Continuing the discussion about photography’s unique characteristics, let’s take a look at the next two properties which separate photography from other visual art forms and which, by the way, are closely related: Speed and Timing.
A photograph, it can be said, happens at “the speed of light.” For just that fraction of a second the image maker has made the world stand still. And, in that fraction of a second, the photographer is presented with one of the most unique opportunities in the world of art:: to snatch a slice of time out of the world - to capture a present moment and preserve it and potentially share it. But with that opportunity comes responsibility, because when that “click that stops time” occurs, the photographer now invites the viewer, and gives the viewer, a chance to inspect that moment more closely than could ever be afforded by a sculptor or a painter. It is instant, and instantaneously it is possible for the photographer to share it. Photojournalists rely on this characteristic of photography to inform the world.
And what of the decision to push the shutter release button? Timing is everything to a photographer and it is determined by the subject. Is the light right? Is the child’s expression right? Are the elements arranged in a manner that is pleasing or evocative? One of the most valuable lessons I learned in photography was given to me from a portrait photographer I worked with, briefly, many years ago. He said, “Watch for the in-between moments.” These are the moments between expressions and poses. For me, the truly remarkable images present themselves when I am about to stop shooting or turn away or begin to switch lenses. It is as if, once I remove my influence from the subject, the subject presents itself to me.
Once again, it is the space you give the subject, and that is what timing is all about. For Karsh it was “The Moment of Greatness”. For Henri Cartier-Bresson it was “The Decisive Moment.”.
What will timing be for you?
On a personal note, our family has been presented with an issue of timing, of sorts, as well. I have been diagnosed with a condition that requires open-heart surgery. As there is some urgency, Doctors are trying to schedule the surgery before Christmas but, if not, it will occur shortly thereafter. The recovery time for this particular surgical intervention is about three months, so I have had to cancel workshops and classes (with the exception of Mentorships and distance-learning sessions) through to the end of March. Mentorship programs as well as the new distance-learning tutorials will continue without interruption except for about three weeks immediately following the surgery. I shall keep you posted.
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