Echoes From a Distant Land by Frank Coates Page A

with Hungerford or the client.
    â€˜Me, sir?’ he asked.
    â€˜Yes, you, young man. I’m sure you heard me ask Mr Hungerford for your services yesterday. And he agreed. What do you say?’
    â€˜Sir?’
    â€˜Do you want to work with me?’
    â€˜With the cameras?’
    â€˜With the cameras and all the other equipment I use. You seem an intelligent lad. Are you interested in working with cameras?’
    Wangira was still uncertain whether he understood, but nodded vigorously. ‘I … I am.’
    â€˜Then, come,’ Ketterman said. ‘Come to my tent and I will teach you all you need to know.’
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    Ketterman’s tent boy had set a number of lanterns burning in the corners of the interior and flung the flaps over the sides to let in the cool evening air.
    â€˜Thank you, Babu,’ he said. ‘That will be all for today. Come in,’ he added, waving his guest forwards.
    The porter took a tentative step into the tent.
    Ketterman indicated a canvas chair. ‘Sit,’ he said. ‘By the way, what’s your name?’
    â€˜I am Sam … Samson Wangira, sir.’
    â€˜Samson. Very well. I am Ira Ketterman.’
    Sam nodded.
    â€˜Sit down, Samson,’ he repeated, and then went to the back of the tent to retrieve one of his cameras. He chose one that he felt would be simple enough to demonstrate the basic principles.
    He placed the camera on the folding table between them.
    â€˜This,’ Ketterman said, ‘is my Hess-Ives Hicro.’ After first pausing for effect, he added, ‘My colour camera.’
    He offered it to Sam, who, after a moment’s hesitation, took it carefully into his hands.
    â€˜As you can see, it’s not coloured at all. Merely black like all the rest.’
    The joke escaped the young Kikuyu, who was scrutinising the camera in great detail.
    â€˜That little circle of glass at the front is the lens,’ he continued. ‘And that knob just there moves the back plane to and fro to change the —’
    â€˜It is not the camera you used to take my photograph.’
    â€˜No, it is a different one. That was an Eastman Kodak. I could have used the Hess-Ives but I thought a black and white study might be … Oh, would you like to see the photo I took of you?’
    Sam’s eyes lit up.
    Ketterman went around the table to his desk. The enlargement was in a folder and as he slipped it out, he again admired it. The strong lines of Sam’s face, his high cheekbones, his square jaw with just a hint of a cleft in his chin. His wide intelligent eyes. The camera had captured them perfectly, but the portrait had an elegance as portrayed in the subtle skin tones, and the afternoon light had softened his body’s contours and muscles to give them a grace and beauty that was otherwise concealed by his masculinity.Sam was not yet a cameraman’s assistant, but he was an excellent subject.
    Ketterman moved a lamp to the table as he slid the print across. ‘It’s quite a good shot, actually,’ he said modestly, watching Sam’s delight spread across his face.
    Finally, Sam looked up from the photograph. ‘It is beautiful,’ he said in wonder, then dropped his eyes in embarrassment. ‘I mean, it is a very nice photograph.’
    Ketterman laughed. ‘Thank you. But it is you who have made it beautiful, not I.’
    Sam squirmed.
    â€˜Now … Are you ready to begin your education?’ Ketterman asked.
    The young Kikuyu nodded enthusiastically.
    â€˜Very well.’
    Ketterman started at the beginning, opening the camera and pointing out the various components and their part in the process of forming an image.
    By the time the drum sounded to announce the evening meal, Ketterman had begun a simple description of the focus mechanism.
    Sam had done extremely well and Ketterman was both pleased and impressed with his progress. The young man was clearly quite intelligent. It