Newsstand, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004 by Phil Douglis

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Sixteen: Story-telling street photography > Newsstand, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004

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05-SEP-2004

Newsstand, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004

A close look at the titles on this newsstand will tell you what Lisboans are buying these days. The vendor herself fades into this kaleidoscope of color as she takes advantage of a free read. She was so absorbed with her discoveries that she never saw me make this picture. The story here rests in its incongruity –the lusty Portuguese magazines that cover her little stand and seem to bury her inside of it, are obviously aimed at young men. This elderly woman, who by rights should be any place but in these macho surroundings, seems so utterly at home with it all.

Canon PowerShot G5
1/50s f/3.5 at 20.7mm hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	05-Sep-2004 19:48:37
Make	Canon
Model	PowerShot G5
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	20.7 mm
Exposure Time	1/50 sec
Aperture	f/3.5
ISO Equivalent
Exposure Bias
White Balance	(-1)
Metering Mode	multi spot (3)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	shutter priority (2)
Focus Distance

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Guest		10-Oct-2005 23:27
It's a picture of a woman framed by a bunch of pictures ... it always works :)

Phil Douglis		09-Oct-2004 01:50
Thanks, Sonia, for this fascinating comment. You have revealed one of the strengths of expressive travel photography. It can reflect changes in a society to people such as your mum, who left Portugal 22 years ago and now might not recognize the place. Particularly the newsstands.

Sonia		07-Oct-2004 03:56
It's very funny to see, my mother once commented on a Playboy she saw in a news stand... "You would never see things like this in Portugal" Well mum maybe you shouldn't go back, the place is not the same place you left 22 years ago :) Love this picture i may just take it home to show my mum a picture of her beloved Portugal. Ciao

Phil Douglis		27-Sep-2004 22:33
And there's the incongruity, Lara. I promise you that after spending four days and three nights working personally with me next week in my Sedona "Communicating with Pictures" workshop, incongruous seeing and thinking will be forever implanted in your brain! Phil

Lara S		27-Sep-2004 22:06
And the fact that she looks so opposite than what those magazines sell. And she's even bothered by it.

Phil Douglis		26-Sep-2004 21:35
Once more, Pedro, I thank you for confirming the validity of my image. I had assumed, of course, that this newsstand gives us a good picture of what Lisboans like to read these days, but it helps what someone who actually lives there can verify it for me from personal experience.

Guest		26-Sep-2004 16:34
Yep that what we are reading...newspaperps (soccer and daily newspapers), magazines all about cars, cuizine, social life...and of course girls (Playboy and so on...)...weel I think this is to get attention of the people :-) This "Quiosques" (newspapers and magazines places) exists in Lisbon, are tradicional places with color, and there are many portuguese peoples that reads the CAPS for free... Excelent photo !

Phil Douglis		26-Sep-2004 00:58
Beautifully put, Bruce. Thanks. Phil

Guest		25-Sep-2004 19:48
And I see a certain "uniformity" in the sea of crashing colors and shapes applied over the "earthiness" of real life.

Phil Douglis		23-Sep-2004 17:01
Thanks, Marek, for giving us a map of your eye flow here. I think Robin Statfeld will enjoy your journey as much as I did. Phil

Guest		23-Sep-2004 09:53
My eye went straight to the yellow dot on the Playmate Review (the bottom magazine in the vertical group, flanking the left side the window). That dot is positioned on the golden intersection. The vending lady's face is on the thirds. As far as I'm concerned, the dynamic tension is set up between these two points, and it goes like this (in a fraction of a second): 1-nude, 2-old lady. What's in between? A couple of limp-looking newspapers (they have a Dali-esque 'melting watch' property to them). These sorry newspapers represent the only bit of 'factually useful' information in a sea of entertainment pulp. The vendor seems to be turning away in disgust, as if to say, "I only work here".

Phil Douglis		20-Sep-2004 02:24
Hi, Robin, Glad you found my clarification of value. It's fascinating how the meaning of pictures changes as our context for them change. And how, in turn, criticism can turn to praise. I look forward to your future comments and critiques, with much pleasure. Phil

robin statfeld		19-Sep-2004 21:40
Yes, I suppose a woman's eyes will go to the jewelry every time : ) I see your point Phil, and I do like the fact that she's surrounded by so much clutter. Your clarification works better for me than the original caption, I guess I was thrown off a bit by describing the scene as "macho surroundings" and I was expecting the photo to show that and nothing else. But now I see how it doesn't have to be all or none in order to be effective. My cropping suggestion might have turned this photo into a humorous cartoon - I'm glad you didn't. Interesting about shooting while considering how others will see it - hmmm, I too will try to keep this in mind while out with my camera...

Phil Douglis		19-Sep-2004 20:40
Thanks for your critique of this image, Robin. You bring up some fascinating points. You feel the incongruity of this elderly lady being oblivious to the racy publications is diluted by the less racy titles that surround her. Your eye goes to the watch, papers and books. Yes, I could have moved in on her, or taken that different angle you suggest, and taken out all the magazines on the right hand side of the picture to stress those remaining on the left. I could still do this, in fact, by cropping the picture. But I didn't do it, and I won't crop it, because I wanted to totally immerse this woman in magazines. By surrounding her with them, I create a scale incongruity -- the woman is overwhelmed by the sheer number of publications she sells. I felt there was enough salacious material just to the left of her that made my principal point work. There may be other semi-nude women displayed elsewhere, but stack of Playboy covers looking over her shoulder makes this picture work for me. Why did your eye go to the graphics of the watch and the papers and books in the foreground, while mine go to those mens magazines? I think the answer is obvious. I am a man and you are not. Perhaps this picture will play differently for male and female viewers? That's what can make photography such an infinitely deep and broad medium of expression. By raising this issue, Robin, you force us to identify our primary audience. Who are we trying to reach with our images? And what are we are trying to say to those we do reach? The answers to those questions will inform the approach we take. Thanks for this critique, Robin -- I welcome your views and hope you'll learn as much from this response as I've learned from your criticism. Your words will always remain with me as I frame my subject. Where do I want the eye to go? And just whose eyes am I going after? Phil

robin statfeld		19-Sep-2004 17:48
I do think this is a good photo depicting street life in the city - a cluttered newsstand and a vendor passing time and absorbed in her newspaper, and as you said, a glimpse as to what the Portugese are reading. But after reading the description, I believe the incongruous part about the vendor being among racy mens magazines seems to be a bit diluted. My eye goes to the bold graphics of the watch, and also to the papers and books in the foreground. Perhaps there was a different angle that could have been chosen to accentuate the racy stuff? I'm wondering if the photo could be cropped, while keeping the woman surrounded in the window of magazines, to delete some of the material that doesn't add to the incongruous/mens mag theme. What do you think?

Phil Douglis		17-Sep-2004 23:31
You got my point, V -- this is the last place you would expect to find this particular person. Her racy surroundings may be incongruous, but she sure is right at home. And that's a great point about the camouflage bit -- I never thought of that. Thanks, Vanessa, for bringing your observant eye to this image.

Vanessa		17-Sep-2004 22:58
Although this is the last place I would expect to see a lady in her golden years, she seems to fit right in. The colorful print on her psychedelic dress blends with the vivid magazines that surround her. It's almost as though she's wearing camouflage to better gel with her environment.

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