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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirteen: Bringing Fresh Visions to Tired Clichés > Wet laundry, Shanghai, China, 2004
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14-JUN-2004

Wet laundry, Shanghai, China, 2004

Walking the streets of Old Shanghai in the pouring rain, I noticed this man watching me from an upstairs window. Why the scowl? Could it be his soaking wet laundry? Perhaps – we shall never know. However I do know that by including that laundry in this frame, I avoided one of the oldest travel photo clichés of them all, the face in the widow picture. I know this cliché well – I’ve taken them myself, and have had my fill. I’ll leave the face in window (usually an upper story window) to others. If I make such a shot, I want to make sure that there is something else in the frame to add context and perhaps offer a reason for the person’s expression. I think the soggy laundry handling limply below this fellow’s grouchy gaze offers a possible explanation for his mood. And that’s why I think this shot manages to go beyond the tired cliché approach.

Canon PowerShot G5
1/100s f/4.0 at 17.6mm full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis12-Apr-2007 18:16
It is really an image about a man and his everyday life. The window happens to be the setting, but the message goes far beyond it. Thanks, Chris, for enjoying this image.
Chris Sofopoulos12-Apr-2007 10:16
You are so right Phil. A person and a window on the upper part of a building is so classical and repeated photo! And like this is more strong and perhaps more interesting to me. A more complete composition for sure! A big big bravo Phil.
Phil Douglis16-Sep-2004 19:29
Good to hear from you, Carol. You are so right -- the laundry is critical to the meaning of this picture. I'd be discouraged too if I had all that wet laundry hanging below my window. When is it ever going to dry in all this rain? That's the point this picture makes and you nailed it. As always!

Phil
Carol E Sandgren16-Sep-2004 19:13
A good lesson, Phil. I do think that the inclusion of the laundry as well as the other parts of the building structure give the shot more meaning, not only by telling a little story but describing more about the location of the shot and just why this man seems to look so, almost discouraged.
Guest 15-Aug-2004 02:39
Instead of repeating a cliche, your photo tells a story - a rather amusing one at that!
Phil Douglis20-Jul-2004 16:34
Your urge to zoom-in and stress detail is valid -- it's a form of abstraction, and abstraction is always preferable to literal imaging. However, constant zooming-in can create its own bundle of cliches. Never zoom-in on a subject out of habit. Do it only when it helps you make a valid point, tell a story, simplifying the image in the process. Glad this picture inspires you to think of fresh ways to capture old favorites. Be sure to add contexts, such as I did with this soggy laundry, to bring meaning to your future "face in the window' shots. Good luck, Anna.
Anna Yu20-Jul-2004 04:49
Now I'm guilty as charged of being over fond of faces in windows. Usually I zoom in to capture the eyes. The laundry here balances his face as a second point of interest. Thanks for this lesson, Phil, I'll keep it in mind.
Phil Douglis17-Jul-2004 03:52
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "two-dimensional," which refers to height and width. If you meant to say that the laundry adds a second element to the picture, one that supplies context as well as meaning, I entirely agree. That's why I made this photograph.
Lara S14-Jul-2004 19:25
it also gives the image a 2 dimentional feel to it by adding the laundry under him. No?
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