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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Four: The Workplace -- essence of a culture > Labor intensive, Sousse, Tunisia, 2008
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08-NOV-2008

Labor intensive, Sousse, Tunisia, 2008

This man is restoring the exterior of a building in historic walled medina of Sousse, where some of the structures date back to the eighth and ninth centuries. He seemed to be exhausted. The morning light allows me to reveal only the highlights of his face as he bends for a moment to gather his strength. Just as important is the shadow that nearly touches his elbow – it doubles his response, magnifying the toll that this work takes from his body.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/800s f/8.0 at 34.2mm iso100 full exif

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Phil Douglis01-Dec-2008 00:44
You make a good point about the angle of this shadow, Tim. The man looks one way, the shadow another. As you note, the shadow points to the place of toil, and suggests that this work has been going on for a long, long time, and will continue for generations. Thanks for making this observation. It adds much to the image for me.
Tim May30-Nov-2008 23:51
By showing the man head-on and the shadow at an angle - I get a sense of a weariness beyond weary. It is as if the shadow speaks of generations of toil.
Phil Douglis28-Nov-2008 21:56
The shadow is the whole point here -- it links the man to his work, and does indeed add a mysterious presence to the image. Thanks, Kal and Carol, for these comments.
Carol E Sandgren28-Nov-2008 21:43
Mystery is added to this image from the fact that we do not see what he is working on, or peering at below. Also the shadow which doubles his image attitude adds a kind of ghostliness to this image.
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