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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twelve: Using color to express ideas > Kayaks, near Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, 2003
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18-DEC-2003

Kayaks, near Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, 2003

The kayak season must be over (or temporarily on hold) at this Costa Rican beach resort. These stacked plastic kayaks had a melancholy look to them, making me wonder when were they last used? I moved in on one end of the stack, and underexposed the image to make the shadows surrounding the kayaks even darker than they were. This underexposure enriched the primary colors of the kayaks, and also emphasized the dirt on them, along with a scattering of dead leaves. Despite the gaiety of their colors, the kayaks seem to be at least temporarily forlorn and forgotten. It is the incongruity between the promise of the rich primary coloration and the obvious symbols of disuse that express my feelings about this scene.

Canon PowerShot G5
1/640s f/4.0 at 28.8mm full exif

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Phil Douglis19-Aug-2010 17:52
Thanks, Carol, for noting the power of the black background here. It is that contrast that enriches the colors themselves. In abstracting them, I try to show just enough of them to make the imagination of the viewer work.
Carol E Sandgren18-Aug-2010 22:22
I see what you mean about the contrast of color against non-color. Your ultra closeup shot of a kayak pile makes a bold and very colorful image....and one that may perhaps keep one guessing as to what they are. I love that uncertainty in photographs. Your use of a very dark to black background keeps this image crisp and even more interesting. Thanks for your recent comment on my kayak image.
Phil Douglis11-Mar-2006 22:12
Once again, Ramma, it is incongruity at work. Primary colors usually speak with enthusiasm. Yet here they are in a melancholy context.
Ramma 11-Mar-2006 12:22
Photographically, excellent capture. It almost looks like a studio picture. And yes inspite of the bright colours, the positioning and shadows do add a touch of Melancholy to the picture
Phil Douglis13-Mar-2004 21:54
Thanks, Kaja, for taking pleasure in the pure color contrasts I was able to find here. And I can see what you mean about the crayon-like nature of these colors. But what is this talk about a thumb? Do you see something here that i didn't see? Tell me more!

Phil
Guest 13-Mar-2004 08:03
Looking at the thumb here I was sure it was
crayons I was looking at. The shadows works
fin here for contrast just as the dark
background. Wonderful colors. You have a
good eye to see things!

Regards
Kaja Lund
Phil Douglis19-Feb-2004 01:23
Hi, Jeannie, and thanks for the comment.The relationship of subject matter to its context is critical to photographic expression. This is the key to abstraction as well -- by removing context until it is only implied, rather than described, the subject enters the imagination of the viewer and creates its own impressions. I am able to abstract these kayaks by showing only part of them through my close vantage point, and by exposing only for the highlights with my spot meter, I was able to make these kayaks emerge from the darkness to better show off those saturated primary colors, and the contrasting leaves and dirt.
Jeannie Zolbe 18-Feb-2004 04:06
Phil, this is a great study in color and abstract form. Getting in close and cropping the image to take it out of context is magnificent in this image. Without reading your description, I would never have known what this image was. I continue to be in awe of your imagination.
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