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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Contemplation, New York City, New York, 2010
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10-JUL-2010

Contemplation, New York City, New York, 2010

I saw this woman staring blankly at the street in front of her, her hand to her chin. Her gesture expresses contemplation or thought, both of them universal human values. As I shot her in burst mode, a New York City taxi rushed between her and my camera. One of my exposures framed her within the window of that taxi, giving the image a sense of place as well.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
1/400s f/5.1 at 132.0mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time10-Jul-2010 07:29:28
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-G1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length132 mm
Exposure Time1/400 sec
Aperturef/5.1
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.66
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis20-May-2018 20:53
Your comparison of the woman's contemplation to the cab driver's obvious (but invisible) lack of contemplation is fascinating, Merri. Driving a cab through the streets of Manhattan has to be a stressful way to make a living, and the blurred taxi makes its shadowy driver seem even more tense, even though he is only implied here, rather than described. The emphasis is on the woman's contemplative gesture, yet the viewer is also encouraged to imagine the state of the driver because of how the window frames both of them.
Merri 19-May-2018 21:42
This is also a good example of why someone who is learning photography should practice now and then in burst mode.
Merri 19-May-2018 21:40
Such great timing! It is a juxtaposition of stillness and motion enhanced by the camera's focus on her and the slight blurriness of the moving cab. Her contemplative state s also incongruous with whatever the taxi driver is feeling, which, I can guarantee after experiencing NY City traffic myself, is anything but!
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