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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Six : Using reflections to transform reality > Hotel, Times Square, New York City, New York, 2013
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17-OCT-2013

Hotel, Times Square, New York City, New York, 2013

Times Square offers more incongruous sights than probably any other area of New York City. The surrounding buildings are clothed in electricity and glass, creating a reflective arena that bends the eye and boggles the mind. I found this scene reflected in the glass façade of a Times Square hotel, a shimmering collage of shapes, colors, and patterns that demand attention and enliven the imagination. The reflections are constantly changing as the viewer’s positions and the light itself changes. The pair of flags, meanwhile, remains fairly constant, offering a predictable counterpoint to an unpredictable scene.

FujiFilm X-M1
1/280s f/5.6 at 40.2mm iso400 full exif

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Phil Douglis23-Feb-2014 19:56
Thanks, Dick, for your kind words.
Photo.Keely22-Feb-2014 21:24
Nice image! V.
Carol E Sandgren20-Dec-2013 04:50
Jazzy reflection design not unlike Times Square! There must be a hidden message in that area up top that resembles type! The flags center the image and bring us back to reality.
Phil Douglis17-Nov-2013 21:26
You are right, Jude -- the sharpness and vivid colors of the flags do refer to reality, while the reflections speak of the surreal. I often use such a contrast to suggest the tension that always occurs when we compare reality to fantasy in the same image.
Jude Marion17-Nov-2013 15:55
Beautiful reflections. Each window looks tentative, abstracted, surreal. But we're held in the real world by the flags.
Phil Douglis07-Nov-2013 20:53
Thanks, Mo. The shimmering equates to a form of abstraction, while color here means essentially primary colors. Good to hear from you.
monique jansen07-Nov-2013 12:58
Wonderful shimmering and colorful reflections in this one.
Phil Douglis06-Nov-2013 22:33
Thanks, Konrad, for coming to this image and leaving this comment. I was drawn by the colors as well, which become extremely abstract when reflected. The abstracted reflections incongruously contrast to the colorful but descriptive flags.
Konrad Busslinger06-Nov-2013 05:23
Great reflection and colour. Interesting image.
Phil Douglis30-Oct-2013 02:53
Well said, Stephanie. Times Square certainly stands alone as a tourist attraction -- it draws 40 million visitors a year, more than any other tourism location in the world. Somebody must be having fun! And this is the kind of thing they come to see.
Stephanie29-Oct-2013 22:44
Gorgeous reflections and colors! Times Square is a fun place to visit in NYC! :) V
Phil Douglis29-Oct-2013 22:17
Thanks, Anitta and Robert for your comments. Reflections are beautiful indeed, but so much of this image depends on the way the light falls on the reflected buildings themselves.
Robert Strachan29-Oct-2013 09:41
Good use of the reflections to make an interesting image.
Anitta28-Oct-2013 20:14
Superb image in every aspect, Phil. The reflections are so beautiful. V
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