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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Three: Stirring emotions through atmosphere and mood. > Walk of Joy, near Pak Beng, Laos, 2005
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19-JAN-2005

Walk of Joy, near Pak Beng, Laos, 2005

I saw the flowering bushes first, then the trees arching over the road, creating a gate of lush greenery framing the forest beyond. Next came the people, a steady flow of villagers passing below the flowers and into the forest glade beyond. And then this: two young children and a chicken walked past me. The joyful girl had both hands pressed to her shoulders as if she was miming a song. The smaller child held one hand on top of his head as well. At that very moment, a man suddenly appeared in the opening at the end of the road, holding an infant in a sling. I don’t know if these people were related or not – it would be nice if these children were walking towards their own father. It doesn’t really matter, however. In a village this small, everyone knows and cares about each other, related or not. I will always remember this moment in time and light and space before me, and the magical atmosphere of vitality it created. It was a moment filled with love, joy, and above all, life.

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Phil Douglis18-May-2006 06:30
Yes, community is one of the human values expressed by this image. But do read the other comments here if you have not already done so, Jenene. Both Ruth and Alex have asked some important questions about travel photography here and I hope that I've been able to make a contribution through my answers. And do take a look at Eugene Smith's iconic idyllic image that motivated me to make this image the way I did.
JSWaters18-May-2006 06:23
Without looking at other comments, this image is one of community. The man with the child in the sling has returned to the top of the hill to shepherd the remaining flock home, as is his job. The two are coming along, rather lazily, enjoying their companionship, knowing they are watched over and cared for.
Phil Douglis24-Jun-2005 20:04
Thanks, Alex, for these thoughtful words. No, I did not wait for this father to "come along." I had no idea he was coming. I liked the frame created by the trees, because it made me think of W. Eugene Smith's Walk to Paradise Garden, and simply shot various people as they walked towards, into and through that leafy frame. I just kept on shooting -- my thoughts about the meaning of this image came later, and have been gradually expanding as a result of my dialogue with Ruthie Hanson and now with you. Thanks for joining the discussion, Alex.
Alex22-Jun-2005 21:53
I realise it's probably better to continue such a topic in a forum, however this topic does interest me. That of people's perception of things, in this case photos. As you say, someone can only draw a view from their own personal experiences. I myself have spent several months in Laos and this photo does capture 'that' feeling of simplicity and having 'no worries', but then I have healthcare, but the Lao people who don't as such, still seem as happy as ever.
I think we all romantisise photos to get the best image that we find most aesthetically pleasing to ourselves, indeed this image itself was one in a line of shots. And I think there is nothing wrong with doing so. But the question could arise - why did you wait for it to come along? Did you have a preconceived idea of what you wanted to capture? Yes, by Mr E. Smith. but then you got something extra when the 'father' stepped out. Either way its a very nice photo. Without the 'father figure' it would be more care-free, with him it is more loving. Photography is an art, and while I don't like to be too analytical, something does drive discussion.
I have very much enjoyed what galleries of yours I have seen so far. I think you would like some of the shots in my Laos gallery too. It is a very special place. Thanks.
Phil Douglis17-Apr-2005 01:40
I did not see your questions as critical at all, Ruth. I found them fascinating. As a student of social anthropology, you see this image in a very special way, and made me rethink it in a new way, as well. You are absolutely correct regarding the difference between the photographer's intentions and the responses of viewers. They often diverge, and give expressive photography its great depth as a communication medium.
ruthemily16-Apr-2005 08:36
i appreciate your in depth response. i hope my comment didn't come across as a criticism of the way in which you took the photograph. as you say, photographs are fascinating for that reason, they can be taken with one thought and interpreted with another. i guess the way i interpreted this was in regards to visual culture. i am a social anthropology student, i'm "supposed" to think and ask these things! i realise now that how i am affected by something might not necessarily be what the photographer intended, but it is still a valid and acceptable response. a lesson in self-belief, perhaps.

thank you for linking me to W. Eugene Smith's photograph. i will pursue his work further when i have some time.

i am still musing why the chicken seems so vital to the image (aside from a composition/balance point of view, if the chicken wasn't there i think the photo would lose a lot more than just a chicken, if you see what i mean), but i will have to come back to you on that one!
Phil Douglis16-Apr-2005 04:25
It is very seldom, Ruth, that I get inquiries that go well beyond the nature of the photograph itself, and questions instead the reasons I was drawn to a certain scene. I welcome your curiosity, and will do my best to answer them.

Did I consciously or unconsciously romanticize this shot? Did I make this image to represent my own dreams of living in this fashion? And ultimately is a travel photographer's passion for making such images of idyllic beauty, serenity, and simplicity, a symbolic respite from the fast paced materialistic world we may live in ourselves?

I can't speak for other photographers, Ruth -- I can only speak for myself. This image was the result of several successive decisions on my part. I first decided to use the arch of trees over the road to frame a picture because the play of light on the green leaves and red flowers and the tan dirt created an environment seemed to best symbolically represent the rural society I was interpreting at this moment. The arch is an iconic symbol in itself, representing an entrance to a relatively unspoiled land of great natural beauty. The road is a symbolic "path of living" for the people who inhabit in this place. I shot a number of villagers moving through that arch and along that road, but none captured the spirit of the place as much as those two children who walked past me, a chicken underfoot. When that man appeared within the arch itself, I saw him juxtaposed before those children as a symbolic father -- it was almost as if they were coming home to him. As I made the image, I noticed that he was indeed a father, a man incongruously carrying a baby in a sling. I was not consciously romanticizing here, but rather interpreting life in this place at this moment as I saw it and felt it. No such feelings are ever uninformed by past experiences. As such, I must admit that I was inspired by my memories of an iconic photograph made by one of my personal heroes -- the late photojournalist W. Eugene Smith, depicting his own children walking away from the camera into a glowing forest -- the "Walk to Paradise Garden, 1946. You can see it athttp://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/smith/smith_children_walking_full.html

As for your fascinating musings about portraying a life I wished I could live, I had no such desires. I have come to learn much about the somewhat grim realities of life in the poor villages of Southeast Asia, and there simply is no reason for me to envy these people or romanticize them. I don't pity them either -- I see them as living their lives within a quite different historical, cultural, psychological, sociological, economic, religious, educational, and political structure than I could possibly understand or relate to. As you say, Ruth, this IS the way of life here. I was drawn to it because I wanted to convey the essence of it as I felt it, not because it happens to contrast with how I live here in the US, or hows you may live in the UK. In other words, I did not see this image as social commentary of any kind. If my viewers are given cause to question their own value systems as a result of looking at this image, that's fine with me. Expressive photographs can often trigger thoughts that differ vastly from their intended purpose. Which is wonderful -- it makes this medium the broad and deep communication channel that it is.

Thanks, Ruth, for asking such questions. You made me evaluate my reasons for making this image as I did in a completely new way, and I hope you will find my thoughts of value.
ruthemily16-Apr-2005 00:45
i think we have almost a fascination with other cultures' ways of life that we view as untroubled and laid back. i suppose it's a sharp contrast to our own busy lives in which, even if we aren't doing anything, we can guarantee there will be mail popping up, phones ringing, expectations from all over the place. this image does indeed portray what you suggest, of an idyllic way of life, close to nature (you emphasize the arch of the tree/bush) and carefree (i think the children's arm positions emphasize their innocence and approach to life). i am mentioning this, i suppose, as a question to you. do you think in travel photography there is a tendency to romanticise? to take the photos that portray a way of life we wish to have? i accept that this IS the way of life in this area and i think you have shown that well, but perhaps you were more drawn to taking this scene because it makes a stark contrast with our own society's present values and thoughts and the way that our lives are seemingly continually moving away from this back-to-nature ideal. please realise that i am asking this question as an unknowledgeable but curious novice! i would be interested to hear your thoughts.
Phil Douglis04-Mar-2005 22:08
Idyllic is a good word to use here, Marek. It is a serenely beautiful, untroubled, and happy scene. And it certainly conveys a sense of what a Mekong River village feels like.
Guest 04-Mar-2005 17:41
More than anything, this one has the sense of place and culture. It does look idyllic.
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