Prayers, Buddhist Temple, Jinshang Park, Beijing, China, 2004 photo

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Prayers, Buddhist Temple, Jinshang Park, Beijing, China, 2004

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19-JUN-2004

Prayers, Buddhist Temple, Jinshang Park, Beijing, China, 2004

The contrast between the intensity of this mother’s devotions and her young son’s curiosity makes this image work. These emotions are so strong that they overcome the somewhat chaotic background. Emotional responses always reflect human values, and these are no exception.

Leica Digilux 2
1/40s f/2.1 at 14.4mm iso100 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	19-Jun-2004 18:57:41
Make	Leica
Model	DIGILUX 2
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	14.4 mm
Exposure Time	1/40 sec
Aperture	f/2.1
ISO Equivalent	100
Exposure Bias
White Balance	(10)
Metering Mode	multi spot (3)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	program (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis		20-Nov-2005 03:47
Thanks still again, Yang Ye. I agree with your observations on pragmatic faith. It is simply an extension of human nature, not only in China, but elsewhere as well.

Guest		20-Nov-2005 03:03
By saying pragmatism, I refer to pragmatic faith as well as the sale. When the salesman and the conservator of the temple decided to put the sale within the praying room, had they ever thought about the possible implication of their behavior, that it might be a contamination to the deities? I bet not. And I guess, with my understanding of Chinese culture, that what they mostly thought about was just making more money, which could be definetely expedited by putting it within the praying room. When it turns to money, there is no restriction from the deity at all-what a pure pragmatism.

Phil Douglis		19-Nov-2005 20:01
Thank you so much, Yang Ye, for adding such valuable context to this image. Your explanation adds an entirely new level of expression here. This picture now becomes a comment on the nature of commercialism and pragmatism as it relates to religion, at least for those who can read Chinese. Actually, churches turn to commercial approaches to raise funds here, too. However, they usually won't hold a bake sale in the same room where people are praying. Your comments on "pragmatic faith" in China also hold just as much truth elsewhere. When people need help badly, no matter what religion they might practice or not practice, they will often ask deities for help -- just to make sure all sources of help are covered.

Guest		19-Nov-2005 16:11
Amendment for the comment below: The second sentence should be: The Chinese people's relationship with Buddha, the most popular god in China, are somehow interesting. Sorry for my careless typing.

Guest		19-Nov-2005 16:09
Let me tell you something more about the religion in China. The Chinese people's or relationship with Buddha, the most popular god in China, are somehow interesting. Most of the common people in China do not believe in Buddihism. They do not prey, they are not vegiterians, they do not go to temple periodically, and they are not laymen of Buddihism. However, they become believe in Buddihism when they have some desires, for example, a couple's desire to have a boy, or a merchant's desire to make profits. And they would go to a temple, make a votive prayer in front of the Buddha (that's exactly what the lady within this picture is doing), then put some cash into a box. And the most important is that, if their wish came ture, they would have to went back to the same temple, thank to the same Buddha, and put more cash-usually a great amount-into the box again. That is called "votive offering". In sum, most Chinese people run for god only if they want to seek help from him. You can call it a kind of "pragmatistic religion". Do they respect and awe the Buddha from the bottom of their heart? I believe not, or else they would not have allowed peddlers to sale pebbles within the temple!

Guest		19-Nov-2005 15:59
Hi Phil. This is yeahyoung, the student who study psychology in China. I e-mailed you before. Remember? Since I'm from China, let me provide you with some extra explanation of this picture, from perspectives that could only be possessed by a native Chinese. The most obvious incongruity, or contradictory of values I saw within this picture, is that between the value of sacred-religion and the value of for-profit-commerce. If you could understand the meaning of the Chinese characters written on the wood block on the left side of the pic, you would have no trouble understanding what I mean. The characters, if translated into English, are "with everyones' names on: Chinese rare pebbles, each for 5-yuan (about half a dollar) ". I can even see the green price tag under that title! What a contrast! The lady in front is preying with devotion and faith, and the man on the rear is selecting- perhaps ready to bargain- a pebble or two, with his name written on it. Could that happened in a Christian Church? Not to the extent of my knowledge. But that is really common in China.

Phil Douglis		29-Aug-2005 21:12
Right as usual, Ramma. This image is not only about human values, it is about a series of contrasting human values. I see it as devotion and faith vs. innocence, wonder, and curiosity. And ultimately, as you say, it also comes down to learning and knowledge -- two more human values.

Ramma		29-Aug-2005 17:09
I loved this image. It shows 2 very important values. 1. faith in God. and 2. how children learn from what they observe those around them. Beautiful !

Phil Douglis		26-Mar-2005 05:43
Thanks, Benchang, for adding context to his picture for us. One of the great benefits of posting here on pbase is feedback such as yours, bringing important insights to us from inside, rather than outside, a culture.

Benchang Tang		25-Mar-2005 11:35
It appears to me that the lady is grandmother of of the boy. In China, grandchildren, thanks to the family planning there are not many, usually stay with their grand parents in summer holidays. The boy is very curiors with his grandma praying because he does not see her praying very often home and it looks very fresh to him. This is a way of life in China, when in the temples people pray and donate but they just live the religion at home.

Phil Douglis		08-Mar-2005 21:54
Good question, Catriona. As for my feelings when making pictures like this, I am always very excited and enthusiastic about expressing my feelings about other human beings. My feelings are positive, never fearful or guilty. I smile and nod and often my subjects will smile back at me. And yes, I spend a lot of time making an image. I saw this lady and her son interacting as they entered the temple and made many photos of them together. They saw me, we exchanged silent smiles, and then she went about her devotions. I am not in her face with my camera -- maybe ten feet away or so. The room is crowded. I shoot her, then turn and shoot others, then come back to her again. She is so intent on her prayers that she has forgotten I am there. Her son no longer looks at me, but at his mother. She is more fascinating to him at this moment. Out of the eight or ten photos I made of them within a fifteen minute period, this was the one that best told my story. I try never to take people's time. I want them to forget I am there and go about doing whatever they were doing. Digital also allows me a chance to show some of my subjects the pictures I have made of them, as a way of thanking them for allowing me to make my photos of them. I showed this shot to her afterwards, and she was very flattered. Sometimes I can use this technique before I shoot them, gettig people to relax with me and have fun, and I have made some very responsive images in this way And yes, I am always comfortable using my camera among people. I try to think positively and often will nod and smile at them as I work. If anyone tells me to stop, or turns away, I always stop immediately and find a more amenable subject. And yes, it is important to spend enough time with people to get them used to me, and hopefully resume whatever activities they were doing before I arrived. I never present myself as a professional photographer to people, Catriona. I am not a professional photographer. I have never earned a living by making photographs. I train photographers, I teach and write about photographic expression, and make my images not for sale, but for my own pleasure, and to use here on pbase and in my workshops and columns as examples of how expression works. I would think that trying to look "professional" by carrying lots of equipment is the worst approach you can take for images such as this. The more normal and casual you can look, the more understated your dress, and the less intimidating your eqipment, the more likely it is that people will relax and become themselves once again for the camera. If you go to my street photography gallery athttp://www.pbase.com/pnd1/street_photography, and read my introduction carefully, and then study all of the images in it, along with my comments and my responses to comments, you can learn even more about the fascinating process of telling stories about your fellow human beings. The bottom line rests with Catriona, not with lenses or cameras or photo techniques. if you can express your personal warmth and understanding to your fellow human beings, strangers or not, you can make pictures like this one. If you radiate apprehension or fear, or are sneaky and furtive, you will not. Hope this helps, and thanks for the great question.

Guest		08-Mar-2005 05:51
Hi Phil This question is not about the content of the photograph itself but rather about your feelings when taking it. Your photos capture people so much that the viewer is drawn into the lives of the subject. In order to take such an expressive photo as the one above, I would imagine that you are doing more than point and shoot. You would need to linger and in some cases get quite physically close to the subject. I doubt that you could hide yourself in some dark corner and click away! When taking photos of people other than family and friends, I always feel as though I am intruding – both physically and with their time. This causes me to either rush the picture so I can get myself out of the uncomfortable situation or stand so far away that I am unable to capture what I wanted in the first place. I imagine that as a professional photographer you would be quite comfortable taking pictures in all types of situations and have over the years built up the confidence to do this. So, do you have any tips to help me in this area? Do you ask the subject if you could take their photo? Do you spend a while with them so that they are comfortable with having a camera pointed at them? Do you think that the subject is OK with having their photo taken because you are a professional photographer as opposed to someone who is doing it as a hobby? (Do I need to get myself a camera bag with lots of lenses so that I look like a professional?!) Catriona

Phil Douglis		30-Dec-2004 05:12
Once again, you extend the human values present in my image, Mikel. I saw devotion coming from the mother and curiosity from the child -- two very common human values. You saw devotion from the mother as well, but I think that you also are seeing an expression of innocence in that child. He knows and feels nothing of God at this age. And it shows in his wondering face.

Guest		29-Dec-2004 12:59
As an inocent child no one realizes the necessity of an abstract concept as God, they live in a protective invirorment in it's self for that reason, this concept is probably more abstract for the child it's self then for us. When one grows up starts seeng the problems and starts with the insecurities beond the controlable limits and I supose that this is even stronger as older we grow. I am not religious but I understand the need of some people to find a hope and a help in God like a child seeks for it in her mothers arms, and as such can get to express so much devotion, that could tell much about the life of this woman too though there is also a strong cultural component too it.

Phil Douglis		03-Dec-2004 21:11
Excellent point, Clara, about the contrasting of attitudes here -- devotion vs. curiosity.

Guest		03-Dec-2004 19:48
Yes, to shoot people always involves values, attitudes, emotions, so is normally rewarding. There's always a story. Here is about the contrast in attitudes, devotion vs curiosity.

Phil Douglis		06-Nov-2004 23:26
You became that child for a moment, didn't you, Nut? One of the things I try to do in my images is to put people into them, getting them to take part in the picture, become one of the characters. And you have. I know you understand.

nut		06-Nov-2004 23:12
I did this when I was young. I was afraid and worried because she took very long time for this. When I grew up. I do the same. Wondering, afraid and worry gone. I do understand now.

Phil Douglis		12-Aug-2004 01:54
You are right, Henk -- this image is, indeed, all about the relationship between this boy and his mother. He seems awestruck by the moment, his eyes, full, as you say, of wonderment. For years, I've telling my students to watch the eyes and the hands because they are the most expressive parts of the body. In this shot, I contrast the wondering eyes of the child to the devoutly closed eyes of the mother, and of course the hands of the mother add context for meaning.

oochappan		12-Aug-2004 00:49
The wondering eyes of a child takes all the credits here as grown ups often loose these gloss becoming dim. It's a nice way to enforce the re-question adults body-language, done by the boy and we symphatise him in his search.

Phil Douglis		16-Jul-2004 18:15
Thanks, Tim -- this shot was no-brainer. As soon as I saw the juxtaposition of the woman's closed eyes and the boy's innocent, curious stare, I knew I had the makings of a story-telling image.

Tim May		16-Jul-2004 17:25
Phil, this is one of my favorite of all of your images because the look on the face of the boy touches my heart.

monique jansen		14-Jul-2004 13:06
The contrast between the child and the woman makes this one stand out!

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