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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Forty-Three: When doors, arches and gates express ideas > Decisive moment, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006
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29-DEC-2006

Decisive moment, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006

This is a very special photograph, a spontaneous moment of pleasure caught in a Moroccan environment. I was walking through the souks of Marrakesh when I saw a shaft of sunlight illuminating an ancient wall within an archway at the end of a dark and narrow street. I heard the distant voices of children at play, getting closer and closer. I framed the shot and waited, and within a few seconds a kid came flying into the arch. I squeezed the shutter button and caught him just as he landed. The magic of photography will always keep him in this spot, framed in fiery red, a symbol of youthful exuberance. An arch constrains motion – there is hardly room to move within it. The shutter of the camera has also constrained motion here, catching it within a specific – and decisive -- moment in time. The spatial constraints of the arch offer the very tension that holds this image together.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/250s f/4.5 at 26.4mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time29-Dec-2006 04:41:57
MakeLeica
ModelV-LUX 1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length26.4 mm
Exposure Time1/250 sec
Aperturef/4.5
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis30-Dec-2012 04:40
Thanks, Ruth. Have a great trip to Marrakesh. Wander through the Souks when the light is at its best. You will be amazed at what you see there.
ruthemily30-Dec-2012 00:33
As this child is frozen in time, so will be this image in my mind as I travel myself to the Marrakesh souks in a fortnight.
Phil Douglis06-Nov-2007 06:23
Thank you, Christine, for adding this comment. You are right about the richness of the tonalities I was given to play with here. Not only are the contrasts between them beautiful, as you so kindly note, but they are also substantive -- they add a layer of meaning to the image. For it is in our carefree youth that the sun often seems (in retrospect) to shine the brightest. The golden orange slashes of light on that wall, echoing the thrust of this child's joyous body, can symbolize that very thing. ( You have made an image of a dancer that defines a similar moment in time and space athttp://www.pbase.com/image/88426913 )
Christine P. Newman05-Nov-2007 22:51
Beautiful contrast between the light and the dark sections of the photo. The light is very rich with all these tones. I do not have the courage to read all the comments, but I am sure someone has found other wonderful things to say about this photo.
Phil Douglis19-Mar-2007 22:54
Sorry to be so late in responding to your latest comment, Jen -- I must have somehow missed it. You are right: photographic expression requires an understanding of life. It is not about f/stops or sharpness. It's about passion, and compassion, about caring and thinking. And all of this is based, as you say so eloquently, on an understanding of life itself. Thank you for your wonderful thoughts -- as both your teacher and a friend, it is wonderful to be needed and valued, and the feeling, Jen, is mutual. Along with Tim, Iris, Cecilia and Chor, I am looking forward to seeing you in China this summer.
Jennifer Zhou02-Mar-2007 08:57
I am so touched that you always appreciate my words this much. And Yes Phil, I feel more and more that photography actually is not simply about taking pictures, it is about understanding of life. And the more I come to understand it, the more I appreciate it, the more I put myself, my heart into it. Understanding of life usually is a lonely journey that everyone has to take, but I am not alone, you are always there, shine a light for me and lead me through the darkness. A man once said, "To send light into the darkness of men's hearts --- such is the duty of the artist." and you are a real artist Phil! Thank you!
Phil Douglis09-Feb-2007 07:03
I am so glad you took the time to add your voice to the comments on this image, Jen. It was somehow incomplete until you, one of my most accomplished students, added this honest and thoughtful comment. You speak here of the passion we must bring to the making of such an image as this one -- that magical feeling deep inside, a simultaneous arousal of instinct and wonder and energy. Such moments, Jen, are rare. If you feel you are losing your passion for imaging, you are not alone. Magical moments such as this are not experienced routinely. If they were, such an image would be commonplace. Henri Cartier Bresson, who you speak of here, has said that most photographers make only a few magical images in their life. They may make many others that are expressive,but only a few that are magical -- which really means inexplicable. I am flattered and honored by your contention that this image is almost as magical as Henri's "Behind the Gare St Lazare" (http://encarta.msn.com/media_461524808_761571949_-1_1/The_Decisive_Moment.html ) -- one of the most important photographs ever made. My image depicts a similar subject, and is charged with tension and energy, just as his image is. But his image has stood the test of years -- its meaning and interpretations are substantial, and the legacy of that image has influenced hundreds of photographers all over the world for the last 75 years. I am thrilled that you mention my image in the same breath, and I thank you for honoring it in such a way.

I would also be thrilled if this image can help you rekindle the flame of passionate photography that burns so brightly in your own galleries. You often tell me that you feel lost, Jen, but then you turn around and make images that are usually extremely fresh and thought provoking. Somebody once said that passion is not something you put on like a jacket when you go out to shoot. It has to be based on how you feel about life itself. If you enjoy living, if you care deeply about the things you are photographing, it will show in your pictures. I was having a wonderful morning exploring the mysterious old streets of Marrakesh. It was a once in a lifetime day for me -- losing myself in the vast, ancient souk filled with exotic sights, sounds, and smells. Naturally I was excited. All of my senses were more aware of my surroundings. Not only of what was happening around me, but there was also an awareness of what MIGHT happen. I saw the arch and the glowing light within. I felt its beauty and read its symbolic meaning. I heard distant voices, shouting, laughing. The voices of children, getting closer and closer, but not yet seen. And so I knew that something was about to happen within that arch. I reacted instinctively as I caught sight of a child flying through the air. The slight shutter lag of my camera caught him as he landed, and this is the result. Is he escaping from something? Why does he seem to be fleeing from us, and running away from the flow of that beautiful light? Or is he just being a kid, having fun? You are right. The best photographs ask questions and demand answers from the viewer. I am glad this one works as well for you, Jen, as it did for the others who have commented here so far.
Jennifer Zhou09-Feb-2007 05:25
I always believed that photography is like magic, it is about capturing a magical moment in a magical way, and in the process of finding & waiting for that to happen, the photographer, can really feel that magic inside, it is like your whole body is experiencing a high digree of excitment, and your heart fills with endless passion, and that is when you really carry a piece of magic with you. I miss that feeling so much, I once had a lot of such mements, but sometimes, I feel I am losing it, but your photography always can bring that magic back to me, I hope I can express myself better Phil, but you know how I feel right?

This photograph is almost as magical, and memorable as Henri's "Behind the Gare St. Lazare". Not only the mement is flitting away, so does the boy. It suppose to be a joyful mement of playing, but the boy seems to be escaping from something. That ray of light casting on the red wall seems almost spiritual, and is the only source of light in the photograph, but the boy chose to run away from it. Why? A good photograph asks a lot of questions right?
Phil Douglis28-Jan-2007 00:55
Thanks so, Celia, for telling me how this image made you think and feel. At this point, most of my on-line students have joined in the discussion. Of all the images in this cyberbook, it is probably this one that best sums up what expressive travel photography is all about to me. You grasp both its simplicity and its complexity eloquently -- it certainly does express the very essence of this place, and uses abstraction, incongruity and human values to do it. It also required careful simultaneous choices in light, time, and space. It makes use of the interplay between light and shadow, and above all defines the nature of an exhuberant child. Thanks again for your wonderful words, Celia.
Cecilia Lim27-Jan-2007 11:57
So many great comments have already been made here about this brilliant piece. I just wanted to add that this photo expresses a wonderful sense of place. The contrast of darkness and warm light, together with the combination of corners, hidden passages, arches, and a flash of a young boy dashing by heading into the unknown - all create an intriguing & wondrous place. There is a great sense of exploration and mystery that we get about this maze of souks.

And although the walls speak of age and time, there is still so much energy and life flowing through these walls. The past and the present appear to have merged to become one life form, unique to this very place alone. This is a brilliant, brilliant piece of travel photography Phil. Within this very instant of a second, or rather 1/250 of a second, you've expressed to us the very essence of the souks of Marrakesh.
Phil Douglis24-Jan-2007 06:04
As you know, the legacy of HCB is very important to me as both a photographer and teacher. I am well aware of that famous quote, and you use it well here to describe what I've tried to accomplish within this particular image. In fact, when I first saw this image appear on my viewfinder screen, my lips must have formed the word "YES!" It is a word that HCB himself used to acknowledge an image that fulfilled his own definition of an expressive photograph. I thank you for putting this image into such company -- I can only say that it told the story I wanted to tell by stoppiing time within a symbolic and geometrical context.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)24-Jan-2007 02:41
Cartier-Bresson once wrote that a photograph for him is "the simultaneous recognition in a fraction of a second of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms." If he could see this image, he would say a resounding "YES" and I would say ditto that response!
Phil Douglis22-Jan-2007 04:51
You are so kind, Azlin, to say such things about this image. Yes, there is the feeling of exhilaration in this image, and it makes the viewer feel just as exhilarated. I was thrilled to be able to freeze the end of his jump, when his body was bent forward at the exact angle of the light on the wall, and seemingly ablaze with energy.
Phil Douglis22-Jan-2007 04:49
I am glad you modified your comment. You know my feelings about that awful catch-phrase "capture." I don't think expressive photographers go out to "capture" anything. They are not hunters. They should be, as you note, creators. I did not cause this child to jump into that arch. But I did hear him coming, and I did recognize the relationship of arch to a child before I even saw him enter the frame. Yes, it was a magical moment. I had no idea his jump would align his form with the light and color on that wall in the background. And I had no idea exactly what the child might be doing inside of the arch when he got there. So yes, there were certainly elements of chance at work. But it was not luck rhat made the shot. We must make our "luck" in situations like this. I put both time and thought into this image before it was made -- so yes, I can say that I played a part in creating it. Thanks, Dandan, for your observations here.
Guest 22-Jan-2007 01:32
I took it back, it shouldn say "created", rather than "captured".
Guest 22-Jan-2007 01:31
That's absolutely a magic monent that you captured!
Azlin Ahmad16-Jan-2007 10:00
This is stunning, Phil! Having seen (and taken) many shots of static people in archways and doorways, the boy's movement injects a burst of life, energy and excitement into the picture. I love how his posture coincidentally is parallel to the beam of light above him, but what strikes me is the feeling of exhilaration this image provokes. This is one of my favourite images - I would vote for it again and again if I could!
Phil Douglis12-Jan-2007 22:33
It is always difficult for any photographer to acknowledge an image as his or her favorite. I have made many images for so many different teaching and expressive purposes that have been very successful. But as you and the others have noted, this particular photograph seems to be in class by itself. It is a seamless blend of (1) abstraction (the child is almost a silhouette), (2) incongruity (freezing this child's landing within the counter-tension of that arch, as well as matching the diagonal lean of the body to the diagonal thrust of the light on the wall, is well out of the ordinary), and (3) human values (the boy, the wall, the light, and the arch, as you demonstrate, provide ample metaphorical content). Your words add still more substance to this image for me -- the fact that you can hear the echos of voices and sense ghosts that may be present, tell us how this image is affecting your imagination. You are right -- I was stunned and thrilled to get the moment right. If this is to be the image that my students and friends will remember me for, I will be delighted. Thank you, Jenene, for putting your feelings into such eloquent words. They are as expressive in their way as this image may be in its way.
JSWaters12-Jan-2007 20:00
Phil, it's been said and I agree, this is fantastic and by far my favorite image of yours to date. It is perfect in every way, and I just know how your whole being must have tingled with delight when you first reviewed it. To go a step further, I hear this image. I'm there listening to the delightful sounds of children playing, the echo of their voices against the hard walls confusing me with which direction they might originate. I feel it in the closeness of the cool walls next to me, wanting to warm up in the glowing light up ahead. I sense this place as if I'm in the presence of the ghosts who have walked here before. This image speaks of the connectedness of us all to each other - we're all in this spot, witnessing this sight, marveling at our similarities.
Jenene
Phil Douglis12-Jan-2007 18:47
You and Zandra bring the same sensibilities to my photographs, Tim. You are both humanistic souls. I thank you for seeing in this photo all that I intended, and no doubt more.
Phil Douglis12-Jan-2007 17:59
Thanks, Ceci, for adding your voice to the many others who have commented on this image. Yes, Zandra (Miinerva) gives us a vivid and thorough commentary, but you have added to it with the view of the child as weightless, flowing into the future. It was certainly worth the wait.
Tim May12-Jan-2007 17:59
Having been with you as you review your images I can almost feel over time and space how you must have felt when you saw this one - many of the comments have centered on the image I thing Miinerva has said quite well what I feel from this image - I think this an amazing image.
Guest 12-Jan-2007 07:38
One of your finest "captures," truly a moment of great beauty in time; loved the comments by Miinerva, who seems to have said it all. I just wanted to thank you for having brought this image back, and sharing it with us all, and for telling how you "waited". The colors, the child seeming to leap into the projected light, off the ground, seemingly weightless, flowing into the future. A breath-taker of a picture.
Phil Douglis11-Jan-2007 19:11
Zandra -- you are right. It is worth the wait and the work. You do an excellent job here of analyzing this image in terms of its tensions and contrasts. You go well beyond that in considering the picture from the standpoint of the wall and the ray of light as well. This image has obviously touched your imagination -- you have used this image as a trigger to thought, exploring such topics as the sources of joy and the nature of youth itself. The more I look at this image and read comments such as yours, the more valuable this image becomes to me as a photographic experience. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to this image, Zandra.
Phil Douglis11-Jan-2007 19:06
Judy -- Thanks so much for linking this to your own shot of a running boy in Guatemala. You are right -- same position, different environment. Boys will be boys, as you say, universally.
Phil Douglis11-Jan-2007 19:05
Kal -- coming from you, this is high praise, indeed. I have been thinking along the same lines. Only this morning I selected this image as the "cover picture" for my entire digital archive, covering all of my times since 2001, athttp://www.worldisround.com/home/pnd1/index.html It is the closest I have ever come to integrating an eyeblink in time with a context that sums up the essence of a place.
Phil Douglis11-Jan-2007 18:54
Catriona -- thanks for noting the immobility of the walls contrasted to the mobility of the child. That, and the interplay of the limited space within the arch and the energy of the leaping child, give this image the tension that helps make it so memorable.
Guest 11-Jan-2007 16:26
One of the things i have learned from you is that...it IS indeed worth the wait. And this picture proofs it once again! Thsi woudl have been a wonderfull photo also without the boy but the speed and joy in his apperance add so much more. The contrast between the static of the arch and the vibrante life of the boy. The contrast between the old and young. The arch which has stood strong through the test of time and the young boy which fills it with youthfull life...tiem goes on...life goes on...generation after generation...but the arch stands. Only the people passing by and through it changes. If walls could whisper i wonder what these walls would have to say. What wittnes would it bare. Surly it would tell us about the horror it has seen and about he joy it has witnessed. What would we learn from this wall... Another thing which strikes me is the ray of light. How it shines ooutside of the archway...as if wanting to point out to us the path to joy. The boy having landed in teh shadow adds the same joy to the part which would otherwise be in the dark...a sellebration to youth a strong and determined mind...joy is not always found where the light shines...joy is found where you are looking for it, where you let it embrace you. Once again, a beautifull capture.
judy sidonie tillinger11-Jan-2007 15:52
love this. boys will be boys universally: see his
companion halfway around the world in Guatemala
- entirely different environment, precisely the same position...
http://www.pbase.com/magpiejst/image/26192372
Kal Khogali11-Jan-2007 14:48
Correction Phil...THIS is the greatest image I have seen in these galleries (or at least to my taste). As you say, a fraction of a second..it will last an eternity. Just awesome. K
Guest 11-Jan-2007 14:01
Magical! You have captured the strong and solid texture in the ancient walls and contrasted that with the flowing motion of the child. Your commentry shows your excitement at capturing such a wonderful image!
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