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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Nine: Composition -- putting it together > Photography critic, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2003
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08-SEP-2003

Photography critic, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2003

As a participant in a digital travel photography workshop at the Santa Fe Workshops, I was assigned the task of creating an image organized around a strong angle and contrasting primary colors. Walking down Canyon Road, Santa Fe's famed gallery row, I discovered this flowery stairway leading to a landing backed by blue framed windows. As I approached the stairs, this dog appeared at the top, an ideal subject. Using a wideangle converter lens on my digital camera, i moved in as close as I could to the flowers, filling nearly the entire right hand side of the frame with them. I placed the dog in the upper left hand corner of the frame, creating a diagonal flow of subject matter from upper left to lower right. As i begain shooting, the dog tilted his head and lowered his ears, amost as if he was evaluating my efforts, and lending a perfect expression to this photographic challenge.

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Phil Douglis25-Sep-2005 23:13
Thanks for your observation, Rod. I agree with your views on this composition, however I have always felt that the composition itself is not the ultimate purpose of a photograph. It is a tool, a way to organize an image for meaning.
Guest 25-Sep-2005 20:50
Very well composed! I like the low angle used. The flowers create their own "line" to draw us up. Other values are there as well, especially the incongruity of flowers and the dog (flowers are 'inviting' to me, while the dog's presence suggests 'proceed with caution') but this photo is about composition, which is excellent.
Phil Douglis10-Nov-2004 19:56
I am delighted that you enjoy this image as much as I've enjoyed making it, Zebra. If this picture makes your mind think of this dog beyond what you see here -- if you are wondering about his owners, for example -- the picture is working on your imagination. And that is what it should do.
Guest 10-Nov-2004 18:57
I am filled with admiration by your great idea,Phil.I often look around and want to find some relation between some people and something around him.This image is a wonderful example for me.Thank you.
Phil Douglis06-Nov-2004 05:33
This was one of those images that comes along every year or two. As I mentioned, we were looking for primary colors -- blues, yellows and reds -- an assignment given to us by photojournalist Nevada Weir at the Santa Fe Workshops. I saw the blue pots with the flowers, which were not yellow but orange, but blue counts as a primary color, right. Then I saw the blue trim on the second floor window, and as I began planning my shot, this dog magically appeared. As you said, its coat is the perfect match for the house, and blends nicely into the image. The dog was very patient wih me -- since I did not try to climb the steps, it just sat there looking at me with its head cocked to one side, and that, as they say, was the picture.
Guest 06-Nov-2004 05:11
This is one of those photographic surprises that leave me smiling. The first thing I'm drawn to are the orange marigolds. The I notice the brightly colored flower pot, the color of which leads me to the blue trim around the window. My eyes should naturally then move to the left to get to the same color door, but my gaze is surprisingly interrupted by a dog whose coat perfectly blends in with the color of the house. What could have been an inviting photo becomes an entertaining photo instead. Because the color of the dog matches the home, he doesn't stand out as much and so looks less threatening than he might otherwise look. The pose of the dog with the tilt of the head leaves me feeling I'm trying to sell him something and he's just not buying. Really fun shot!
Phil Douglis09-Oct-2004 05:17
Peter, thanks so much for these comments. I agree about the warmth. (This shot was made as part of a Santa Fe Workshop assignment to produce an image featuring primary colors.) You make that dog come to life for us. I saw him as my personal photo critic -- the tilt of the head and the expression seems to question my efforts more than salute them. But I will gladly accept your version as well. As I have often said on this site, a photo can have many meanings. It all depends upon the context you bring to it.
Guest 08-Oct-2004 14:37
Oh, what a great photograph, I love dogs and my goal is to photograph them in a context of the enviroment, so far haven't created anything to be proud of.
This photo is about warmth. Warm colours, home atmosphere, rural and nostalgic textures, flowers, window and wooden logs, and then the faithfull companion shows up, low vantage point makes him appear bigger and powerfull, his body language and expression says: home is safe, nothing to worry about, glad you are back and I love you (and did you bring a bone for me).
Peter
oochappan31-Jul-2004 20:45
Thanks Phil, I still consider this the best of your dog examples ... still handeling this gallery . other example how I isolate a dog:http://www.pbase.com/image/30149431
Phil Douglis31-Jul-2004 17:27
Thanks, Henk, for your kind comments on this shot. I have five pictures featuring dogs in these galleries, and all of them put the dogs into a context that tells a story. I don't isolate them because I feel stories are best told when the subject matter can relate to or interact with a context. In this shot, the dog looks down on us from above, holding the high ground, yet very curious about who is moving up those stairs towards him. The colors of the flowers add a light hearted context, and the tilt of his head makes the picture. Also see my four other dog pictures at:
http://www.pbase.com/image/20740882
http://www.pbase.com/image/28249596
http://www.pbase.com/image/28249597
http://www.pbase.com/image/20774103.
oochappan31-Jul-2004 02:09
I love dogs, that's why my eyes went straight to it, but what a pleasant way to place it, most unusual, at the top of the pict looking downwards to you, and realy in a pleasant environment with playful colors of orange and purple on a dog's color matching soft brown. I must keep that in mind as before I always isolated dogs on a more neutral background ... thanks for this I give you a wink .
Phil Douglis28-Jan-2004 04:30
Thanks, Will, for your kind comment. I could shoot with a DSLR if I wanted to, but I find the waist level shooting, the live preview, and the light weight of a five megapixel camera to be a perfect fit for my needs. As for noise, it usually does not compromise the meaning of my images, and sometimes the resulting texture may even enhance them. In this image, however, the noise is a mistake -- I had been shooting indoors, and forgot to change the ISO from 400 back to 50. But mistake and all, I am happy with this image because it says what I wanted it to say. As a photographic workshop leader, I have always felt that technical perfection in photography is secondary to substance -- form always should always be secondary to function. I have nothing but respect for DSLRs and for those who choose to use them. But for my own shooting needs, goals, and style, I require a much lighter camera with a flip out viewfinder and the capability to see exactly what my picture will look like before I take it.
William Kaiser28-Jan-2004 01:04
It's just a shame that you (with your eye for color and composition) are not shooting with a Digital SLR with the lenses that would do justice (enable resolution and avoid the noise) of your images.

Will
Phil Douglis18-Oct-2003 20:34
Dirk, when I photograph, I am always looking for how colors relate to each other. This picture is indeed a "game of colors". What a great phrase! The dog's expression came as a pure bonus -- it changed the meaning from a pretty animal portrait to a colorfully whimsical jest.
Phil
Guest 15-Oct-2003 10:51
Great angle used for this fine game of colors. I like what I call color reflections, color relations etc. and this is a wonderful palet of matching colors, from 'beige' (don't know if this is known in English) over yellow to warm brown and orange. The repeated blue in several parts makes the warm colors even warmer. And what a fantastic nice expression on the dog. Superb image.
Phil Douglis28-Sep-2003 00:19
It's amazing, Denise, how different people see different things in this picture. To me, color was the basis of this shot, because our workshop assignment called for pictures using at least one primary color. In fact, I saw the blue flower pots and blue windows before I saw anything else, since blue is a primary color. The flowers were a yellowish orange, which was close enough to yellow -- another primary color -- to count as well. The dog, of course, made the shot work -- its body language is wonderful. I never really gave much thought to its color. It is almost a match for the adobe walls and brown steps. Thanks for pointing that out -- all those tan tones do help make the vivid primary colors to roar out of the picture at us -- a color contrast which, along with my low vantage point, helps to organize the picture effectively.
Denise Dee27-Sep-2003 22:24
i love how the dog matches the walls. really makes the purple and the flowers pop. Thanks, denise
Phil Douglis14-Sep-2003 23:26
Glad you enjoyed this picture. It was a highlight of my adventure at the Santa Fe Workshops last week. Our instructor was Nevada Wier, a wonderful travel photographer who bombarded us day and night for a week with her spectacular images, provoctative ideas, and challenging assignments. This dog was there for me when I needed him. And you are right, Larry -- the scene is very typical of Santa Fe.
Guest 14-Sep-2003 23:04
Phil, this is terrific. The architecture is definitely New Mexico. I love the wide, low angle perspective. The composition is perfectly balanced and the colors are especially pleasing to me. The dog's presence and expression really brings this picture to life.
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