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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty: Using silhouettes as abstract symbols and metaphors > Waiting for the taxi, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
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16-SEP-2011

Waiting for the taxi, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011

I stood behind this man as he waited for a taxi along a busy Cuenca street, silhouetting him by exposing for the bright light reflecting off the cobblestone roadway. A taxi approaches, but he must sense that it is already taken. I framed him squarely between two oncoming motorbikes, just as a woman with a child passes him on the sidewalk. The silhouette makes him anonymous, a symbol of anyone facing a frustrating wait.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
1/1250s f/9.0 at 124.0mm iso160 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time16-Sep-2011 07:04:24
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-GH2
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length124 mm
Exposure Time1/1250 sec
Aperturef/9
ISO Equivalent160
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis11-Oct-2011 04:29
I am glad you pointed out the role of color here, Carol. Many silhouettes, because the are essentially black shapes, do well in black and white as well as in color. But in this case, the color warms an otherwise stony environment, as does the primary color of the red, yellow, and blue vehicles approaching the man.
Carol E Sandgren11-Oct-2011 03:49
The absence of detail in the waiting man's figure contrasts and brings my attention to the details in the street's atmosphere. I like how the color is warm behind the man silhouette which suggests to me that it is a friendly and warm environment in spite of the lack of taxicabs!
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