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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Forty-Two: Adding meaning to scenic vistas > Ancient landscape, Arches National Park, Utah, 2006
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21-SEP-2006

Ancient landscape, Arches National Park, Utah, 2006

The pink tinged sky expresses the coming of a new day upon an old – make that very old – landscape. The towers of ancient rock are in partial silhouette, but many of them show one wall reflecting the light of the coming dawn. I anchor the image I flowering sage. Although the entire foreground is in shadow, there is enough color in the rocks and plants to tease the imagination and arouse the emotions. It is a scenic vista, yet also my interpretation of this strange and colorful landscape.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
1/100s f/3.2 at 8.0mm iso100 hide exif
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Date/Time21-Sep-2006 06:06:39
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-FZ50
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length8 mm
Exposure Time1/100 sec
Aperturef/3.2
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.66
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis08-Nov-2006 20:11
Yes, Ai Li -- as you can see from my exchange with Zane here, each of us sees the same subject through different eyes, and as such, we would make differing images of it. My own approach is usually the road less traveled. Conventional wisdom is comforting -- you are always sure of support for your ideas. Unconventional approaches entail more risk, and some may not agree with your choices. Which is fine -- as an artist, I am not looking for agreement. I am hoping to stimulate the imaginations of my viewers and make them see the ordinary in an extraordinary way. Thanks for sharing that view with me.
AL08-Nov-2006 09:11
It's interesting to read and see how one's choice of context and subject could change the entire scene, paint a new picture, give a different feel and emotion. I'm always appreciating unconventional ways of photographing :-)
Phil Douglis02-Nov-2006 23:29
Thanks, Zane, for your suggestion. I see what you are suggesting here, and I would have probably given stress to the rocks if they were the primary subject. But in this case, I intended to use the rocks as context and the sage as subject. I believe in unconventional composition, and often will flip a conventional subject into unconventional context and put something unexpected, in this case the sage, into the starring role. It is just the way I express myself.
Zane Paxton02-Nov-2006 22:15
Its a nice enough image, but for me the sage brush is given more importance than perhaps it merits as a secondary subject.... Perhaps it might be a more "visually balanced" image if the primary subject commanded more of the image's real estate. With so much area given to the forground it starts to compete with the more interesting skyline, which presumably is the primary subject... Sure the foreground is played down by being darker and I get the layered depth, but I think the image is not as strong as it could be compositionally.
Phil Douglis01-Nov-2006 18:11
I felt that contrast as well, Jenene -- the sage draws the eye, and demands attention. It comes with an attitude. Nothing can conquer it -- not even this barren, rocky, high desert.
JSWaters01-Nov-2006 17:01
The flowering and colorful sage are in full defiance of that cracked, red earth.
Jenene
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