The Decisive Moment

The decisive moment is a phrase coined by pioneer street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson to describe the moment in photography when all the elements of a scene - composition, story and emotion - come together perfectly. While I strive to find that moment in my own work, not every photo will hit the mark, and that is OK. However, when I capture the decisive moment, I know I have a shot I will be proud of. I was at the farmers’ market, a place I like to shoot with the morning light and variety of interesting subjects. As I was walking, a young girl to my right dropped her handful of veggies. I quickly pointed my camera down (my settings were already decided) and fired off 3-4 quick shots. To me this one captures the decisive moment, the girl is nicely framed, we know the story, and we see the emotion on her face. I was pleased with this photo, and I hope you enjoy it also.