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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Sixteen: Story-telling street photography > Strangers on a bench, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006
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24-DEC-2006

Strangers on a bench, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006

Seventy per cent of Marrakesh's population earns a living from tourism. It is always high season in Marrakesh, the most exotic and popular destination in Morocco. Its benches are occupied day and night by a variety of visitors such as these. I built this image around layers of light and shadow. A foreground grid of shadows and sidewalk patterns lead to the sun-struck legs of the subjects – each of them arrayed in different positions. The next layer contrasts their body language – relaxed, intent, and absorbed. The final layer holds an ornate bench and its shadow – expressing the nature of Marrakesh as an exotic city.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/500s f/6.3 at 43.4mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis23-Jan-2008 05:38
Good point -- the fellow in the orange scarf has been living here for awhile. He is part of this place, not an outsider. So yes, he passes his time by reading a book instead of seeing the sights here.
Guest 23-Jan-2008 02:17
What strikes me about this picture is the tourist. He has obviously been traveling for a while as he is intent on his book, not the surroundings.
Phil Douglis27-Jan-2007 03:34
That's because she is the only person in this picture without crossed legs. She seems so much more assertive and edgy. There are no problems regarding women in the city alone -- they are just as free to come and go as the men. Among Islamic countries, Morocco is one of the most tolerant.
Christine P. Newman27-Jan-2007 01:33
The body language of the veiled woman was what struck me first. Also the fact that she seems to be there alone, in the middle of the city.
Phil Douglis21-Jan-2007 18:43
You interpret body language very well, Rammaa, which is a very important ability for a photographer. Thanks for these observations. I agree with all of them. Note, however, that the person in the center is veiled. She is a woman, not a man. Your gender assumptions do not affect the accuracy of your interpretation of their body language, however.
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