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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Two: Travel Incongruities > Italian grapes, Croatian pigeon, Dolac Market, Zagreb, Croatia, 2005
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03-SEP-2005

Italian grapes, Croatian pigeon, Dolac Market, Zagreb, Croatia, 2005

I caught this trespasser in the Dolac, Zagreb's colorful fruit and vegetable market. Several incongruities bolster the expressive nature of this image. Pigeons and grapes do not usually go together, but I assume it finds the carton a comfortable spot to rest. (I guess this is why my wife makes me always wash my grapes before eating them!) There is an international flavor to this picture as well – the grapes come from across the Adriatic. I assume the pigeon is a local. The curved panels defining the bins in the background lend a historical or theological touch – the arches almost seem like a backdrop from a Renaissance painting.

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1/125s f/4.0 at 43.1mm iso80 full exif

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Phil Douglis06-May-2018 21:43
Thanks for those nice words on this image, Merri. I saw all that you see as I made this image. And yes, it was all given me to me as pure serendipity. However I did have to to recognize the possible significance of this particular moment in time, light, and space and press the shutter, accordingly.
Merri 06-May-2018 08:43
The egg cartons, frame shape, the grapes all suggesting the same thing (and even similar color scheme). The bird's eyes and feet almost exactly matching the color of the printed text. Slightly mussed box, slightly mussed feathers. No way to stage such serendipity, one just has to be there to capture the moment.
Phil Douglis11-Mar-2006 04:24
Thanks, Yves -- you and Tim both have a sharp eye to pick up on the softly focused egg cartons. Most viewers
will not notice them.
Yves Rubin11-Mar-2006 00:33
Not to speak of the egg cartons... well, I can see I am not the first to notice... lots of round shapes to fit those egg crates.
Phil Douglis08-Oct-2005 01:23
Glad you picked up on the egg crates, Tim. In a sense, the grapes become surrogates for pigeon eggs.
Tim May05-Oct-2005 18:06
I love the way the arch frames the pigeon. I also notice this eggs in the background. It is almost as if the pigeon is sitting on the wrong eggs.
Phil Douglis03-Oct-2005 04:07
Thanks, Christine, for making the connection between the red eye and the red lettering. And yes, there is a small village feel to it, even though Zagreb is a European capital. As for big supermarkets not accepting a crate broken by a pigeon, you are certainly right (and let's not even THINK of what else that pigeon might do on these grapes, Christine!!!) As I said, that's why we always wash our grapes, right?
Guest 03-Oct-2005 03:07
Phil, I am not sure about what to say, but I really like the humour in this picture. The position of the pigeon (awkward foot position), the red eyes that seem to match the writing on the box (maybe he was trying to be stylish and was looking for something to bring out the "lovely" red of his eyes - just kidding), and the brightness brought about by the green grapes make for a very eye catching photo. There is also a small village feel to it. I don't think that the big supermarkets would accept a crate broken because a pigeon sat on it! Christine
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