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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifteen: Making travel portraits that define personality and character. > Totem carver, Port Angeles, Washington, 2009
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24-JUN-2009

Totem carver, Port Angeles, Washington, 2009

While waiting for the ferry to Canada, we spent a few moments talking with a man who was carving a totem pole near the harbor. He was either Canadian or a big fan of Canada – I’ve never seen larger lettering on any other sweatshirt. My fellow photographer and friend Tim May was shooting him as well, and at one point he asked the carver a question. The carver stopped carving, turned to Tim, and answered. While he spoke, I made this portrait of him. I call such portraits “Candid Portraits,” in that they are not posed and the gesture or expression of the moment is true to character, not self-conscious or directed. We can take the measure of the man from this portrait. He seems confident, warm, and intelligent. All of the shots I made of him actually carving went in the trash. This was the man I wanted to remember.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
1/160s f/4.7 at 103.0mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time24-Jun-2009 11:52:30
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-G1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length103 mm
Exposure Time1/160 sec
Aperturef/4.7
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.66
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis21-Jan-2010 15:21
Well said, Zandra. A pose is often a contrivance A candid is often natural, spontaneous, humane, generated by the subject. It is up to the photographer to find that part of the moment which makes most sense.
Guest 30-Dec-2009 20:17
Many times it is the candid shots that are the most true to the character portrayed as these pictures show the real character rather than the facade we hide behind every day. One of my favorite portraits I took of a passed friend was just that, candid. This photo also became the favorite memory of the wife he left behind as she said; this picture shows his true character. I was much honored when I saw the very same photo of my friend in his obituary. It is now a treasured memory of a real character.
Phil Douglis05-Jul-2009 20:22
Thanks, Mo -- he is rugged, but also very kind and gracious. I think that comes through in the portrait.
monique jansen05-Jul-2009 11:41
Lovely portrait of a rugged man
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