Talking Pictures

A couple of years ago, I took my mother on a trip to Tokyo, Japan. I planned this trip as a way to give my family an opportunity to get out of their day-to-day routines and travel across the world to gain a new perspective on things. Our trip was full of fun and exciting excursions, and a few meaningful experiences. One of these experiences took place at the Kotokuin Temple in Kamakura, Japan. This place means a lot to me because it was the setting of a very intimate conversation with my mother. From all of the things we shared, the one phrase that I continue to carry with me was when she said, “Thank you for bringing me here. It means a lot to me.” This place is now special for the impact that it made on my mother, and for the impact that it continues to make on the hundreds of visitors who gather there every year.
—Paul Portillo Jr.
Alhambra, CA

Technical Info: Taken with a Nikon D2Xs and a Nikkor 18-200mm lens. Exposure at ISO 100 was f/8 at 1⁄750 sec. Used Aperture, Photoshop CS2, and Photomatix Pro in post-processing. © 2007, Paul Portillo Jr., All Rights Reserved

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The premise of “Talking Pictures” is that every picture has a story. We invite you to send quality prints (only) and a short narrative on why you took the picture or how, in retrospect, it brings up thoughts and feelings about the subject.

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