Talking Pictures
What Are You Looking At?

Shutterbug Staff, November, 2004

I encountered this gentleman while making a wildlife documentary film in Tanzania, East Africa. His Masai village or “manyatta” was near the famous Olduvai Gorge on the Serengeti Plain. Even though the whole village was well compensated for the privilege of shooting still pictures and videotapes, this warrior still seemed to maintain a healthy suspicion of the outlandish “tourists” with their glittering cameras, microphones, and reflectors. When the photography was finished, I did buy a beautiful beaded belt and a no-kidding Masai spear from him and we parted great friends.
—Kevin James
Monroe TWP, NJ

Technical Info: Nikon F3 with Ektachrome 160. After scanning the slide into a Mac G4 with a Nikon 4000ED scanner, Photoshop was used to adjust exposure and contrast, clone out distractions, and to replace a flat, washed-out sky. Individual “brush strokes” and surface texture were added in Painter. The final image was printed on an Epson 2200. © 2004, Kevin James, All Rights Reserved

Please Read This
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 website. 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, 1419 Chaffee Dr., Suite #1, Titusville, FL 32780.