Timothy Carlson is a terrific photojournalist. Few photographers in multisport have ever matched his fine and discerning sense of moment. This is the essence of photography. Even with the best equipment, you can be late or early by a fraction of second, poorly positioned by a foot in either direction, and simply miss the shot.

To not miss the shot, which Tim so rarely does, requires that elusive gift called an "eye" – an instinct for composition, the ability to choose the setting and the angle, then anticipate with empathy and whole-bodied awareness the narrow window through which the story of the instant – perhaps of the entire event -- will be told. Tim's work is pure story-telling, almost entirely devoid of the tricks and gimmicks that so often mask a lack of natural journalistic talent.

As I viewed Tim's portfolio, I was struck by his remarkable feel for color: the bright green shoes of the runner dancing below the distinctively colorful facades of the Nyhaven district of Copenhagen, Denmark; Amanda Cave framed by the yellow barn in Colorado; the pink highlights of Liz Blatchford's racing kit against the blue sky above and yellow grass of the prairie behind her. This is good photography, yes, but it sneaks up on us as art as well, and it does so effortlessly, gracefully.

Perhaps that's a good word for Tim's work: It's graceful. He captures moments of intensity that have been carefully considered in advance, but which he delivers without even a hint of the effort they require. Only the best can make hard things look so damnably easy. Timothy Carlson is among the very best. – MP