At the windmill, Bruges, Belgium, 2005 by Phil Douglis

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery One: Travel Abstractions -- Unlimited Thought > At the windmill, Bruges, Belgium, 2005

previous | next


12-JUN-2005

At the windmill, Bruges, Belgium, 2005

By backlighting this windmill and the two people visiting it, I abstract this image, removing all detail, and leaving only silhouetted shapes, the color of the evening sky, and the glowing translucent leaves overhead. Yet I still am able to define the body language of the people – their spacing, posture, and attitudes are clearly evident. I also use my frame to abstract the windmill, showing only part of one sail peeking out from behind a tree, and only part of the lower half of the mill itself. The rest of the scene is left to the imagination of the viewer.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20
1/1000s f/6.5 at 19.2mm iso80 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	12-Jun-2005 23:58:16
Make	Panasonic
Model	DMC-FZ20
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	19.2 mm
Exposure Time	1/1000 sec
Aperture	f/6.5
ISO Equivalent	80
Exposure Bias
White Balance	(10)
Metering Mode	multi spot (3)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	program (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto

previous | next

Phil Douglis		13-Sep-2006 19:03
I like your reference to the "tentative tether" here -- that tiny rope that links these abstracted viewers to history. The romance of it all is enhanced by the foreground layer of leaves that embrace the windmill and its visitors. Thanks, Jenene, for illuminating this image with your comment.

JSWaters		13-Sep-2006 18:56
It's a romantic story of the places' history. I did not know that the windmills are not in service any longer, which gives this image an entirely new meaning for me. I see the two observers gazing upward and into the diminishing light of the night sky, tenuously tethered to their country's history by the trailing rope from the windmill's sail. I see the nostalgia of a beautiful place and a readily identifiable landmark. Jenene

Phil Douglis		05-Mar-2006 00:36
You are right, Anna -- when we choose to abstract our subjects, that are times when we want our viewer's imaginations to do all the work, so we can take most of the form and much of the detail out and leave the rest t them. However in this case, I am making a travel picture that attempts to give the flavor of this particular place as a place, so I abstract it much less.

Anna Yu		04-Mar-2006 07:51
The windmill is recognisable as what it is, good to not abstract too much. I like the sunlight on the leaves which give some color to an almost monochrome.

Phil Douglis		28-Sep-2005 17:26
You bear out the most important purpose of expressive photography, Roscoe -- the image is not an end in itself. It is a beginning, a trigger to thought. It is what happens in the imagination of the viewer that is the ultimate purpose of the photograph. And each viewer will bring his or her own vision to it, and make of it whatever they will.

Guest		28-Sep-2005 01:37
Well, yes, I knew that the people in the picture robably weren't bored workers, but your photograph conveyed that message to me even though I knew it wasn't what really was happening when you took the picture..

Phil Douglis		24-Sep-2005 03:17
Interesting how you use your own imagination here to find meaning in this picture, Roscoe. In fact, the next comment offers us a factual context for this image. As "Simple Photographer" says, these windmills are relics of another time, and the people are just enjoying an evening on the city walls. But that should not stop you from imagining your own workers waiting for the wind to start blowing!

Guest		22-Sep-2005 07:48
If you know the region, then you know that 99.99% of the windmills in Belgium are not in service anymore. They were used to pump water away behind the dikes, at least in Bruges. These people are probably from the neighbourhood, not interested in the mill, because they've seen it hundreds of times already. This picture was probably taken on the former walls surrounding the city, and at that spot, you have two or three mills at short distance from each other.

Guest		07-Sep-2005 22:32
I see these two workers, bored to death becuase there's nothing to do, walking around and around the windmill while they wait for the wind to come up...

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

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