The Decisive Moment Exhibition

I am delighted to say that my award-winning image ‘Brighton Seafront’ is included in the ‘The Decisive Moment’ print exhibition at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont, USA.

Running from the 7th September to the 27th September 2023, you can see the exhibition in person at the gallery at 3 Park Street, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA. The gallery hours are 11am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday. Alternatively, you can view the exhibition on the gallery website here.

The gallery describe the exhibition as:

“The decisive moment can be described as the singular moment when the elements of motion and composition come together to create a unified whole. It is a moment in which the photographer organizes the elements of the image — its structure, light, motion, a gesture, shifting light, a fleeting expression — and captures the moment in perfect balance.“

PhotoPlace Gallery (2023)

The images for the exhibition were selected by Aline Smithson, an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and editor based in Los Angeles, California. She is also is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Lenscratch, a daily journal on photography.

She said of the exhibitions, “This is an exhibition about hard looking that comes with a practice of photographing in a split second or seeing unique connections and reacting quickly. The Decisive Moment is just that—the moment where the photographer sees beyond the ordinary and makes the decision to record the event…

…but most importantly I look for unique and elevated images that delight, excite, and make me want to see more; the work needs to reveal a quality of expression that is poetic, magical, humorous, meaningful, and/or creative. Most importantly, the work needs to be fully resolved and shows prowess. I appreciated those photographers who found humor in odd juxtapositions and beauty in light and shadow.”

The phrase, ‘the decisive moment’ comes from the seminal French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, who said:

“To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.” 

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Foreword to his book, ‘The Decisive Moment‘ (1952)

You can also read more about the Decisive Moment and what Henri Cartier-Bresson actually meant by it in this article by PetaPixel.

Read more about how I captured my Brighton Seafront image by clicking here: