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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Sixty Two: The Abstract Landscape > McCloud River, California, 2008
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13-SEP-2008

McCloud River, California, 2008

I use two pine trees to abstract and divide my image into three panels of gradually diminishing size. Instead of offering a view of a river landscape, I place my viewers behind the trees, asking them to peer between them to glimpse the sun illuminating a bush on the other side of the river and its reflection in the water. The left panel is filled with the texture of bark, the middle panel offers the illuminated foliage and reflection, while the right panel is an abstracted backlit tree. A pile of fallen trees adds a sense of scale to the scene.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/250s f/4.0 at 15.9mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time13-Sep-2008 10:25:45
MakeLeica
ModelV-LUX 1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length15.9 mm
Exposure Time1/250 sec
Aperturef/4
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-1.00
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis05-Oct-2008 00:27
Your gallery athttp://www.pbase.com/jswaters/abstractions offers ample proof of your love for and grasp of abstract concepts in your own work, Jenene. I am delighted to help nudge you further. Glad you enjoyed this one.
JSWaters04-Oct-2008 23:28
I agree with Rusty here. You offer us much food for thought with these images. Abstraction has been the easiest principle of expressive photography for me to grasp, and I'm very comfortable with it, but you've inspired me to widen the circle a bit with this gallery. You're always doing that to me Phil, (actually 'for' me), nudging. I hope by putting the practices in play, I will be able to repay the kindness.
Jenene
Phil Douglis26-Sep-2008 17:35
Thanks, Rusty, for these thoughtful observations. You are right -- I am not fearful of shadows. I give my viewers credit for having imaginations, and by concealing detail rather than revealing it, I try to stimulate them. Geometry has always been a factor in my imagery as you know -- not only does it give a sense of proportion to my ideas, but it also helps guide the eye, establish priorities, and can offer aesthetic beauty of its own. I love rich colors, and I cherish the ability to selectively meter a scene so that I can stress certain things and suggest others. Finally, I owe much to the late Galen Rowell, who influence on color landscape photography equals Ansel Adams effect on black and white landscape photography.
russellt26-Sep-2008 15:12
o my. I find this an incredibly beautiful gallery; I wouldn't know where to start. this one caught my eye first. the geometry, the colors, the back sort of spot lighting, the reflection, the colors, the no fear of shadows. I am not aware of lots of artists who treat landscapes this way. I vaguely recall one of the few rembrandt landscapes where there was a bridge involving all sorts of shadow and light. galen rowen, who worked mostly without the advantages of digital, I know was an influence. beautiful photo and photos bringing to gether great aesthetic and technical artistry.
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