Coursework EYV, Expressing your Vision Blog, HNC Photography, Part 3 EYV, Photographers, Research & Reflection EYV
The Decisive Moment.
As it says in the course, the decisive moment has many lovers and haters, has pushed photography forward or held it back?
In my opinion, it can hold it back because it has lead to snobbery within the Street Photography community. Many see Henri Cartier-Bresson as a god for wants of a better description the pinnacle that we all must achieve. While his work is accomplished and no doubt groundbreaking is we all only shoot like him, photography will never evolve.
What is a decisive moment – it is that moment that the photographer or viewer sees and perfect. How can tell us all what is perfect? Below is an image of mine from last year, which I posted to a local Street Photography Facebook group here in Hong Kong and for the Camera Club annual exhibition of HK in Black & White.
This image cause many divisions with the community mainly was the man walking in the background a distraction – the HCB camp said he should not be there the modern thinkers thy said it showed life with a big city.
I’m not progressing that this is the next work to be hung with HCB work in the V&A just that anything is a decisive moment, and that boundary pushing is what art is. Just look at colour until perhaps Joel Meyerowitz the decisive moment could only be in Black & White now colour is just as prevalent and gives that extra dimension to some images