Henri Cartier-Bresson coined the phrase the decisive moment to describe the instant when the action

Henri Cartier-Bresson coined the phrase the decisive moment to describe the instant when the action before the lens is not simply captured by the photographer, but organized in such a way as to give it power and grace, balance and form. Decisive moments are not always the same for the athletes or fans as they are for photographers. Capturing the winning touchdown, the diver’s perfect entry into the water, the power of a skier racing in the giant slalom, can establish an imagine in sports eternity, but is not necessarily decisive moment in the photographic sense. Photographers have a responsibility to satisfy their editors and the public, who often seek only the highlights of the game. However, the finest photographers are able to fulfill this responsibility and seek to make pictures that are greater than a single defining action, pictures with aesthetic qualities that last through time.  Arthur Thill, who has his own sports photography agency in Luxembourg, was one of four photographers allowed on the racetrack’s “pitwall” the day he took this photograph. Fuel was accidentally sprayed on the hot bodywork of the car, causing flames to engulf the driver inside. Thill shot twenty-five frames, not knowing if the entire area might explode within seconds. The final photograph shows driver Jos Verstappen miraculously stepping out of the car with only minor injuries. Arthur Thill (Luxembourgian, born 1950) Narrow Escape—Fire Incident in Hockenheim, German F1 Grand Prix, July 31, 1994; printed 2016   -- source link

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