Good luck rub, Xian, China, 2004 by Phil Douglis

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22-JUN-2004

Good luck rub, Xian, China, 2004

The parks of Xian are lined with sculptures of Tang Dynasty figures. A good luck rub on the hands of these fellows is apparently a morning ritual for this lady and others, because the statue’s hand is polished to a brilliant sheen. Superstition is a human value that all of us can understand and appreciate. I also thought the woman’s small hand contrasted to the large metallic hands of the statues, making for strong scale incongruity. This is a very humane image, and the human values it expresses more than make up for any distraction caused by the clutter of random people in the background.

Canon PowerShot S400
1/250s f/2.8 at 7.4mm hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	22-Jun-2004 04:06:47
Make	Canon
Model	PowerShot S400
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	7.4 mm
Exposure Time	1/250 sec
Aperture	f/2.8
ISO Equivalent
Exposure Bias	-1.00
White Balance	(-1)
Metering Mode	matrix (5)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	shutter priority (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto

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Phil Douglis		05-Jan-2005 22:36
Every day I learn more and more as both a photographer and a teacher from comments such as the one you have left on this image, Dandan. You show me that one person's distraction can provide meaning to another person. Clara had convinced me that that woman (thanks for clarifying the gender for me) "walking on the arm" of the lady doing the rubbing, took the edge off this shot for her. I had also found it to be distracting, yet something I could not have avoided. Now you come along and tell me that it is not a distraction at all to you. You think she may have just finished her own good luck rub. I really can't remember if she did or did not, but once you added this comment, that woman walking down the street became at least a potential context for meaning. The fact that her feet merge into the woman's arm still bugs me, but at least her presence now means something to me, which certainly salvages this picture for me in terms of its meaning. Thanks for making my day, Dandan.

Guest		05-Jan-2005 11:13
I don't think the walk away person in the picture is a distraction. Actually I think that added extra element into the picture. The person is a woman (I knew that because I grew up in China, I am quiet familiar with her "style" :)). From the direction she was heading to, it appears that she just finished her "good luck rub"...isn't she?

Phil Douglis		30-Dec-2004 05:15
We certainly agree on the human value coming from this image, Mikel. Superstition is universal. Thanks for adding all the context. It is very helpful and adds considerable dimension to this image.

Guest		29-Dec-2004 13:07
Well, the point her is similar to the one of relighion but here it is even remarked with the scale incongruence (Someone seeking for protection of a larger element that we give human values to). Supersticion is the enlargment of the arm of religion. Here in Europe there is a very important historical cutting point that can show this need. After renacence, were people thought that human beeng could control everything (for saing it is some way) came the insecurity when they saw that it was not possible, sudently we entered in the Barroccan era, Insecurity brought to religion but whent even further then that and there began superstition as a general way of life. Many of the costumes of a crossing black cat, the salt over the shoulder, not walking under a ladder comes from these tourbulent times when human beeng lost al it's self confidence as a colectivity or individually this is represented in superstition, I believe.

Phil Douglis		04-Dec-2004 04:32
I agree again, Clara. I would not use this shot in an exhibition either, because I consider it flawed by that man standing on that woman's arm. But it was the best I could have done under the circumstances and still captured that wonderful touch and that great expression, which is the point of this lesson in human values. And that is why I post my pictures on pbase. Not as an exhibition of my art, but rather as a series of useful lessons on expressive photography. You can learn here from both my success and my mistake. I am counting on you to tell me whenever you see successes and whenever you find mistakes in my pictures as well. I can learn from you and you can learn from me, and anyone else stopping here to read these words and look at this image can learn from both of us. Until yesterday, this mistake of mine went unnoticed. I knew it was there of course -- it still hurts. And then you found it and told the world about it. I want my pictures to be perfect, but alas, they never will be. There will always be something that needs to be improved. And that is the great challenge. To get everything just right in terms of light, time, and space. Easier said than done!

Guest		03-Dec-2004 23:40
Agreed, the instant was that one, or the women would be gone. Only that I would not use this shot for an exhibition (not the case here, this is a classroom). I am critical to my own shots too. Sometimes I regret distracting elements in my photos too. Some other times I am more tolerant. Here the meaning is still available and serves the purpose of this human values gallery.

Phil Douglis		03-Dec-2004 21:16
Great point, Clara. I think I am getting you to think of things you normally don't think of yourself as a photographer. By insisting that you become more critical of my images, I am making you look for things like such mergers as you point out. That man walking on that lady's arm is indeed a distraction, but I when I weighed the value of this image as a teaching example, vs the small merger, I went with it, knowing that someone would eventually call me on the merger. I had waited until he walked further away I would have lost the expression and perhaps the gesture as well. I have never made a perfect picture in my life, Clara -- there is always something I wish was a bit different. Once we sit back and become perfectly satisfied with our pictures, we stop growing as expressive photographers.

Guest		03-Dec-2004 19:52
I'd prefer the man that walks out to be more far away; now his foot still touches the lady's arm (in the image I mean). This is a small distraction. Like the caption's idea however.

Phil Douglis		06-Nov-2004 23:28
You have the ability to sum up the meaning of a picture in a single word, Nut. You do that here. Belief is very important human value.

nut		06-Nov-2004 23:16
Believe.

Phil Douglis		12-Aug-2004 01:58
Thanks for the comment and the story, Henk. Once again, you have hit upon something essential to human behavior. Touching. Even though this woman is stroking the shiny hand of a metal statue, she is exercising her sense of love, devotion, and kindness, all wrapped into the context of superstition, each a very important human value.

oochappan		12-Aug-2004 01:02
The most highest human value is touching and to be touched in a loving way as this make us more aware about our dignity. It's like here this old lady is expressing so clear what she misses. I notice that daily when people are asking may I caress your dog. The way they do with so much affinity I often got the feeling that this expression have to be so needed in their life. Mostly women do ask, and I always say 'Yes, please do' teasingly bowing my head.

Phil Douglis		16-Jul-2004 18:18
And there is a sense of greeting there as well -- her touch is ritualistic, it's a way to get in touch with the past, and thus satisfy a deeply felt need.

Tim May		16-Jul-2004 17:26
There is also the expression on her face - the sense of anticipation and hope.

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