Swimming Lesson, Otway Sound, Patagonia, Chile, 2004 photo

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Swimming Lesson, Otway Sound, Patagonia, Chile, 2004

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03-JAN-2004

Swimming Lesson, Otway Sound, Patagonia, Chile, 2004

What are a couple of penguins doing in this chapter on human values? Animal pictures work best when they reflect behavior that can be directly related to human experience. Such is the case here. I found this pair of Magellanic Penguins in a rookery on the Straits of Magellan and captured a moment when they seemed to resemble a student and teacher about to embark on a swimming lesson. Both appear to behave in very human ways. The teacher stands off to the side and looks on encouragingly as the student tentatively tests the waters, leaving a circle of ripples behind. The human values involved? Trust? Confidence? Maybe even a bit of courage. Whenever we see a photograph of an animal that we like, we are probably enjoying it for whatever human values it may offer us.

Canon PowerShot G5
1/1000s f/4.0 at 28.8mm full exif

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Phil Douglis		29-Jul-2006 20:21
Thanks, Emi, for these comments. The fact that you see a different story here than I did, reinforces my belief that this is an expressive image. As for the title, I could have called it just Penguins, but in this case, I wanted to suggest my own point of view. Sometimes I do that, sometimes I do don't. It depends on the picture. In this case, I thought the suggestion in the title made the image somewhat more intriguing. I don't think we should take a rigid approach to titles, Emi. We should use them to give some context, but at times also hint at what the image is expressing.

Guest		29-Jul-2006 08:52
Did I miss anything when Cecilia mentioned about "lost"? Feeling lost is definately a human value, isn't it? I dont see it as a swimming lesson, I am more for the first day interpretation. First day, as love in the first sight, they are still strangers, so they of course still have a gap between them, that answered Nut's question. But whether its a teaching lesson or what, its kinda expressive to me. When I was looking the thumbnail, they look like two illegal refugees swimming to a new place to get a life to me. However, when I take a closer look, I agree with the first day interpretation. One thing though Phil, I remember we talked about titles and captions. The title of this picture surprised me that you didnt name it neturally like "penguins at river side" or something like that. Instead, you chose a subject title to suggest your point of view here, which may lead to disagreement from others. I wonder why you didn't name the title neturally? Emi

Phil Douglis		27-Feb-2005 04:45
On one hand you agree with Celia, who sees no expressive value here whatsoever. On the other hand, you like the emotion that is going on here. So you are really somewhat torn over this, right? That's OK. I am often conflicted over pictures, too. I call it a love-hate relationship. There was not much I could do here, River, beyond what I did. I did shoot a number of other pictures of them, but this was only one where there seemed to be emotional expression or interaction between them. As for a penguin portrait, I have a number of those as well, and they are not very expressive because penguins show emotion with body language, not with facial feature.

Guest		15-Feb-2005 06:41
Hi, Phil, Just a quick note on what I said about "snapshot"... sorry I didn't mean in a negative way at all. I do notice your style of photography is not seeking the perfectness in technical details, such as noise, color, composition (maybe?). In fact, you use digicam rather than professional DSLR to take those photos. Without looking at your photo gallaries as a whole, people may easily consider you as "amateur", but for your professional work, it is not whether of professional or amateure, but full of passion and heart. I have a lot of respects on your style actually. Maybe this is what your called "expressive photography" gave you such a freedom. But overall you have demonstrated such a mature way of photographing, that fully shown through your work. About this particular image, I do feel certain improvement can make that expression stronger. The composition, and the "grassy background" are distractions to me, but the emotions from penguins, especially the eye expressions are just to strong that pull me out of the distractions of the composition and other background. I only feel if we could give more emphsis on that emotions through a different composition or technique, wouldn't be better to make the picture even stronger, in terms of being expressive?

Guest		15-Feb-2005 02:31
Hi, Phil, I have to agree what Cecilia said about this picture. My first impression was, hum, can't believe Phil put such a snapshot into the gallery. I agree with Cecilia's feeling on the composition, and I do think if you could composit the photo slightly differently and gave more emphasis on penguins, it will show more of the "emotion" between them. Imagine two human beings stand there instead of penguins, they would be standing out much stronger than penguins because natually size of human being are much bigger. The "emotion" between two penguins is very interesting though. The penguin in the middle of the picture turned his/her head slightly, and gave me an impression that he/she is telling the other "hey, leave me alone!" ha! I don't know how many photos you took for the same topic. I would take a few, with different compositions. I like the emotion or expression between two penguins, but i think the picture could do a better job. If we consider them as "human", why don't we try to shoot it as a portrait? It would be interesting to see that...

Phil Douglis		30-Dec-2004 06:22
Thanks, Mikel, for adding the human value of friendship to the mix here. Glad you like this image. It is always reassuring when others see in my images what I see. Of course I also enjoy it when people come to my pictures and add concepts, meanings, and human values that I never even considered, such as you have also done with your bit of hypothetical social interaction. I saw this interaction as a swimming lesson, with overtones of both trust and confidence being expressed. Maureen and Zebra saw it as a dating ritual. Rochelle felt a degree of tenderness here. And my friend Celia Lim failed to see much of anything. All of which tell us that this image is working as i expected it to work.

Guest		29-Dec-2004 18:31
Nice interpretation... I am the one in the right! ;) No, seriously, the impact in human values here came to me more in the sence of friendship at first glimps It looked to me as two people walking on the street (this case watter since it is more their element) one talking to the other while the other listens. There is also an other interpretation though also ambientaded in the 'street' now that I looked again too it, for a while. The right pinguin if we see is like tourning his back on the other one while the other one is aproaching him something that I see faar to often in the city: 'Sorry, do you have a coin?' and the pedestrian just does if he doesen't notice his presence but tries to go a bit aside like to prevent the other one to insist.

Phil Douglis		04-Dec-2004 04:08
I am thrilled that you like this shot, Clara. I've taken a lot of flak on it, but I stick with it as a valid form of expression, and greatly appreciate your response. They are quite special and human and they take your mind along with them, don't they?

Guest		03-Dec-2004 21:17
It is so fun!! These guys are really special and human!! Love it.

Phil Douglis		15-Nov-2004 19:58
I am glad I am wrong, Nut. I thought you did not get much from this photo, but it now seems to me that you feel pretty much about the same as I do about it. I am glad it reminds you of when you father taught you how to swim. (I am always delighted when somebody, somewhere, likes my original ideas that my critic Celia hates!) I agree, Nut. This image is, indeed, about teaching and listening!

nut		15-Nov-2004 07:25
If you think I don't like this photo then you are wrong. I like this photo. This photo remind my father when he teached me how to swim. But as I know (tell me if I am wrong), Penguin can swim since they were young, right? That is something I wonder. It's not just a picture of two penguins walking in the water together. One of them is teaching, other is listening. You can see how concentrate they are. This is a nature school class. Maybe how to catch a big fish. I said this because this is the same what I did when I was young during swiming class with my dad.

Phil Douglis		14-Nov-2004 19:47
I don't think you like this picture either, do you Nut? You say its not like a "first date," and its not a "swimming lesson" so what does it say to you? Do you see any use of abstraction or incongruity here? Have I successfully implied any human values? Tell me if I have made an expressive image here, or is it just a picture of two penguins walking in the water together, as Celia says it is?

nut		14-Nov-2004 14:19
I see one penguin on my left side is talking and one penguin on my right side is listening. I don't think they are a couple of lover or in first date. Why they are so far from each other? The gap between them are too far so I don't think this is a first date. I don't see any ripple behind him (only his wings are moving) so he is there without walking and take a look on another penguin. I see many continuous ripples behind a penguin on my right side. So I think she is moving (gentle face and work with almost the same frequency like this so I think this penguin is a woman). One is talking and another is listening. I think he take a look at her when she walked and teach her how to. But I don't know how to what. But I think penguin can swim since they were young right?

Phil Douglis		31-Oct-2004 04:18
My Cup Runneth Over. Maureen and Zebra converge on the same picture and they both see the same thing going on. A mating ritual, no less. Now that you both agree on it, I am ready and willing to drop my original concept of the swimming lesson (which Cecilia ripped to shreds anyway) and look at it as Penguins in Love. Who knows? Maybe they really are in love? And since I made this picture, I am entitled to change my mind about what it means any time, right.

Guest		31-Oct-2004 03:39
I'm with Zebra on this one. This looks like a first date to me. The male is on the left. How do I know this? He's looking directly at his date. The female is on the right. Note the slight tilt to her head. It's flirtatious, but she's also coyly looking down, so she's still in shy mode. First date.

Phil Douglis		31-Oct-2004 01:05
An amusing interpretation, Zebra. I never saw the sexy angle at all here. But as a 25 year old male, you certainly did! As I've often noted, we tend to mirror who and what WE are when we read the meaning of expressive imagery.

Guest		30-Oct-2004 19:02
Phil,I did not think the left penguin is teaching another to swim.Penguin in middle is a girl penguin and she was hurrying to home.A boy penguin caught up her and said,"Hi,sweet.May I be your friend?"

Phil Douglis		09-Sep-2004 03:48
Hi, Cecilia, At long last, somebody out there has taken strong exception to one of my examples -- and in eloquent terms, has gone on to explain why. I can't thank you enough, Cecila, for taking the time to think about this picture and then strongly criticize its structure and its effectivenss as both a message and as a teaching example. In doing so, you call attention to the fact that "everybody gets different things out of an image." And that is one of expressive photography's greatest gifts -- to reach out and stimulate the ideas and imagination of viewers and yet be able to make different points in the process, depending upon the perceptions of each viewer. Your criticism of this image makes this very clear, indeed. I felt this picture provided a metaphorical swimming lesson. I felt that, in their own way, these penguins portrayed an interplay of trust, confidence, and perhaps courage -- all of them human values. It is obvious that you don't see it that way at all, and that you also felt my composition was awkward, fragmented, and distracting. You went on to carefully explain why. And in doing so, you taught me, and all who will read this an important lesson. What seemed so right to me, seems so wrong to you. Does that make me wrong and you right? Your lesson, Cecilia, is an indelible one. There can be no wrongs or rights in expressive photography. It comes down to my intentions as both a photographer and as a teacher. Does my picture work for you as either a metaphorical swimming lesson or as a lesson in expressing human values? No, it did not. And your highly constructive criticism went on to say exactly why. I thank you, Friend Celia, for your honesty, candor, and articulate reasoning. I may not agree with your conclusions, but I welcome your frank criticism as a valuable teaching aid. Does anyone else out there wish to offer their own views on this picture and its effectiveness as communication and as a teaching tool? I would welcome your opinion as well. The more differences in viewpoints we get, the more this image may yet be able to teach us.

Cecilia Lim		28-Aug-2004 17:18
Phil, I understand the point you are making about animal pictures working best when exhibiting human behaviour, but I feel this image was not a very good example of it. There are several things here that are not working for me: At first glance, the composition felt very awkward. The"teacher" penguin on the left is almost touching the frame, creating tension and splitting the image in half, which disrupts the flow of the image. This tension, coupled together with its position, which appears to be almost exiting the frame, does not reflect the image of a teacher which is confident and self-assured about its knowledge and abilities. The grassy riverbank which is illuminated by beautiful warm light may offer context, but I feel it is too distracting as it is the only spot of "colour' and its dominance anchors the image to the right for no apparent reason. However, if you had allowed more green to be featured around your subject(s), perhaps I may read into it as a symbol of hope and new adventure, in the context of the "swimming lesson". The title of the image surprised me also because it I could not see a swimming lesson happening here, even after I had read your interpretation of the penguins' behaviour. I guess everybody gets different things out of an image. For me, it was about 2 penguins wading in the water, looking a bit lost with no other penguin in sight. I couldn't see very much interaction between the 2 penguins, so it was difficult to read any human-like behaviour, especially in reference to a teacher-student relationship. But letting my imagination stretch a bit, what I can see is this- Although lost, the right penguin ploughs confidently ahead while the second penguin on the left takes a glance at him, as if to wonder if the other penguin really knew where he was going. Perhaps it is in this interpretation that I can read some human values. One picture that comes to mind which could make a good example here is the one you took of a bustard in Kenya walking down a road. Seehttp://www.worldisround.com/articles/14159/photo8.html This to me is a very obvious expression of human behaviour as the bustard, who is a creature of the wild and has total freedom, chooses to travel through the park by road. Certainly very incongruous and totally human! And by the way, while researching the internet for bustards, your bustard picture came up in Google's search list!

Rob Oele		20-Apr-2004 09:41
Phil, maybe you forgot to mention the value "tenderness"? Anyway I like this one.

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