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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Commuters, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2007
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04-SEP-2007

Commuters, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2007

This couple was waiting for a commuter train in Kuala Lumpur's vintage railroad station. Outside of a few photographers, they had the whole station to themselves. I isolate them by filling half of the image with a blue advertising panel, making them seem even more alone. Isolation is a human value, and so are the love and dependency we see expressed between them.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/25s f/3.7 at 88.8mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time04-Sep-2007 09:30:10
MakeLeica
ModelV-LUX 1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length88.8 mm
Exposure Time1/25 sec
Aperturef/3.7
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis12-Oct-2007 18:13
Thanks for adding this social perspective, Tricia. Now this tender moment becomes almost furtive, a fleeting gesture on an empty train platform. It is a shame that there are still places in this world where public intimacy is "indecent." They are simply sharing a private moment in what for them, anyway, appeared to be a private place.
flowsnow12-Oct-2007 16:27
It's always difficult to be intimate in public areas in Malaysia - w/o being approached by the authorities for `indecent' exposure. Too close of a cuddle or even a peck one could be fined. Even the non Muslim have to keep a distance. Ironic though you still see those tender moments here and there and you have obviously captured this opportunity of a head scarfed Malay lady and a Malay man holding hands! Great paparazzi.
Phil Douglis01-Oct-2007 18:04
Thanks for calling special attention to the interlocked double grip here -- they use their hands to integrate their souls as best they can. Coupled with the woman's chin pressed to the man's shoulder, there is a lot of linkage being expressed here. Glad you see so much in this image, Ceci.
Guest 01-Oct-2007 07:03
This is a wonderful shot, so full of tenderness and human contact; I love your explanation of "isolating" them even more by arranging a large panel in the frame, something I might not have thought of. Great technique, and good to learn. The sweetness expressed here is palpable, not only in their poses, but in those hands -- which though not twined together, are still close enough ( with hers in HIS intimate space) to indicate caring and strong feeling. His face is shadowed by his cap, which gives this picture an enigmatic flavor...It's hard to know if there isnnnn't some kind of pleading going on here, or fairly serious discussion. But this picture is rife with human values, nonetheless.
Phil Douglis28-Sep-2007 04:11
I like the way she presses her chin into his shoulder -- she feels so close to him. And while he does not show it here, I think he feels just as close to her. Alone like this, it seems to be them against the world here.
Patricia Lay-Dorsey28-Sep-2007 02:46
Yes, I feel that they are alone, but content to be so. This image shows such tenderness between the two, her chin on his shoulder, his head tilted towards her, her arms crossed on his lap, his shoe touching hers. Talk about body language--their love and closeness is there for everyone to see. I don't think they mind waiting at all, just as long as they're together.
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