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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Two: Travel Incongruities > Mirror image, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006
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25-DEC-2006

Mirror image, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006

I noticed an ornate mirror set up just below a painting of a woman wearing a head covering. I waited for an actual woman with a head covering to pass by, and caught her reflection from behind in the mirror. This image offers a double incongruity – contrasts between the frontal and rear views and painted vs. live women.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/50s f/3.2 at 13.7mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time25-Dec-2006 08:23:35
MakeLeica
ModelV-LUX 1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length13.7 mm
Exposure Time1/50 sec
Aperturef/3.2
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis06-May-2018 20:24
Thank you for pointing out the fact that you see the drawing of a woman in this image as more lifelike than the reflection of a real woman in the mirror below it. I see that as well, but I also think that the painted woman is far more lifelike because we can see her face, while we only see the "real woman" from behind.
Merri 06-May-2018 08:05
In this photo, the two-dimensional drawing of the woman has more immediacy, presence and life to me than the reflection of the three-dimensional woman walking by. Another example of 'when the not-real becomes more real than the real' incongruency. I like these almost as much as I like photos representing Uncanny Valley.
Phil Douglis28-Jan-2008 04:29
I am glad that you find these comments between Tim and myself to be of value. That is why both of say here what we have to say -- to help others come to understand what expressive photography entails. If our words make you stop and think and ultimately affect your own approach to this art, they will be words well spent. Thank you, Vera.
Guest 28-Jan-2008 00:14
Oh, these comments are so interesting for me to read. I have never been in a debate on this. Never gave it a second thought actually. Now you have me thinking. Thank you!
Phil Douglis18-Jan-2007 20:08
I have always tried to use words that embrace the art of photography. Expression is created. It is not captured. Expression -- the making of images that express ideas and stir the imagination -- is not based on accidents or luck. It is based on thought and feeling. If we can find words to embrace these concepts, we will be the better for it. Thanks, Tim, for bringing this up. The word I disike the most is "capture" -- which is often tossed around here on pbase. Expressive photographers are not hunters. They should be creators.
Tim May18-Jan-2007 17:17
On several occasions we have discussed the vocabulary of photography and I have discussed my discomfort with words like "shoot" "grab" and "capture" and you have suggested "make" and image - this is a classic example of a created image - that your artistic eye and mind built.
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