photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Forty-Four: Photographing human response – gesture, body language, and expressions > Sidewalk café, Fez, Morocco, 2006
previous | next
16-DEC-2006

Sidewalk café, Fez, Morocco, 2006

A cup of mint tea or strong coffee is all someone needs to buy in order to occupy a seat in a Moroccan cafe for hours at a time. The cafe is a public living room in Fez, and smokers are welcome. His gesture and expression reveal a good deal of character. I was using a long lens (250mm) and burst shooting; he never noticed me. I was drawn to him by the black jellaba he was wearing which blends into the heavily shadowed background. The strong morning light on his face strengthens the detail in the gesture, illuminating both the veins in his left hand and the character lines on his face. Some might wonder why I did not convert this image to black and white, since most of the color in the image is in the skin tones. I tested this shot in black and white and the meaning changes entirely. The warmth of character vanishes in black and white – he becomes timeless, almost medieval in nature. The smoking gesture becomes cold, calculating, and stylized in black and white, while it is warm, relaxed and real in color. This exercise points up the danger of automatically presenting pictures in black and white as a matter of personal style. Monochromatic presentation can completely change the interpretation and meaning of gesture and response. As communicators, we must never choose our medium based on form alone. We should choose the form that best suits our content.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/500s f/5.6 at 53.5mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
previous | next
share
Phil Douglis06-Apr-2007 18:06
You read him well, Jenene. I see the cigarette as gesture. It gives him something to do while his mind is elsewhere. I
see him as both man and symbol. He is exactly what I expected to find in the Souks of Fez --the embodiment of Morocco, past and present.
JSWaters06-Apr-2007 06:29
Thank you Phil, for directing me to this image as a result of our 'camera' discussion. I see a man of the world here... meaning, he may not be worldly in a traveling sense, but worldly in a philosophical sense. An observer of life, well versed in passing fancies, rooted in the traditions that define him and his culture. Your commentary and subsequent comments take note of his activity, smoking. I think Cecilia is right about his commitment, albeit the cigarette is but a prop. His commitment lies elsewhere. This man is tuned in to his people, his surroundings, and his history.
Jenene
Phil Douglis26-Jan-2007 19:44
A still photograph has the ability to stop time in its tracks. When you say this portrait is timeless, you are also saying the medium itself is timeless. I think what makes this image seem particularly timeless is the nature of costume, which has been worn in Morocco for many years. It is not a fashion statement. It is a cultural statement that endures. Thanks, Mo, for bringing this up.
monique jansen26-Jan-2007 17:14
This could be an image out of the middle ages, again a very timeless portrait
Phil Douglis22-Jan-2007 04:42
The intensity of his expression matches the tension in his gesture.Thanks, Dandan, for your comment.
Guest 22-Jan-2007 01:05
A very intense facial expression makes you wondering what he was looking at or what he was thinking about….
Phil Douglis21-Jan-2007 18:29
Your commentary on this picture is wonderful, Rammaa -- his hand is so important here, the key to his gesture. As you say, it defines his authoritative character. The bones and veins let us see what is inside, as well as outside. They are visible because of his age, and thus we can also add a bit of presumably acquired wisdom to his character as well. Yes, there will more in this series of images. I plan to reguarly enlarge this gallery with photographs from future trips.
Phil Douglis18-Jan-2007 21:12
You are right, Ceci -- he does resemble the late Anthony Quinn. And yes, he is man of the desert. Almost everyone who lives in Morocco has the desert in his or her veins. Most Moroccans are Berbers, and the Berbers are a desert people. I would guess that he is Berber as well. You analyze the qualities of this image beautifully, Ceci -- it is among my favorite portraits because of gesture: the "commitment to the cigarette and the moment" you speak of; and because of response -- the intensity is palpable. Thanks for these observations.
Guest 18-Jan-2007 20:51
This could be Anthony Quinn, reincarnated out of Lawrence of Arabia. Such a powerful portrait of what could be a sheik, straight out of the desert. I love the concentration, the depth of his commitment to the cigarette and the moment, the fierce intensity of his gaze, the black that surrounds and frames him and the tendons of his hands -- that they should be so promiment for the simple act of taking the burning stick between his fingers is amazing. This image is redolent of heat, dust, sand, an ancient way of life, and people who probably live without the amenities which we take for granted, and especially without the luxury of higher education.
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment