[Zig]

Talk about the decisive moment...
....I'd already framed the shot, got the composition I wanted, set the aperture and prefocused.
....I was waiting a minute or two, for ideally a solo person to come down the steps, as I'd have them facing me.
However, this chap was going up the steps and I wasn't going to take the shot...but...
...suddenly his mobile phone went off...I clicked the shutter just as he took the call and turned.
I was still at f8 just to be assured of depth of field; there was a tad more light bouncing around which increased the shutter speed to 1/400s.

[matthew]

Excellent image, and patience truly is a virtue.

(This waiting game is a great reason for a cable release.)

[Toad]

Well, that worked. Worth the wait. Everything works about this shot.

[Irma]

Very nice picture Zig... I love the reflection of the bridge and I was thinking in color would look beautiful... but I can understand why you have a bw conversion here.

Both are great pictures in their own right.

[nia]

This is great, dear Zig. The man leaves a motion to the photograph, you captured so nicely, I loved it.
Thank you,
with my love,
nia

[Zig]

Thank you all.
Yes Matthew: I'm a sucker for making life harder work, I swear....!
The thing is, I'm quite in 2 minds about carrying Mr Manfrotto's inert bulk in sub-zero temperatures, as I fear I would lose more body parts to exposure than Ranulph Fiennes....so I generally turn blue with holding my breath rather than frostbite.
Not only that, but I just love "that look" I get from serious prosumers: to illustrate: When I was swanning up and down Royal Crescent later in the same day, there was the delightful scenario of a Nikon user, back and forth from his tripod, tweaking away and muttering. I sidled up like a carrion-crow to see if he'd found a shot worth taking; I crouched down, said "good morning", clicked once and sauntered away in what I knew would be mid-right of his frame. Of course, I ensured that the 1Ds + Zeiss 21 was a-dangling down from my left hand with the exact amount of studied nonchalance, feeling that tense crackle in my neck-hairs.....my point being that if I'd had the tripod, the clancking about would have ruined the decisive moment!!
(Actually guys, I embellished the incident somewhat for comic effect, as I don't have the confidence for such games...but it sums up the scenario pretty well...)