The Art of photography

Photography

andTime:TheDecisiveMoment

IANBERRYStockExchange,

London, 1977

Whenthe

suncameoutbrieflyinLondon'sfinancial

district,causingthepolishedgranitewallsofthe

stockexchangetomirroranearbyfacade,IanBerry

sawacompositionthat
contrastedoneofthe

district'snewestbuildingswithanotherofgreatage

Hismostpressingproblemwasapedestrianrapidly

approachingfromtheleft."I
decidedononefoot

intheframe,"heexplained
"ItgavethefeelingI

wantedandhelditalltogether

.

"

Thelight-and-darkbalanceofthisscene

"appealedtome,"JackSchrierexplains,"and

Ihadbeenwaitingthereforabouttenminutesfor

somethingtohappen.Icouldsuddenlyseetwo

kidscomingdownthe

stairs.Iknew

itwas

going

tobegoodandIgotveryexcited.Iwaiteduntilit

was/ustrightAnotherfractionofasecondand

thekidattherightwouldhavealreadybeen

aroundthebend Afractionofasecondsooner

andtheheadoftheboyattheleftwouldnothave

beenseparatedfromtheblackbandatthetop."