photocritique by philip n. douglis, abc, iabc fellow
Dimensions
of grandeur
Overcoming clichés in iconic imagery
P
The scale incongruity of the three people compared with the vastness
of the building defines the iconic nature of this Ecuadorian cathedral.
40 Communication World • March–April 2012
hotographers
often
encounter subject matter that conveys an
impression of grandeur
and provides symbolic meaning
that may seem to loom larger
than life. However, because such
subjects are often iconic, they
can produce photographic
clichés that describe, rather than
define, the subject.
To define such massively
iconic subjects, we must go
beyond just showing what they
look like and instead emphasize
what they may represent. I’ve
tried to do this with these three
examples.
I took the first example (left)
in the largest cathedral in
Cuenca, Ecuador. As in any
South American city, the cathedral is at the heart of spiritual
life in Cuenca. I was struck by
its sheer scale and how light
played within its vast archways.
When the cathedral opens its
doors, daylight flows in and
adds luminous arches of its own.
I made many images from this
spot, trying to stress the huge
size of the building by comparing it with the tiny figures of
worshippers as they walked
toward me. Three people, gradually increasing in size and spacing, helped me produce this
about the author
Phil Douglis, ABC, directs The
Douglis Visual Workshops, now
in its 42nd
year of training communicators in
visual literacy.
Douglis, an
IABC Fellow, is
the most widely known workshop
leader and columnist on editorial
photography for organizations.
He offers all of his training programs as one-on-one tutorial
workshops in digital imaging and
photographic communication.
These tutorials provide flexibility
in cost, length and content;
extend from one to four days;
and can be adjusted to cover
everything from basic digital
photography skills and photoediting to photographic expression. The tutorials are offered in
Phoenix, Arizona, on dates convenient for the participants. For
registration information, email
[email protected]. You can view
Douglis’s multi-gallery cyberbook
on expressive digital photography at www.pbase.com/pnd1.
image. It is this incongruity of
scale, rather than the structure
itself, that best defined the iconic nature of the subject for me.
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My second example (right)
symbolically defines the Statue
of Liberty, perhaps the most
iconic of all American symbols.
On another kind of day, this
wide-angle image would be a
postcard cliché. But on this day,
the nasty weather gives the
image symbolic power. The billowing dark clouds embrace the
statue, the harbor and the distant city in the background. The
oncoming storm can symbolize
difficult times, while the statue,
which symbolizes a free society,
seems to be standing firm
against the threat.
Old Faithful, my third example (right), is another American
icon—the single most famous
(and most photographed) feature in Yellowstone National
Park. It was the first geyser in
the park to receive a name. It
erupts about every 90 minutes
and sends thousands of gallons
of near-boiling water 150 feet
into the sky for several minutes.
Erupting geysers are exciting
to watch, but difficult to photograph for expressive purposes.
Many geyser pictures show only
water being thrown into the
air. I feel this image works
because it successfully conveys
the grandeur of Old Faithful in
terms of its scale, energy, light
and color.
As I waited for the eruption, I
studied the cloud formation
overhead, and hoped that the
geyser’s column of steam would
reach high enough to blend with
the clouds. And that is just what
is happening here; the thrust of
moisture seems to reach the
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heavens. The play of light on
the eruption is critical as well—
although Old Faithful erupts
about every 90 minutes, only
the eruptions in the early morning or late afternoon can produce images like this. The low
angle of the late afternoon light,
along with my selective spot-
metering method, creates different shades and textures
of white and gray within the
spout, dramatically illuminating
its strength and thrust, and
making Old Faithful look as
impressive in the image as it
does in person. l
Weather sets the tone for two
American icons. At top, ominous
clouds give symbolic power to
the Statue of Liberty. Above,
geyser steam from Old Faithful
seems to touch the clouds.
Communication World • March–April 2012 41