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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirteen: Bringing Fresh Visions to Tired Clichés > Shy child, Sebt-des-Gzoula, Morocco, 2006
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09-DEC-2006

Shy child, Sebt-des-Gzoula, Morocco, 2006

We stopped at a large weekly market just outside of Essaouira, and noticed a young child cautiously watching me photograph. She was very shy, and avoided direct eye contact. When I saw her back away and press her head against a scarred wall, I made this photograph. It is the opposite of the clichés we usually associate with child portraiture. There are no smiles here, no acknowledgement of the camera. She seems to be away in her own world. An image such as this has a greater potential to express human values than the conventional smiling pose. I continued to photograph her and her family for a few more minutes, and she finally turned to the camera, but still remained a bit anxious. (You can see another image I made of her at that moment in my digital travel archive at http://www.worldisround.com/edit/new/389245/photo5.html ) When I showed her the pictures I had made of her, her apprehension turned to delight.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/125s f/4.0 at 24.4mm iso100 full exif

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Phil Douglis24-Feb-2008 02:32
You are talking about an entirely different kind of image than this one, Vera. The picture you took last night was a personal snapshot, an image of interest only to those who appear in the photograph and those who already know them. The vast majority of photographs made all over the world are this kind of image. They are intended as keepsakes, and personal memories. They are pictures of people having their pictures taken. This image, on the other hand, is made of a person who is not posing for the camera. I did not make this picture for her, her parents, or for people who already know her. I made it for the complete strangers who may look at this and find meaning in it. In other words, this image is intended as communication and expression, rather than a personal record photograph like the one you made. There is room for both kinds of pictures. They serve different purposes and different audiences.
Guest 24-Feb-2008 00:58
Last night we had friends in for dinner and I posted a son and father photo...smack on... smiling at the camera. It is very difficult to take pictures and not have them pose for the camera. It is what we do. You were very fortunate to have this little girl not be drawn into the camera.
Phil Douglis18-May-2007 05:22
Thanks, Flowsnow, for this comment. I was captivated by her as well -- she was a delightful child, and her face
tells a variety of stories.
flowsnow18-May-2007 04:48
The expression on her face is captivating. lovely...
Phil Douglis13-Apr-2007 20:01
We associate childhood with activity and play and fun, so when we see a young child deep in thought, the effect can be surprising and even incongruous. Thanks for coming to this picture, Chris.
Chris Sofopoulos13-Apr-2007 07:45
She has an amazingly strong and natural expression, deep in thoughts, the way and the moments I adore in portraiture!
Phil Douglis12-Apr-2007 18:17
Coming from one of pbase's finest portrait photographers, I take your comment with both pleasure and respect, Chris. Thanks for appreciating the positioning here.
Chris Sofopoulos12-Apr-2007 10:19
It's not only an interesting portrait but a strong expression with this positioning of the head upon the wall. Powerful in every aspect.
Phil Douglis04-Apr-2007 21:40
So good to have you back, Ruthie -- you raise several important issues with your comment, as usual. The relationship of context and content is always crucial in terms of expression. (I explore that issue at length in my context/content gallery athttp://www.pbase.com/pnd1/context) In this case, I thought I was able to strike a useful balance. My caption gives the viewer a basis for appreciating the image, yet I leave enough room for the imagination to take it wherever it may. I am always mindful of my mission as a teacher, so I often give more verbal context than usual in my captions than I would if my images were posted as examples of personal art. As for composition, you are very perceptive as usual. I include more behind her and less in front of her because I wanted, as you note, to stress what she may be imagining. Needless to say, no image can ever tell us what is going on inside of the subject's mind. That is left to our imaginations.
ruthemily04-Apr-2007 21:23
This thumbnail jumped out at me immediately - I love portraits of children because they show their emotion so openly, without the constraints that society teaches us to put on our feelings. You explain the context and it makes me question how much our reading into a photograph can be skewed by that. It certainly adds an extra dimension of realism into images, but also it may limit our interpretations of her body language and expression. Maybe. I especially like your composition: contrary to the "proper" way of having a subject looking into the frame. It wouldn't have worked here: our lack of sight into what she is viewing and imagining makes us think so much more. It also raises issues and ideas about how much of a person's world a photograph can portray - we can imagine, but we can never fully know.
Phil Douglis07-Feb-2007 19:38
The flank of life? Another Ceci-ism. I love it -- and thanks for visiting this image. You are right -- she is still a kid, but already she seems to be pondering the years that lie ahead.
Guest 07-Feb-2007 06:34
This is a lovely portrait, so clear, self possessed and relaxed, with wonderful detail; you could ski jump off the lashes of her left eye, and the little stud in her ear reminds me that so many of the world's young grow up much faster than their American counterparts. she seems both private and solemn, and totally in her own space, and the wall against which she leans could be the flank of life. Wonderful, Phil!
Phil Douglis26-Jan-2007 22:50
You make a good point, Philippe -- we can't get into her mind. We can only imagine what is going inside of her. I prefer to interpret her expression as a form of reverie, but I can see how others might see her as trapped in a place she does not care to be. That is the wonder of expressive photography. It can trigger all kinds of ideas and lead to many different kinds of thoughts. And yes, you are right -- kids can't control body language as adults can, and that leads to less inhibited responses. We see them as they really are, rather than how they want us to see them.
pep26-Jan-2007 20:54
It is as if she had her back to the wall, cornered and unable to find a safe haven. Her gaze could either be one of reverie, but - more likely - one that expresses disconfort and embarassement; she doesn't know what to do or where to go.
Anyhow, children have not yet learnt how to control their body language (just look at her shoulders!), and hence their "greater potential to express human values" than adult's
Phil Douglis20-Jan-2007 19:05
Thanks, Christine.That wall symbolizes the rough and unpredictable nature of life itself. She does not yet see that wall as life. In fact, she is too young to even understand the concept of life. But someday she will. You are right -- she is stiill an innocent. The rough wall is the opposite. Someday she will discover that.
Christine P. Newman20-Jan-2007 05:09
You are right, that unconventional background makes the picture. It emphasizes the contrast between the innocence of the child and the unevenly painted wall. Yes, the wall does not seem threatening.
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