photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twelve: Using color to express ideas > Golden Thoughts at Maha Muni Pagoda, Mandalay, Myanmar, 2005
previous | next

Golden Thoughts at Maha Muni Pagoda, Mandalay, Myanmar, 2005

A woman walks through one of the courtyards within Mandalay's splendid Maha Muni Pagoda at sunset. As she stepped into the golden light, I couldn't help but wonder what she might have been thinking at that moment. I was fascinated at how the brilliant red tiles were transformed into golden pools when reflected within the paving of the plaza. I photographed person after person walking across this spot, until this woman gave meaning to those colors by folding her arms in thought and then walked, one foot before the other, into the gold.


other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Phil Douglis26-Sep-2007 23:06
As I write these words, the people of this country are making their feelings known. More power to them.
Guest 11-Sep-2007 06:13
Such beautiful image for such a beautiful, yet suppressed country. I hope all the good people of this country will keep hoping and walking with their heads high towards the light.
Phil Douglis10-Mar-2006 21:50
You are becoming quite skilled at describing how pictures can express their ideas to you, Ramma. I am very proud of your progress. I kept the image very simple, yet it seems to have evoked a wide range of feelings.
I like your own version of it very much.
Ramma 10-Mar-2006 17:52
Simple but significant,she seems to be moving from darkness to light, and from cold to comfortable heat
Phil Douglis14-Aug-2005 19:37
Better late than never, eh, Tim? I just found this comment, which you left for me three months earlier! Thanks for lending me your astute eye once again. I never noticed the birds, or thought of the red walls as a heart, or even saw the "rhythmic whitish scuffling" on the floor. You give me fresh eyes to look at this image with. I was so involved with the symbolism of the golden reflections on the floor, the geometry of those lines, and the poise of the walking figure, that all of those things you saw were invisible to me until now. It shows us how differently we all look at pictures. And how diverse our interpretations can be because of it.
Tim May13-May-2005 18:46
Three elements catch my attention in this image - First is the glowing red of the bricks, as if she is moving into the "heart" of her future - Second is the birds that, for me portend the future and evoke the spiritual - and finally, the is a rhythmic whitish scuffling on the floor behind her which, for me, symbolizes the path she has trod.
Phil Douglis05-Apr-2005 05:23
You are a wonderful photographic analyst, Shermeen. You point up the value here of subject placement, abstraction, composition, and body language, all of which contribute to what I am trying to express in this image. Her placement in this spot is not an accident. I composed the picture before there was anybody there, and waited for someone to come into that spot. I shot a number of people walking away from me into that golden pool of light. All were abstracted to the same degree because they were walking in to the light source. But the body language varied from person to person. Her folded arms and crossed legs were perfect metaphors for someone deep in thought. You are right -- this was the spot that best links the subject to its colorful context.
Guest 05-Apr-2005 03:42
i like the way the woman is being placed within the golden light rays. also,the woman is being abstracted such that i can tell her actions without the distraction of the color of her clothes. i guess it is those moments where the right person seems to be in the right frame. i suppose if a human figure was to be placed anywhere else in the frame, for example within the other ray of golden light at the left hand corner, or those unlit areas, the photo will not tell much. the body language of the woman contributes to the meaning of the photo too. it is a simple shot but it brings out what it needs to be expressed, which is to show the location, the pagoda, and what it is used for.
Phil Douglis27-Feb-2005 21:00
You are right. Color can create mood and atmosphere, which in turn, triggers emotional response in the viewer.
I have just posted a new gallery on this very subject at:http://www.pbase.com/pnd1/atmosphere_and_mood
monique jansen27-Feb-2005 09:46
Gold, muted gold, golden red and muted red work together here to create an atmosphere which is serene, yet festive at the same time.
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment