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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Remembrance, Sanctuary of Atotonilco, Atotonilco, Mexico, 2005
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31-OCT-2005

Remembrance, Sanctuary of Atotonilco, Atotonilco, Mexico, 2005

Seven miles outside of San Miguel is the Sanctuary of Atotonilco, where father Miguel Hidalgo launched the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. He took a cloth bearing the likeness of the Virgin of Guadalupe from its altar and raised it as a banner to inspire those who followed him and Ignacio Allende in trying to drive the Spaniards out of Mexico. Today a solitary nun tends the floor of very same altar. She seems to sense the importance of what once happened on those very steps. Using my zoom lens at the classic medium telephoto focal length of 105mm, I created an image based on body language and expression that imply several important human values: reflection, devotion, humility, and thoughtfulness.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30
1/5s f/3.2 at 14.4mm iso80 full exif

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Phil Douglis14-Dec-2005 21:52
Thanks, Rod, for this wonderful analysis. I particularly liked the way you see the colors working here to express meaning that would not have been present if this had been in black and white. She is sitting in an incongruous place -- a frame within a frame -- surrounded by light and colors that illuminate the human values she is expressing through her work and demeanor. Thanks for telling us how and why it works for you.
Guest 14-Dec-2005 18:25
The first thing I noticed about this photo was the natural framing (seems she is under a table or alter?). In a way that framing adds a type of pressure (in a good way ) to have us focus even further into the photo. When I see her I see someone determined and focused. While I do see the human values (mainly, to me, her determination to the best she can, given the importance) what stands out much more to me is the abstraction created by colors and lighting.

With the red carpeting, and the green bucket, those two contrasting colors brings my attention there. With the light making the bucket glow, it gives me a feel of whatever is in the bucket is something of power (as if "she is cleaning with Holy water!"). It's as if the very water is blessed to complete the task that is so important to her (the human value, to me, she's expressing the most).

Her body language tells me a lot too. She is not in a hurry. She is under that table, to be sure to reach every place. She is sitting, to be sure she can reach all the way down. She is taking her time to do the very best job she can. Pride....
Phil Douglis15-Nov-2005 17:40
Photographs that ask questions and demand answers from the viewer are almost always expressive, because they force the viewer's imagination to enter the image and seek those answers.
monique jansen15-Nov-2005 15:06
Questions arise with this image: is she cleaning, praying, contemplating life, is she sad, suffering from some loss, or is she a nun just doing her job?
Phil Douglis12-Nov-2005 03:02
As usual, your comments are on target, Mikel. This image is rich in incongruity. But as you know, I try my best to get some kind of incongruity, abstraction, and human values into most of my images. It comes down to where I feel the picture would work the best as a teaching example. The human values were so profound here that I felt it best to use it in this gallery, although it certainly could have worked just as well in my incongruity gallery, as is often the case.
Guest 12-Nov-2005 02:33
I am not quite sure if this should be to in the incongruence gallery... On one hand it is evident the high human value of that expression that could well be for the reasons that you say or in the case I thought, she is praiyng with great dedication.
The incongruity I find it in several aspects, first of all, it looks like she is hiding under the altar (the expression helps to it too). An other incoungruity is... in the case of understanding that the nun is praiyng... that she has the brush on her hand and the bucket on the ground, non of them realy religious items, buton the other hand she is giving the brush almost a religious relevance since she is holding it with the admost care and her face is bended towards it.
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