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For the most part, photography books can be divided into two categories – the artistic, coffee table style books and the informative, how to books. I am a big fan of coffee table style photography books. I have a fairly big collection of large hardback volumes with hundreds of stunning images of landscapes, wildlife, and other nature subjects. Most of these books are pretty to look at, many inspiring, but very few have much educational value to the developing photographer.
On the other end of the spectrum are the informative, how-to photography books whose bulk is made up of instructional text and slightly better than average photographs illustrating basic photographic concepts. For the beginning photographer, they can be a useful reference, but they often contain little information new to practiced and skilled shooters, and rarely do they spark creativity and imagination in the reader.
Few photography books I have seen transcend the line between art and education, and few do it as beautifully as Scott Linstead’s new book, Decisive Moments.
Linstead’s approach is fairly simple – wow readers with spectacular photographs and tell a bit about how each image was created – and it works. Probably best known for his striking tripwire photographs of small animals in action, Decisive Moments is illustrated with dozens of Linstead’s most iconic images. Each photograph is paired with a detailed caption that explains at length the conceptual, creative, and technical processes behind the final image.
Much of Linstead’s portfolio has been made possible by his skilled use of infrared camera traps and multiple high-speed flashes. However it is careful visualization and planning that elevate Linstead’s photographs beyond simple scientific documentary. In captioning his images, Linstead offers a diversity of perspectives, highlighting what it is that makes each individual image special. In some cases, the precise photographic technique used to pull off the shot is paramount, but in others, knowledge of specific animal behavior or the physical creation of a realistic, but artificial setting are the primary factors resulting in the success of the final image. Rather than overwhelm the reader with excessive details, Linstead’s captions instead focus attention on the critical elements of each photograph.
In Decisive Moments, Linstead touches upon a variety of aesthetic, emotional, and ethical issues surrounding wildlife photography. He writes about what it is that makes a photograph so visually appealing to viewers and about the variety of methods he uses to create such striking images. Linstead makes no effort to hide the techniques behind creating his most iconic images, and freely discusses the use of captive animals, artificial setups, and bait as they apply to his work. His honest presentation of these issues and respectful consideration of their impact is surprisingly refreshing.
Linstead carefully designed this book to appeal to photographers and non-photographers alike. Written in an easy to follow language and style, Decisive Moments is an enjoyable read. Past the introduction, which is a bit more abstract and theoretical than the rest of the text, his writing is straightforward, friendly, and full of insight.
“Decisive Moments highlights the aspects of wildlife photography I feel are necessary to give an image the potential to become iconic,” writes Linstead in the book’s first pages, and that is precisely what this book accomplishes. Its astonishingly beautiful photographs and informative yet engaging text make it a lovely blend of art and education and a wonderful addition to any library.
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