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Phil Douglis | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Forty-Two: Adding meaning to scenic vistas tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Gallery Forty-Two: Adding meaning to scenic vistas




An essential component of almost every trip or tour is the scenic view or vista. Most photos of vistas do not express ideas or feelings about the subject. They may simply try to cover too much ground, or perhaps the light is too flat. They may be difficult to abstract, offer little in the way of incongruity, or do not imply human values that the viewer can relate to emotionally. Such images may describe the scenery, but they fail to interpret it for the viewer. In this gallery, starting with images made in the American West – home of the Grand Vista – I will show how I try to add expressive elements to the vistas I encounter on my travels. Most of them are made just as I would make an expressive landscape: by using light and shadow to abstract, emphasize, and express how I feel about what I see before me. I try to use color as an expressive force when present, as well. Finally, I try to convey the grandeur of vast spaces by incorporating subjects that will add a sense of scale to the scene.

I present this gallery in "blog" style.. A large thumbnail is displayed for each image, along with a detailed caption explaining how I intended to express my ideas. If you click on the large thumbnail, you can see it in its full size, as well as leave comments and read the comments of others. I hope you will be able to participate in the dialogue. I welcome your comments, suggestions, ideas, and questions, and will be delighted to respond.