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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Seven: As others see me > With Tim May at the Summer Palace by Shirley Wang, Beijing, China, 2007
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16-SEP-2007

With Tim May at the Summer Palace by Shirley Wang, Beijing, China, 2007

Shirley has placed my friend and travel companion Tim on one side of a tree and has me emerging from the other. She beautifully abstracts us with backlight, using the leaves of the tree as a counterpoint. I love how she stresses our varying approaches to the camera, too. I am looking down into my flip up viewfinder, while Tim presses his camera to his eye. We are virtually joined here – yet each of us is shooting in different directions.

(That same day, Shirley made another image of us, shooting at the summer palace along with our friend Iris Maybloom, at http://www.pbase.com/wangxh/image/85740513 Shirley not only shot us in silhouette at the summer palace – the year before she made a stunningly incongruous abstraction of another photographer at work there as well. See: http://www.pbase.com/wangxh/image/68230927 )

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30
1/400s f/5.6 at 7.8mm iso100 full exif

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Phil Douglis07-May-2009 17:25
Once again, all praise here must go to pbase photographer Shirley Wang, who hosted us in Beijing, took us to the Summer Palace, and made this shot of Tim and myself "working" a photograph. It is an excellent example of negative space.
Chris Sofopoulos07-May-2009 06:45
A wonderful use of negative space here Phil.
Simply love it!
Phil Douglis05-Sep-2008 18:28
Thanks, Patricia. Shirley finds me at work here, and interprets me in the spirit of that work.
Patricia Lay-Dorsey25-Aug-2008 03:19
Stunning graphic image that speaks both artistically and expressively, just as the best photos always do.
Phil Douglis22-May-2008 02:44
Thanks for reminding me, Annmarie, about the use of the world "shooting," I use it a lot, but only among other photographers, such as here on pbase. The distrust of photographers in public places peaked at mid-decade, and now seems to be easing. My waist level camera position is not as threatening, and I often find that when I use my small camera (a Sigma DP1) people think I am just another tourist with a camera. I look forward to seeing you again on Dave Wyman's October Yellowstone photo tour.
sunlightpix12-May-2008 23:29
I'm glad you don't consider yourself a hunter or your subjects as prey. I always try my best to remember to not say "shooting" in relation to photography. In this era that I have dubbed "The Age of American Terrorism", an innocent statement such as "I'm going downtown to shoot the street people" can get you thrown in jail. Even taking pictures of buildings and bridges in the Bay Area has gotten people arrested for being terrorists. I have also found that the flip up LCD screen on my Panasonic does help make me appear less threatening to some people and critters.
Phil Douglis30-Apr-2008 18:58
Thanks, Christine, for these comments. I agree -- silhouettes obscure identity, just as photographers themselves try to be as invisible as possible. As you put it, we work in the shadows, making as little of our work evident as possible. Shirley makes it seem as if we are hiding behind a tree here -- actually, the tree just happens to be there. I don't consider myself a hunter. I don't see my subjects as prey. I want them to be comfortable, act naturally and spontaneously, even if aware of my presence. I don't mind being seen by subjects. I just don't want them to make too much of either me or my camera. That is why I like to shoot from the chest or waist as I am doing here. By not covering my face with a camera I make myself more visible and perhaps less threatening.
Christine P. Newman30-Apr-2008 15:02
A photo that means even more when one knows the photographers. The idea of silhouette also expresses the idea that the photographer often works in the shadows, quietly, waiting for the moment like a professional hunter.
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