In a sense photography is all about time. The instant the shutter is snapped determines the photo. Photographs are moments frozen in time. The photographer chooses the moment to capture, whether it is the fading light of sunset or the look of defeat on the face of the high school football quarterback.

This photo was made possible by anticipating where the runner would be in relation to the pier.

Another way that time influences a photo is when the photographer freezes the action or captures movement. Action shots bring to mind pictures taken at sporting events, but you can record any movement or action to create a memorable image. If you've ever captured the action of your son's football game, you've experienced the relationship of time and photography.

When we view serene scenes of the natural world, we are seeing the effects of time on the environment. Photos taken in different seasons remind us that although seasons change and the landscape changes with them, the serenity of the natural world remains. Look out the window to discover seasonal changes in your own yard or take a walk to a nearby park. As a photographic exercise, you may take a series of shots of the same outdoor scene to record how it changes with the seasons.

This action shot of gulls was a bit confusing.

After reviewing the previous gull shots, the photographer made adjustments to create a better composition with the flying gulls. See the color pages for another action shot of a single sea gull in full flight.

Since time affects people too, we glimpse time when we view pictures of children, teens, adults, and seniors. When subjects of different generations are photographed together, we are especially struck by the cycle of life. During the course of our busy days, we don't often stop to reflect on the ways in which time changes us. Seeing a photograph can make us pause and consider the passage of time.