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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery One: Travel Abstractions -- Unlimited Thought > Gaucho roundup, Estancia Santa Susana, Argentina, 2002
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30-DEC-2002

Gaucho roundup, Estancia Santa Susana, Argentina, 2002

My favorite photo of this roundup was this shot of a gaucho leading a group of horses to pasture following a show. By shooting the scene from behind, I minimize the identity of both the gaucho and his horses, bringing a sense of closure to the event.

Canon PowerShot G2
1/500s f/4.0 at 21.0mm hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time30-Dec-2002 21:23:53
MakeCanon
ModelPowerShot G2
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length21 mm
Exposure Time1/500 sec
Aperturef/4
ISO Equivalent
Exposure Bias
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Program
Focus Distance4.400 m

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis21-Aug-2010 03:48
It is always a pleasure to receive a comment on an image that I made eight years ago in Argentina, River King. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the massed array of rear ends, and those odd tails, make an amusing photograph. The color and lightly overcast does spur the senses a bit -- I am delighted you came to same conclusion as I did. Thanks again.
Guest 21-Aug-2010 03:36
Great photo that expresses different feelings... first, I thought there was a humor in the picture as every horse showed their "butt" and cropped tail, and it made me laugh; second, I love the color combination of green and light brown or white, it gives a sense of really lightness; third, after looking at the picture for a while, now it gives me sense of "it's time to go home" and that's a feeling of relief and resting. Well done!
Phil Douglis03-May-2008 21:15
Thanks, Sofia. See the explanation about the tails from "KT" just below.
Guest 03-May-2008 19:46
Only one horse here has a normal long tail, strange :) Very well composed, with funny tails!
Phil Douglis04-Sep-2006 06:25
Thanks, KT, for clarifying the tail situation. It makes good sense.
KT 04-Sep-2006 04:56
I know about horses, and in answering the question before about why the lead horse's tail is longer than the others, I would assume that it is that way so that the owner can easily spot the leader when he wants to take the herd somewhere. Also, it would be easier to spot the leader at a distance.
Phil Douglis19-May-2006 18:31
Good point, Shirley. Yes, one of the lead horses has an uncropped tail. I am sure it is done for a reason, and perhaps one of our viewers might eventually be able to solve the mystery for us. I also agree that photographs trigger curiosity and transfer knowledge, but I don't see either of these important functions as being in addition to or separate from expression itself. Stimulating the human imagination is what expression is all about, Shirley. And triggering curiosity and transferring knowledge is what fuels the imagination, does it not? So I like to look at them as one thing: expression.
Shirley Wang19-May-2006 14:28
I just noticed that the tails of the horses are cut except the leading one. Subtle inconguous. Wonder why? In addition to expression, photos can trigger curiosity and transfer knowlege.
Phil Douglis03-Aug-2005 22:35
Thanks, Tracy, for giving context on how horses may behave in groups. This kind of information can be valuable to photographers. Not just for horses, but for all animals in group situations. For example, in East Africa, I noticed how predators usually stand or sit in circular arrangements, looking in every direction for prey. And those animals who would be their prey take identical positions, to better be aware of danger coming from any quarter. By being aware of such spacing and orientation, we can create coherent compositions and also help tell a story. Thanks, Tracy, for bringing this up.
Tracy O'Camera03-Aug-2005 22:18
Love your photos. Having some experience with horses, I will try to shed some light on the questions raised about lead, gap, etc. Horses are prey animals. Always alert to danger. The lead horse is often taking the most risk -- walking into danger. Thus the gap. However, you should know that the last horse is also a very important position, watching for danger from behind. You can clearly see that the last horse's ears are checking out the photographer -- and anything else that might sneak up behind. The last horse also has his head turned just enough to see the photographer out of the corner of his eye. In the wild, the lead mare leads the horses away from danger, and the lead stallion guards the herd from behind.
Phil Douglis15-Dec-2004 00:16
The abstraction here, Mikel, comes from shooting the horses and the Gaucho from behind, instead of in front.
By minimizing the identity of both, I make it seem as they are leaving us, and riding off into the sunset. (If there was one!) Glad you re-read the caption and understand what a sense of closure means. It means the story is over! I don't speak Spanish, but I think there is a phrase here that is understood everywhere: "Hasta la vista!"
Guest 15-Dec-2004 00:11
Ok, now reading the comments I've understood what the clousure means, I whas puzzled a bit by it.
Guest 14-Dec-2004 23:44
This one resoults difficult for me to read, I imagine that in this case it is a kid of abstraction doe to the distance right? or wrong? I didn't quite understand it. As a feeleng it is a bit contradictory too since I see a wide landscape but the photo is framed by these two trees and a vegetation line enfront of the horses. On the other hand, there is the lonliness of the Gaucho on the left and the group of the horses on the right, that I supose is the usuall feeleng of a gaucho in the middle of the Pampa it has to be quite solitary.
Guest 01-Dec-2004 18:07
you got the feel of the slow paced action and nature dialog. good one.
Phil Douglis19-Nov-2004 20:27
Glad you see a whole story coming out of just those tails, AMP.
AMP19-Nov-2004 18:26
This is really interesting.
This is" baptize the rites", all tails of horse cut, only that the horse that lead.
Growth process only route,this is pleased.
Phil Douglis12-Nov-2004 18:29
You are the first to point out the "time gap" here between the lead horses and the pack. While both groups of horses are moving, there is definitely a feeling of departure here, provided by my rear vantage point, the trees overhead bowing in farewell and now, as you point, the lead horses leading the way home, with the others following behind them.
nut 12-Nov-2004 07:00
So this photo mean "Goodbye" to you, right? That's why you put the time gap between a ground of horses and two horses including gaucho. This give dimension of this photo like one
group are stay still and other are running. I see.
Phil Douglis12-Nov-2004 01:51
A sense of closure simply means an ending, the knowledge that the event is over.
nut 11-Nov-2004 22:04
What do you mean by "bringing a sense of closure to the event".
Phil Douglis30-Oct-2004 23:52
Interesting observation, Nut. Lara felt that horse up front was the "Alpha" horse, or leader. You feel it is the youngest horse, getting its chance to lead the pack. I have no idea which it might be, but it shows us how an image can be open to many different interpretations.
nut 30-Oct-2004 17:07
Youngest horse join the trainning course by small cowboy with full team backup behide them.
Relax! don't be afraid. We are with you and you never walk alone :) This photo make me warm inside and bring my smile. Thank you.
Phil Douglis12-Mar-2004 03:12
Lara, this image has certainly stimulated your imagination. I'm glad it worked for you, no matter what the horses gender, or who chose who here.
Lara S11-Mar-2004 22:37
I wonder if he chose the horse, or if the horse chose herself. See I'm assuming it's a she. LOL
Phil Douglis11-Mar-2004 22:24
Good point, Lara. I never thought about how these horses regarded each other until you raised the issue. Now you have me wondering if that horse up front has been chosen for the honor because of how the other horses regard it, or if the gaucho has other ideas in mind here. Fascinating to think about. Thanks.
Lara S11-Mar-2004 22:06
interesting. he and the one horse are leading. It's like the rest know who is the alpha male (or female)and they are following behind BUT not too close. It's like they are respecting the hierarchy. I love it.
Anna Yu17-Jan-2004 17:16
Somehow I like this picture best in this gallery. The others are magnificent but this one has a feeling of "going home".
Regards/Anna
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