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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Seven: As others see me > An exercise in photography, by Jennifer Zhou, Shanghai, China, 2006
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21-MAR-2006

An exercise in photography, by Jennifer Zhou, Shanghai, China, 2006

On one of the two days I spent in Shanghai with pbase photographer Jen Zhou, she took me to Luxun Park to photograph the Chinese passion for exercise. I shamelessly walked into the middle of this group of exercisers and holding my camera high above them, attempted to capture their energy and grace. Meanwhile, Jen was making this wonderful shot of me as intent on my pursuit as they were on their exercises. (I had no idea she made this photo until she submitted it for this gallery. Although the particular shot I happen to be making here does not appear in my pbase galleries, an exercise image I had made a few moments earlier here in Luxun Park does appear in my Human Values gallery. (Click on the thumbnail at the bottom to see it.) Jen’s amusing image of me is abstract (she stresses my task instead of my appearance) and incongruous (my performance is hardly as elegant as theirs, and my six foot height and odd appearance offers surreal contrast. ) This is probably quite typical of how I must appear to locals everywhere, oblivious to everything around me but the shot at hand. It offers appropriate evidence of how others must see me.

Canon EOS 10D
1/250s f/5.6 at 50.0mm iso200 full exif

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Phil Douglis22-Nov-2006 19:54
I like your initial idea of Phil doing Tai Chi with the Chinese, even if he is facing in the wrong directions. That would be very incongruous, even more incongrous than sight of a tall American photographer holding out a camera to a throng of exercising Shangahi residents. Thanks, Gil, for this comment. I do not see what I do as courageous -- rather I see it as a by-product of passion and enthusiasm. I get so wrapped up in making pictures that I have no time to feel either fear or embarassment when making them. After all, I can't see myself in such situations, except when friends such as Jen makes images such as this one. And even then, I only see it after the fact.
Gil Hidalgo22-Nov-2006 18:14
For a minute I thought you were also practicing Tai Chi with them and that you simply turned the wrong way.
All kidding aside, that's one thing that has always impressed me about you. Your ability and courage to walk into any situaltion and take the picture. Much like Henri Cartier-Bresson would "catch the decisive moment," even if he is regarded as a shy photographer.

Yes,yes, yes, After all, we all have the face we deserve!
Phil Douglis09-Nov-2006 20:18
Wow, Herve -- you are amazing. You got the shoe size dead on! Yes, I wear a 13! And yes, this shot is also about balance, as well as ying and yang. Jen gets the most out of every opportunity -- as you say, she finds all of me here.
Herve Blandin09-Nov-2006 06:37
very ying and yang type of pictures, Jennifer, a masterful portrait. I bet people who know you phil, find there is all of you in that shot. Jennifer has the uncanny talent of getting the substance out of a trivial moment at a trivial angle. Most wonderful. But, sorry for digressing, are these size 13 shoes? Wow. Great balance! ;-)
Phil Douglis26-Jun-2006 16:59
Thanks, Jen, for noticing how seriously I take it -- expressive photography does require thought, concentration, and yes, patience, too. And yes, Kal - I am indeed both the same and the opposite. I was able to enter their space and stand there without being noticed because they are just as intent on what they are doing as I am. In effect, I am doing very much the same as they are -- standing there with my arms extended. Only our purposes differ.

Effective street photographers and photojournalists must acquire the knack of becoming invisible to their subjects. They do so by "working the picture" over a period of time in ways that make the subjects eventually go back to what they were doing, and generally forget about the person behind the camera.
Kal Khogali26-Jun-2006 13:20
Great!! I also like the fact that Phil faces the opposite direction but in a similar pose...in every sense he is the opposite...K
Jennifer Zhou26-Jun-2006 05:51
Besides the kindness in next photo, this one shows another character of Phil----his concentration.

He usually stops at one spot and work his pictures for some time until he gets his moment. I love the incongruity and spirit of this image, it is odd enough that a foreigner is standing in the middle of a goup of locals, but they do not seem really notice him. I guess Phil has been in here for a while that people are starting to get use to having him around...:)
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