photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty One: The Marketplace -- crossroads of a community. > Fast Food, Vientiane, Laos, 2005
previous | next

Fast Food, Vientiane, Laos, 2005

Vientiane's streets are markets as well -- lined with vendors selling goods of all kinds. This vendor sells soups made with fresh vegetables while keeping her daughter occupied.
It was the translucent umbrella that drew me to the scene. The little girl could not take her eyes off me, but had no idea what I was doing. Her mother was trying to tell her, but it was beyond her comprehension. I found this interaction quite charming, and use the lovely umbrella with the soft golden light coming through it, along with the cooking utensils and the fresh produce, as context for the mother-child relationship.


other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Phil Douglis27-Jun-2005 20:24
You are right, Rod. I notice the symbolism of the circle as well, which implies an inclusiveness.
Guest 27-Jun-2005 18:51
I agree 100% with Jenny. To me, the umbrella dominates the photo, thus it was the first thing I thought: protection. Just as the mom hold, cradles, and protects the child, the umbrella stretches out its arms to protect and cradle the people.
Phil Douglis13-Apr-2005 20:32
Thanks, Jen, for the wonderful comment. I never thought of the umbrella as a symbolic layer of protection for the family, nor the mother as a layer of protection for the child. Thank you for seeing that in this picture -- it makes it all the more resonant. I was so involved in the patterns and colors of the umbrella itself, and expressing the charming interaction of the mother and child beneath it, that I overlooked the additional symbolism inherent in this image.

I also like your comment on the mother. She was very much as you say she was -- kind, supportive, and loving. Both Tim May and I were shooting this scene simultaneously. I was shooting the mother and child, and Tim was shooting another woman, just outside the left hand edge of my frame, who was having a great deal of fun watching me making my shot. Here is Tim's shot:http://www.pbase.com/mityam/image/40376851 -- a wonderful image, so rich in warm, spontaneous human values. She was most likely a relative, and her reaction, plus my own image, should certainly reinforce your feelings about the love and support that these people offer each other. We were welcomed by people like this all over Laos, a country of warm, kind human beings.
Jennifer Zhou13-Apr-2005 09:05
I see many layers in the picture, and they are the layers of protection. The big umbrella is to protect the family from sun and rain; and for the girl, the biggest protection is of course from her mother. This image defines many of the two roles this woman is playing, a working woman, and a mother, yet she seems balance them quite well. I can tell for sure she is a very strong and loving person! Phil, you tell the story beautifully, it is full of emotions that it moves my heart..Thanks!

Jen
Phil Douglis01-Mar-2005 02:16
I like your interpretation, Mo, of the parachute as protection and shelter. It adds a whole new level of meaning to this image. Thank you.
monique jansen28-Feb-2005 13:28
The umbrella as their safety net, their parachute to protect them, their shelter against the elements, their temporary home. Point very well made
Phil Douglis28-Feb-2005 02:42
Dandan, I have no problem telling different stories with every picture. No should you. Every moment in time is different. Every person reactions differently. The light falls in different ways on different subjects. My vantage point is constantly changing. All of these factors converge to make each image I make tell its own story.
Guest 27-Feb-2005 10:51
That’s their little comfortable yet secured world. The little girl was exploring the outside with her confused and curious eyes… Phil, how could you so accurately tell different stories with each image?!
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment