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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Eight: Using symbols and metaphors to express meaning > The Sacred Way, Ancient Delphi, Greece, 2005
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17-SEP-2005

The Sacred Way, Ancient Delphi, Greece, 2005

The remnants of ancient Delphi, renowned as the dwelling place of the god Apollo, overlook the Delphic Gorge on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus. From the end of the 8th century B.C., people from all over the world came to Apollo’s great temple to ask him how to govern their lives. Apollo answered through a priestess, known as the Delphic Oracle. All roads led to these steps – the Sacred Way – an ancient path that twists and turns its way through the ruins of the place the ancient Greeks considered the center of the universe. I wanted to make a picture of the Sacred Way as more than just a road. I wanted to make an image that symbolized the unknown, the uncertainties, and the questions that drew people looking for answers to these steps for more than 1200 years. As I slowly climbed the Sacred Way very late in the afternoon, I noticed how the sun reflected off the worn marble steps. I limited the image to just six levels, and exposed for those reflections. The textures came up beautifully, and the black gaps in between each surface seemed to symbolize chasms of doubt and mystery.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20
1/640s f/5.6 at 16.7mm iso80 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time17-Sep-2005 20:01:57
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-FZ20
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length16.7 mm
Exposure Time1/640 sec
Aperturef/5.6
ISO Equivalent80
Exposure Bias
White Balance (10)
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis02-Dec-2006 23:32
Thanks, Marisa, for this observation. If we are to be expressive photographers, we must know ourselves. It is essential, because ultimately, we are what we photograph and photograph what we are. Coming to know ourselves is an on-going process, just as expressive photography is a never-ending quest that is always challenging us. I will never forget the challenge I faced in making this image on the Sacred Way. I may have been struggling physically, but that struggle made me photograph with greater deliberation and thoughtfulness. I learned much from this experience about myself in the process.
Guest 02-Dec-2006 22:58
The admonition 'Know yourself' (remember also Socrates) was carved on the temple portal at Delphi, as testimony to a basic truth to be adopted as a minimal norm by those who seek to be 'human beings', that is as those who 'know themselves'. That was -and is- the sacred way.
And it seems that you experienced your own 'know yourself' alongside this steps!
Phil Douglis06-Jun-2006 18:34
Thanks, Lorraine. Yes, I did learn a life lesson on that hill that day. Take the time to reflect, to think, and to see, and then photograph what is both your mind and heart. I am not a spiritual person, so I am not into Apollo and the other gods, but I do have a great interest in history, and what I felt up there was more a sense of mystery and tradition and passion. Whenever I am in a place hallowed by time, I get a better perspective on my own small piece of that time. My 72 years are an eye-blink compared to 1200 years and the millions who may have walked these very stairs before me.
Guest 06-Jun-2006 18:20
I think thats where I need to improve by taking more time to study and acknowledge. Good job for keeping going even when you were obviously struggling, you did get a great reward in the end. It must have been a very spiritual momment to follow the steps of thousands upon thousands of people who have done so before you.
Phil Douglis06-Jun-2006 18:09
I am so glad you stopped by this image, Lorraine. You see here what I saw -- as I said in my caption, the dark gaps represent the doubt, mystery, and questions carried here by pilgrims over a 1200 year period. You add a counterpoint here for us -- the light as symbols of hope. This image was the most expressive I was to make at Delphi, and it came at considerable physical expense yet yielded great insight. I had torn a leg muscle earlier on the trip and by all rights never should have made the steep climb up Delphi's ancient Sacred Way. I could not keep up with the tour I was with, and I was advised not to make the steep climb. But I dragged myself up that hill anyway, using two canes as crutches, each step a painful adventure in itself. Because I had to carefully watch each step as I ascended the ancient road, I became much more aware of the textures and the play of light upon them than I would have if my legs were functioning normally. Eventually, as the sun got lower and lower, and as the other tourists departed, I had this ancient stairway all to myself, and this picture was the result. Glad it puts your week into perspective. As for me, it puts travel itself into perspective. If we are able to take enough time to thoughtfully absorb what we see, our chances of discovering an expressive message will greatly improve.
Guest 06-Jun-2006 17:48
I am very fond of this one Phil and of what it symbolizes. There are cracks on the way and uneven surface areas, which for me represents everyones struggles on the way to what ever they wish to seek. The shadows represent doubt and the light represents hope. I am glad I found this image, as it puts my week into perspective:) p.s In a much better mood today!
Phil Douglis10-Oct-2005 18:09
And that, Kal, is the whole point of this image. People have been walking the sacred way for 1200 years. In the beginning they sought answers from the gods. Later, they came for knowledge and understanding. Today, they come for insights into the past. These shining, worn steps can be read as symbols for all of these things.
Kal Khogali10-Oct-2005 14:39
Tis could have so easily been simply graphic and abstract Phl. But by providing the right angle of light and focusing on the six steps you give us a feel for the texture of these worn stone steps and remind us of how well trodden this path has been. The sacred path has been sought a very long time.
Phil Douglis08-Oct-2005 01:14
An apt observation, Tim. For me, the climb through Ancient Delphi was a journey into the past, and the enlightening knowledge that came along with it.
Tim May05-Oct-2005 18:01
Since this is a metaphor for the sacred way - it is apt that you have left the light in the upper right hand corner - that all our climbing does eventually lead to the light.
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