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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Four: The Workplace -- essence of a culture > Gardener, Scottsdale Civic Plaza, Scottsdale, Arizona, 2010
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12-MAY-2010

Gardener, Scottsdale Civic Plaza, Scottsdale, Arizona, 2010

This gardener is lost in his work, engulfed by the foliage that creates his livelihood. I abstract the image by waiting for him to lower his head as he prunes a plant. His hat, the focal point of the image, covers his face and makes this image a symbol of work itself, rather than a portrait of a particular worker. He wears white work gloves that are thrust into deep shadow, yet still softly glow in the reflected light of his venue.

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1/640s f/6.3 at 72.0mm iso100 full exif

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Phil Douglis17-May-2010 18:23
Thanks, Jen, for coming back to note my response to your first comment. The point is often in the details, and that is very evident in this image.
Jennifer Zhou17-May-2010 02:04
Right, the glow in his gloves and the wreath of red all make this image even more intersting. Thanks for the tip, I should always look more closely to the details!
Phil Douglis16-May-2010 23:48
I did not notice the red, green, and white coloration as representing Mexico until you mentioned it, Rose. Ironically, the white is supplied by the picture's "border" -- no pun intended.
sunlightpix16-May-2010 20:42
I see lots of symbolic color in this image. The blue shirt shows he's a "blue-collar worker", doing manual labor. The brown skin visible on his wrists depicts him surrounded by red, green, and white, representing the flag colors of Mexico. Bravo!
Phil Douglis16-May-2010 18:15
It is wonderful to have your comments grace my galleries once again, Jen. I love your point about him "growing out of the earth." That is what I sensed as I made this image. As you also note, this image is full of mystery -- not only because he is abstracted by his posture and hat, but also because of the soft glow in his gloves and the wreath of red that seems to honor his work.
Jennifer Zhou16-May-2010 06:44
So good to see your new work Phil!

He does seem like to lost in his work. By his gesture we can feel how concentrate he is. He is about to cut the plants, adding motions to the picture. And surrounded by nature, he seems like growing from the earth as well. I love the hat of course, I remember Diane Arbus once said: "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.". And this picture will always remain mysterious in our heart.
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