The Art of photography

PhotographyandTime:SuspendedAnimation

MARTINEFRANCKLeCastellet,France, 1976

Asleekpoolside
terraceonaprivateestatein

SouthernFranceprovidedthesettingforthiselegant

compositionthatbalancesthelanguidshapesof

recliningfigureswiththeunexpectedly

archedform

of

a

man

doingpush-ups.Althoughitlooksstaged,

thepicturewasactuallyaquicklysnappedcandid,

takensecondsaftertheyoungboy

got

into

the

hammock."Afewsecondslater,"

MartineFranck

recalls,

"anotherboyclimbedintothehammock.I

changedanglesbutthepicturewasgone."

Arelaxed

andcandidlookatamotheranc

child,thisisoneofaseries ofstrongport

madeinNewYorkCity'sEastHarlemwl

photographerBruce

Davidson,accordingto

critic,captured"thoseprivatemom.

ofsuspendedaction

'

'inthelivesofhissubjt

Muchofthe picture'simpactcomesfrorr

unhurriedconfrontationbetweenthecan

andthesubjects

—

andfromthearrestingcom

betweenthedarkskinandlightbedsprt