are able to fulfill this responsibility and seek to make pictures that are greater than a single defining action, pictures with aesthetic qualities that last through time. Tennis photography is difficult. The photographers don’t see the tennis ball as much as sense it. They need 1,000th of a second or less exposure to stop it. With this start of the US Open upon us, we share with you this dynamic photo of Serena Williams taken by the world renowned sports photographer, Bob Martin. In all sports, not just tennis, Martin considers first the background and then positions himself “where the background is best. I don’t necessarily choose where the action might be best.” In this photo of Serena Williams focused and straining to connect her racket with the ball, Martin captures something television cameras cannot: the frozen beauty of the fully extended body in flight.Bob Martin (British, born 1959) Serena, 2004; printed 2016, Inkjet print, Courtesy of Bob Martin -- source link
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