The Art of Timing

5 photographs taken in the right place, at the right time...

Over 2,700 years ago, the Ancient Greek poet Hesiod wrote:

Right timing is in all things the most important factor.

The right moment can elevate an action from ordinary to extraordinary, while a misjudged instant can render even the greatest effort futile.

Timing is not mere chance; it is the result of mindful observation, perceptive clarity, and a deep sense of the unseen rhythms around us. As Leo Tolstoy wrote in War and Peace:

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.

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We’ve all been there: out with friends, someone nails a clever comment, and when it’s your turn to speak, your brain freezes. Or worse, something clumsy and out of place comes out of your mouth. Then, hours later, driving home or sitting on a train, the perfect response appears fully formed in your mind. You sit there, wishing you could turn back time and deliver that prodigious, impeccable sequence of words that would have crowned you the undisputed king of the night. But it’s too late… the battle is lost.

Conversely, when the right words do arrive in time, and you deliver them flawlessly, seeing the smiles, hearing the laughter, and catching the knowing nods is a truly sublime experience.

The difference between hesitation and decisive action often comes down to a single, fleeting instant, and the impact of that instant can ripple far beyond the moment itself.

For thousands of years, writers, strategists, and thinkers have explored the power of timing — from Miyamoto Musashi in The Book of Five Rings and Sun Tzu in The Art of War, to The 48 Laws of Power, where Law 35 reads:

Never seem to be in a hurry — hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

The art of timing is worth studying because it can transform every aspect of life.

Few creative fields rely as heavily on being in sync with the world as photography. As Dorothea Lange once said:

Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.

The images you’re about to see are, to me, a celebration of this evanescent mastery. Each frame captures the moment when everything aligns, and timing reveals its quiet, undeniable power…

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1. A Solar Eclipse in the Desert

Joshua Cripps photographed this stunning annular solar eclipse in the Dubai desert in December 2019.

He meticulously planned the shot, using precise GPS coordinates to align himself, the man, and the camel perfectly. Later, looking back on the effort, he admitted:

Shooting photos like this is an addiction. It’s such an extreme technical and creative challenge. Even the timing was planned, down to the minute of when the eclipse would appear in the frame behind the man and his camel.

2. An Aquatic Masterpiece by Ian MacNicol

Captured on March 1, 2018, this mesmerizing photo shows swimmer Honey Osrin breaking the surface for air during the Women's 50m Backstroke at the Edinburgh International Swim.

3. The Moon as an Olympic Ring

Photographer Luke MacGregor immortalized the moon perfectly aligned beneath the Olympic rings hanging from Tower Bridge during the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 3, 2012.

4. Oko by Marko Popadic

This shot brings to mind Joel Meyerowitz’s words on the serendipity of photography:

Sometimes I arrive just when God is ready to have someone click the shutter.

5. Waves, 2012

This is my favorite photo by Helsinki-based photographer Wilma Hurskainen. It says more than words ever could…

Reflecting on the ephemeral nature of photography and time, Karl Lagerfeld once said:

What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.

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