photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery One: Travel Abstractions -- Unlimited Thought > Cowboy, Town Square, Jackson, Wyoming, 2006
previous | next
30-SEP-2006

Cowboy, Town Square, Jackson, Wyoming, 2006

I made two photos of this evocative statue in the heart of downtown Jackson. One reveals detail and emphasizes the beauty of the surrounding trees. You can see it in my color gallery by clicking on the small thumbnail below. This version is far more abstract. I’ve backlighted both the statue, which depicts a rodeo cowboy waving his hat from the back of a bucking horse, and the surrounding trees which envelope it. To a vivid imagination it seems almost real, a cowboy triumphantly riding through the trees.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
1/1000s f/10.0 at 46.3mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time30-Sep-2006 09:14:04
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-FZ50
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length46.3 mm
Exposure Time1/1000 sec
Aperturef/10
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Phil Douglis05-Aug-2007 18:25
Thanks, Patricia, for noting that tiny bit of light on the top of the hat. Sometimes big things come in small packages. As for weighing the value of this image vs the color version, they each say different things. This image withholds information and allows the viewer to build meaning in their own imaginations. The abstracted statue communicates exuberance through the play of light on the hat and its dynamic form. The color version communicates exuberance through the excitement of its golden hues. And thanks, Patricia, for pointing out the need to make hard decisions. It takes discipline to communicate effectively.
Patricia Lay-Dorsey05-Aug-2007 05:52
For me it is the reflected light on the top of the cowboy's hat that draws my eye. There is such a sense of exurberance and joy in his arm reaching high and his hat reflecting the sun! And your decision to go with a silhouette instead of the beautifully colored image is right on, Phil. So often as an artist I have had to let go of my favorite part of a photo or painting because it does not serve the whole. A hard but necessary discipline for one who loves beauty and color!
Phil Douglis29-Jun-2007 17:46
I like your interpretation, Daniel -- I had not thought of that splash of color as symbolizing the heavens, but now that you mention it, I see nothing else.
Guest 28-Jun-2007 23:00
I, too, am drawn to the splash of color. This photo speaks of hope and inspiration. It seems as if the cowboy is reaching to the heavens.
Phil Douglis28-Oct-2006 19:18
I knew you would go to the spot of color -- that's the way you see. When we look at the relationship of the hat and the golden leaves, it does seem as if the cowboy is trying to hold back the dawn, resisting the tides of change that forever altered his way of life. Thanks for adding this thought -- it changes the way I see my own picture.
Tim May28-Oct-2006 16:51
I am drawn to the touch of color - it is almost as if his hat is blocking the sun pouring down from the color.
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