Talking Pictures
Newborn Adoration

Shutterbug Staff, November, 2003

© 2003, Ed Shields, All Rights Reserved Two years ago, in an effort to achieve a more intimate feel to my travel photography, I started taking images of people having fun at state fairs. Although I found it difficult at first to approach people and take their picture at such close range, it is now one of my favorite forms of photography. This image was taken at the California State Fair, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary. The lady was adoring a newborn piglet and I was crouching down, waiting for her to look up so I could catch her eyes. She was about to hand the piglet back to the handler when I suddenly realized that the picture was the expression on the lower portion of her face and just imagining the sparkle and thorough love and enjoyment in her eyes. I feel that it captures the essence of a talking picture. —Ed Shields Sacramento, CA

The premise of Talking Pictures is that all of us have images that carry an internal narrative that we rarely get to share. This entails more than just camera, exposure, and film. It might include what provoked us to snap the shutter or how, in retrospect, the image makes us feel. We invite you to submit images and words for this department. Please send only one image and brief text with each submission. Because we will print the pictures large please make sure that the image can take the blowup. For this department we will accept only high-quality prints (5x7 or 8x10) and slides—no digital files, please. We will not be able to return the images to you because of the volume we anticipate receiving. And by sending us the image you grant us permission to print it in the magazine and on our web site. We also may hold publication for some time. So come on, get published and share your ideas and inspiration. Send submissions to: Talking Pictures, Shutterbug, 5211 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, FL 32780.