Damien Demolder considers...
Seafront Silhouettes, Thessaloniki, by Costas Mouratidis rely on timing and coincidence.
In some, the right timing might at first seem incidental, while in others it can form the core of what is appealing about the picture and will be the element that strikes the audience first.
You might think these factors play no part at all in a still life, for example, where the camera and the subject matter are quite static. At some stage, though, the objects on the tabletop were moved to make a pleasing coincidence of forms, and the camera position was adjusted until the moment when the arrangement looked its best.
In landscapes, too, we wait, when we are patient enough, for the cloud to blow above the tree, the sheep to present themselves in a satisfactory configuration or for a sunbeam to pick out the detail to which we want to draw attention. Timing and coincidence on these occasions may not be split-second critical, but it is timing and coincidence nonetheless.
In a picture such as this seafront view of Thessaloniki, by Greek photographer Costas Mouratidis, the cornerstone of the image is immediately clear. Even before we have determined the details of the scene we might exclaim, ‘Goodness, what amazing timing!’
Luck comes calling
The timing is indeed amazing, but so is the coincidence of shapes, and of the bike wheel and walking girl coming together at the same time. If you consider they are moving in opposite directions at speed it is incredible that we can see them in this relationship at all. The girl’s bowed head and arched back beautifully echo the shape of the wheel, and her forward gaze gives us a perfect profile. Consider, too, the odds of Costas having his Lumix G80 switc
