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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty Four: Opposing diagonals – composing with triangles > Inertia, Saigon, 2007
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30-DEC-2007

Inertia, Saigon, 2007

Vietnam's new helmet law adds still another layer of cover to the head of this cyclist. She even has an extra helmet in green aboard -- I wonder if it's for her passengers or just color coordination? The poster in the background may suggest exotic travel to Cambodia, but at the moment, this woman is not going anywhere. I anchor her and her motorbike in place with a triangular composition. By sitting on the side of her vehicle, her legs become one part of the triangle, the bike another, and the sidewalk become the base. This image is all about inertia, and the triangular relationship between her, the motorbike, and the sidewalk, keeps it that way. The utility pole echoes her upright posture, as does the poster, creating rhythmic repetition that complements the triangle.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/200s f/5.6 at 54.5mm iso100 full exif

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Phil Douglis26-Feb-2008 20:48
In noting the tiny triangle made by the ground, heel, and sole of the woman's shoe, you tell us how your own eye
works, Tim. To see meaning in the smallest of things is a hallmark of your own style as a photographer -- part of what makes a Tim-esque image Tim-esque. I agree with you that the image is grounded at that very point. We see only half of that shoe -- the rest is hidden behind the utility pole that glues the entire image together.
Tim May26-Feb-2008 17:38
There is yet one more triangle here, and for me it grounds the image. It is the triangle created by her high heels. I also find this a representative image in its portrayal of the fanciness of many of the motorbike drivers. Motorbikes are the cars of Vietnam and are used in all state of formality.
Phil Douglis29-Jan-2008 23:34
I remember well your street images that made art out of chance. It is sad that we sometimes forsake things that
brought us, and others, so much knowledge and pleasure. Perhaps you shall come back to making images such as this someday, but in a new and perhaps more challenging way?
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