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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Sixteen: Story-telling street photography > Coffee break, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009
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21-JUL-2009

Coffee break, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2009

Three people were having coffee just across the street from where I was standing. A large Standard Poodle sat obediently by their side. I shifted my vantage to the left, simplifying the image by partially hiding one of the three people behind a post. The dog now appears to be peeking out at us from behind that same post. The dog, three cups of coffee, and two wonderfully expressive human faces flow horizontally across the image from left to right. Because I am shooting from within a doorway, and using waist level viewing, I don’t think anyone noticed me as I worked, which keeps the expressions natural and spontaneous.

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1/200s f/5.2 at 147.0mm iso200 full exif

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Phil Douglis11-Sep-2009 18:44
Thanks, Iris, for seeing the role of the dog here. I made many images of this scene, and the dog's disinterest is the key. Your comment about the white socks also strikes home -- I just noticed that the furry leg of the dog echoes the high socks of the man.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)10-Sep-2009 23:44
While the photographer is interested in the coffee drinking group with their wonderful facial expressions and body language (to say nothing of those high white socks), the dog is totally disinterested in this activity. Obviously he has found something more interesting to capture his attention.
Phil Douglis10-Aug-2009 17:36
Thanks, Charles, for your comment. I often am asked why I don't let my images "stand on their own." This is an instructional site. All of my image are posted as teaching examples, which require context and explanation.
Guest 10-Aug-2009 13:08
While the subjective definitions of street photography are as numerous as the photos themselves, I also feel that besides an image telling a story, that story should be interpreted by the viewer without detailed explanation about the photo. While I like your photos, I find that I'm not interested in the explanations provided, rather viewing the photo as a stand-alone example of street photography.
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