I’ve been studying and paying very close attention to legendary photography icons. I’ve been reflecting on my learning process of photography. Early on, I was very interested in learning about “How To”.

o How to set up my camera.
o How to use photoshop
o How to find information on the internet to learn more about setting up my camera and using photoshop

On my next stage of my learning I proceeded to look at as many images as I could and try to figure out what makes some photos interesting and what makes them ordinary snapshots. I am now at the point that my camera is almost an extension of me. If I can see it I can shoot it and preserve it as a photograph.

I now want to learn how to be an artist and this is the reason I’ve been reading about the iconic photographers of the past. Of interest to me is Henri Cartier-Bresson who helped develop the street photography style. In his book “The Decisive Moment” he talks about that “there is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment”. The more I shoot the more I realize that this is absolutely the case. Capturing the right moment makes or breaks an image.

Today I know my camera; I hardly need to think about the settings to make a technically good photo. Today I challenge myself to identify the decisive moment. This weekend I attended a public event in the city. Walking and looking I spotted this young gentleman in the distance. In my mind I quickly visualized this photo and captured it at the exact moment. One half second before or after would have been too late or too early. This was the Decisive Moment!



The Mustache by Victor Garza