Buffalo, Taketomi Island, Japan, 2006 by Phil Douglis

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27-MAR-2006

Buffalo, Taketomi Island, Japan, 2006

It is not often one sees a buffalo with a red flower behind its ear. It seemed like a perfect Japanese touch to me, and a highly incongruous one. I stress the incongruity by lowering my camera down to eye level with the buffalo, which is used to haul carts full of tourists around the island. It confronts us with its huge horns, yet the horns are made to seem
incongruously harmless with that red flower.

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1/160s f/5.6 at 37.3mm iso80 full exif

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Phil Douglis		25-Aug-2006 17:39
And that is what is so remarkable about the flexibility of expressive photography, Rodney. Each of can look at the same image, appreciate the incongruities that are present, and then see entirely different meanings emerge. I never noticed the significance of the modern tires incongruously contrasted to the ancient beast of burden. Thanks for sharing this concept with us.

Guest		25-Aug-2006 16:37
This is a photo full of incongruity. As you stated, Tim May sees it from a point of view of the rope and the horns and flower as context. You, Phil, saw it with the flower as the subject, with the horns and rope as Context. When I look at this photo, I see something quite different from either point of view. I see it from a point of view of the animal, representing old world "beast of burden" power, and the modern day heavy tires, representing modern day technology and power. The incongruity, for me, is using this animal in an "old" way when the tires suggest it should be mechanically powered. Additionally, it speaks to me of using modern inventions (huge radial tires) to replace the old wood wheels I would have expected to be seen, given the animal being used as the source of power.

Phil Douglis		09-Jul-2006 05:08
If the saying holds true here, Emi, this poor buffalo comes out on the short end of things. The "something extra" it gets is a rope through the nose and a cart full of singing tourists to pull. I think the flower makes the tourists happier than the buffalo that wears it.

Guest		09-Jul-2006 01:50
Here is a saying " You work for a flower on your head" - means some people are so lucky that they dont really have to work, they work because they just want to get the money to buy the non-necessary things in their lives( some extra things). This can be interesting if we implies the saying in this picture. If that saying is true on this creature, then why he looks so sad?( the eyes are tired and the horns are downwards). Maybe the material world drive us too crazy? Just an interesting sharing. And on the other hand, this is definately a dominating image. Emi

Phil Douglis		23-Apr-2006 03:01
Thanks, Christine, for adding this fascinating context. Homecoming wreaths? Amazing. Come to think of it, in India, where cows are considered sacred, they are beautifully decorated for festivals.

Guest		23-Apr-2006 02:56
In the Alps, the Viehscheid Festival, with cows decorated with wreaths out of flowers, silk flowers, grass, fern, silver- and gold thistle, is held at the end of every summer, when the cows go home from the mountains where they had spent the summer. Christine

Phil Douglis		23-Apr-2006 00:37
Thanks, Christine, for noting the custom of decorating animals in other cultures. I did not know that cattle are also decorated in Germany, for example. The red flower here is certainly a strikingly incongruous touch.

Guest		22-Apr-2006 22:58
The first impression is one of heaviness and strength. The large hoofs, the huge horns and the wide and low vehicle add to the impression of strength and balance. Yes, the flower is a special touch. It is interesting to see how people in some countries decorate their animals: some braid their horses’ tail, the Germans decorate their cows for a special celebration at some time of the year, etc. Christine

Phil Douglis		19-Apr-2006 20:58
You see the image from the standpoint of the rope, with the horns and flower as context. I saw it with the flower as the subject, with the horns and rope as context. We are seeing two entirely different images here -- and both are worthy, because each of them stimulates the imagination of the viewer. I have shot three buffalo head on in the last year -- the one in Laos that you link us to here, the one in Zambia athttp://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/55194624 , and this one on Taketomi Island. Of the three, this is the most incongruous. The African buffalo is wild and free and by far the most threatening. And the closeup of the one in Laos, which is displayed in larger size athttp://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/40191168 is perhaps the most poignant, given the emphasis that detail provides: the sadness in its eyes and the rope through the nose.

Tim May		19-Apr-2006 17:21
I am reminded of another of your water buffalo images from the trip to Laos - http://worldisround.com/articles/139137/photo93.html Both images represent for me human's domination over nature - This one emphasizes the power of the animal with those glorious heavy arching horns - but both animals have the all controlling rope through the nostril - we may try to beautiful it but this is, for me, still an image of domination.

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