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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Nine: Composition -- putting it together > Guardian, Jingjiang Royal Mausoleum, Guilin, China, 2006
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06-APR-2006

Guardian, Jingjiang Royal Mausoleum, Guilin, China, 2006

Eleven generations of Guilin’s rulers are buried in more than 300 tombs behind this figure. I put this image together as a series of layers – the statue, the trees behind it, and the wall behind them. The foreground layer is the subject – the body language of the sculpture is eloquent, and the texture timeless. The curves of its shoulders and arms seamlessly complement the diagonal slopes of the trees beyond. The coarse texture and rich color of the trees contrast strikingly to the smooth textures and flat color of the sculpture. The wall in the background adds a third layer of color, and in its brickwork, an order of its own. Taken together, all three layers express an aura of timeless serenity yet also as sense of shrewd authority. I use composition here to simplify, blend, and amplify this message. It does it well.

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Phil Douglis02-Jun-2006 18:32
Thanks, Ana, for offering such a lucid explanation of what this image is demonstrating. You are right when you say there is nothing simple about this composition, even though I use composition to simplify the image. I have taken great care to make sure that everything in this picture works together to express the message: timeless serenity. I made it again and again, moving ever so slightly each time to change the framing, the arrangement of the layers, and the play of light on the subject, ultimately implying depth, and adding that third dimension effect you speak of here.
Ana Carloto O'Shea02-Jun-2006 18:21
One could say that this is not the most beautiful of subjects, but surely no one can say this one wasn't masterly composed!!
The idea of being able to integrate several "layers" in the photo added a really 3D effect to it, which looks even better because there is not much interplay of light and shadow in the photo. I guess that if someone else had been shoting carelessly at the same subject we would have a really normal photo. But in this way, there is a true lesson to learn from it. The value of composition cannot be neglected ever!!
I was here smilling at the fact that you've managed to find an opening there where the brick wall could be seen :)) That "sort of red" colour on it makes the greens stand out so much more.
Well... did I say this one was simple?? Let me see........ no I don't think I did! I am glad because this way I don't have to delete that. There's nothing simple in this composition, it's just perfectly done.
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