The decisive moment: the assassination of Andrei Karlov

So dear to Henri Cartier-Bresson, the decisive moment has, once again, shown its force. It was Associated Press's Turkish photographer, Burhan Ozbilici, who managed to seize it.

In the preface to his first album, « », published in 1952, Henri Cartier-Bresson speaks about his work. Titled "The Decisive Moment," it lays out his conception of photography. One reads in particular:

What is a photographic report? Sometimes a single photograph, whose form is rigorous and rich enough, and whose content has enough resonance, can stand on its own — but this is rarely given [...]

On 19 December 2016, at the opening of an exhibition in Ankara, the Turkish photographer assigned by AP, Burhan Ozbilici, was able to capture it. The opening quickly turned into tragedy, with the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov.

A striking account and striking images

Burhan Ozbilici attended the opening of the exhibition "From Kaliningrad to Kamchatka, from the eyes of travelers" by chance — the gallery happened to be on his way. When the killer spoke up, before assassinating the Russian ambassador, Burhan Ozbilici kept his composure and did his duty as a journalist. He delivered uncanny images and a poignant account on the AP blog: Witness to an assassination: AP photographer captures attack.

More about Associated Press

Associated Press (AP) is a global, general-interest news agency headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest cooperatives in the world. It has 145 offices in the United States and 95 in 72 other countries. It employs more than 4,000 people, including 3,000 journalists.