b'England on the barren pitch. An early digital camera became andoes not have to be about capturing the decisive moment but international language, as I was able to show the orphaned andmore about a picture telling a thousand words. injured kids the images on the back of the camera. It then cameI believe it is the way we see pictures, which defines us as down to a penalty shoot-out and the image you see on page 9photographers. Having an eye for the details or taking a happened. It is a not a Pulitzer Prize winning picture but, for me,panoramic scene makes us see differently as photographers. it sums up everything great about the joy of both childhood andThe Sports Editor of The Times will be inundated by thousands photography. It is a moment in time, an expression of life. of images of, say, the 100 metres final at the Olympics but he This is how Henri Cartier-Bresson, the father of modernwill want to see how I have captured the event - and this is true photojournalism, described his concept of The Decisive Moment,at each and every sporting occasion to which I am assigned. By Photography is not like painting. There is a creative fraction ofbeing unique, my images offer my newspaper its own identity and a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see aan instantly recognisable style of photography.composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and youI have been fortunate to use Canon cameras my whole career, must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is thefrom my very first 35mm SLR camera, a beautiful Canon F1, moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The moment! Onceto the ultra-modern and sophisticated Canon EOS 1D-X digital you miss it, it is gone forever. cameras I use today. The equipment has changed beyond I will admit that I have missed many great sporting momentsrecognition during my career and an image taken at 1/8000th of that have gone forever, but I do believe my style of sportsa second can be transmitted directly from my Canon EOS 1D-X photography is rather more defining than decisive. Unliketo the offices of The Times from almost anywhere in the world the interviews conducted with my Times colleagues where Iin a matter of a few seconds. Speed of filing images is now the am able to impose my photographic style, it is live sport wherepriority but I believe quality will always surpass quantity in the race I thrive. The moment in sport, once missed is gone forever.to have a picture published. The actual practicalities of my job I cannot ask Jonny to retake that drop goal against Australia inhave not changed - sitting pitchside, seeing and finding pictures of 2003 because a green and gold shirt flashed in front of my lens atthe match unfolding in front of me has not changed but now we the decisive moment but, by searching out and seeing my ownlive in an era when deadlines are goine in minutes, as our website moments in time, I try to capture a defining moment, whichdemands almost instant images. At the World Cup in Brazil I will sums up the whole match, the victory, the loss, the joy and thebe filing my pictures directly from my camera to London and the disappointment. If that drop goal was decisive, then the verywebsite will show pictures taken just seconds before.last picture on page 143 of England captain Martin Johnson withMy job has changed in many ways but the art of great his bear-like paws around the shoulders of Jonny Wilkinson isphotography passes from one generation to the next, each of us defining. And, rather like Jonny, I have been practising and refiningtrying to pick up tips and techniques from both our predecessors my craft every day. and those around us whom we admire, to which we can add Similarly, I did not capture the decisive knock-out punch by Floydour own vital style. My career has spanned far too many years Mayweather Jr against Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas in 2007, butto count now; I am always leaning and refining my craft. My the image of Ricky staring into the floodlights of the MGM Grandhighlights range from the kids in Turkey to the picture I will take reminds me that, perhaps, I just might have emulated Christomorrow. I sincerely hope you enjoy this collection and see Smiths celebrated picture of Barry McGuigan staring defeat in thesomething in the way I see pictures.face from his corner stool against Steve Cruz in 1986 - his eyes telling the whole sorry story. For me, fine sports photography 13'