Green
I selected these photos because they each capture a moment of energy, contrast, or gesture that felt real and unplanned. I was inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s idea of the decisive moment, so I focused on timing, like when someone steps into a patch of light, passes through a shadow, or moves in a way that creates visual rhythm. Many of the photos use strong black-and-white contrast to highlight motion or emotion. For example, blurred movement in some shots shows the speed of life, while silhouettes and framing in others create a quiet, observational feel. I also looked for interesting shapes, reflections, and people interacting naturally with their surroundings. All of these selections show how I tried to tell human stories through candid moments and careful composition.
Yellow
In this selection, I focused on images that best captured the kind of candid, emotional, and kinetic moments inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson. I looked for compositions where timing, geometry, and movement came together naturally. For example, in 1504 and 1452, the subjects are frozen mid-motion, giving a sense of rhythm and life. I also selected images like 1456 and 1506 for their strong use of contrast and light, especially how shadows cut across the frame or isolate the figures.
Many of these shots, like 1509 and 1505, show the energy of public life: people walking, biking, or passing by without noticing the camera. That rawness felt true to what I wanted to express. I kept motion blur in some images (like 1509 and 1538) on purpose, because it emphasized the pace of the street and helped show a decisive moment, even if not perfectly still. Finally, images like 1513 stood out for their framing and mood. The silhouettes inside the tunnel and the glow at the exit created a moment that felt both cinematic and spontaneous. All of these shots felt closer to the visual voice I was trying to develop.
Red
I selected images 1505, 1509, and 1513 because they most definitely expressed my approach to capturing the decisive moment (what Cartier-Bresson described as a moment when motion, emotion, and composition come together naturally). Each of these three images represented the approach of understanding human energy + emotion + movement in public space, using black-and-white contrast, real–time creativity, and broadly candid timing.
Image 1505 showed a group of people on busy roads and in mid-movement. A clear sense of direction and strong diagonal lines in the composition keep the eye moving. It was composed in such a way that the blurring gives a visual sense of rhythm to what you can sense as constant flow, a little like some of Cartier-Bresson’s street scenes, where a sense of anew, dynamic geometry works in a spontaneous way.
Image 1509 is one of my favorites for timing around emotional quality. The subject, riding the bike, slightly blurred but sharply expressing, is captured in a moment of concentrated human forward pace. The context of the urban street undoubtedly helps anchor the image in some sense of the realities of place, and in the foreground, retains a visual consistency that is again centered.
Image 1513 was meant to change tone. The silhouettes and the tunnel provided an atmosphere of deeper and quieter reflection. Similarly, it represents a point at which light, dark, and situational context can frame a compelling human story. This was often an approach both in terms of composition and timing that Cartier-Bresson employed more simply in quieter images with more shadow. How to read this as an image adds a presence of depth to my series, absent in the other two examples of images involving dynamic motion.
These three images provide a sense of balance intended around deliberately approaching an instinctive timing, but with emotion and visual clarity at the foundation of intentional focus, all of which were exactly in the philosophies formally learned from Cartier-Bresson.
Evaluation of 1 of my red images
I selected this image for my red evaluation because it embodies the idea of the decisive moment. The subject is in the middle of a ride on a shared bike, turned slightly, and riding with one hand off the handlebar, providing an impromptu, un-staged look. It’s difficult to time this type of movement, and I am happy I was able to capture it in motion.
The slight blur of motion adds a sense of motion and complements the image, rather than taking away from it. Blur shows speed and energy and brings the viewer into the motion of riding a bike. I did not want the subject frozen altogether; I was looking for something real and alive, and that relates to what Cartier-Bresson believed, that timing is more important than technical precision.
As for the composition, the subject is slightly framed off center, which works well too. The surrounding background includes urban elements of striped poles and pedestrians to provide layers and contrast without taking focus from the biker. The diagonal directions of the bike and the blurred shadows and surroundings help lead the viewer’s eye across the frame.
I believe the black and white adds more of a timeless feel to this photo. By removing the colors, I was able to focus more on the tones and shapes. The subject’s shirt is visible against the muted background, and the contrast creates a strong image despite the movement of the subject.
If I were to change anything, I would have framed the subject just a bit wider to create more space as he moves in that direction. Overall, this image works well, as it captures movement, emotion, and everyday action — all in one frame, just as I set out to do in this project.
Success
In this project, I successfully captured dynamic action and human emotion through a wide variety of scenes. My sports images—particularly the football and volleyball sequences—demonstrate strong timing, capturing key moments of motion and peak action. I also experimented with depth, angles, and framing, especially in the close-up net shots (1425–1427) and climbing scenes (1500–1507), which helped convey physical intensity and rhythm. Additionally, I transitioned effectively from sports to street and black-and-white photography (1450–1548), showing my ability to tell different visual stories and explore urban life with contrast and mood. I also tried Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” approach by capturing spontaneous street life and gestures (like in 1531, 1538, and 1543), which added more life and narrative to my work.
Reflection
While I captured many strong images, there are areas I could improve. Some photos, especially from the sports series, are slightly repetitive or too similar, so I need to be more selective and intentional during both shooting and editing. A few images also suffer from motion blur or poor lighting, which I could address by adjusting the shutter speed or ISO. For the street section, although I explored different compositions, I feel I could push more in terms of emotion or interaction with the subject. In the future, I want to focus more on storytelling and making each shot feel necessary and distinct. Improving my editing choices and experimenting further with light, shadow, and juxtaposition will help elevate the narrative quality of my images.
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