[spectâre, Latin: to look at , see, contemplate, watch]

Long ago, the great pictorial magazines such as Life, gave us compelling, in-depth essays about far-away places using the hot technology of the day: the photograph. Sadly, all but a few of these publications have been lost to downsizing, wire services, stock agencies, and the television juggernaut. There are precious few publications left that still deliver original, thought-provoking pictorial essays.

Today's Internet technology makes it possible for story tellers to continue this great tradition. The web shatters the distribution barrier, making it possible for anyone with a simple digital video camera to creat and deploy a story globally. These technologies will drive the democratization of the news and entertainment industries. Read more about the Internet's impact on the television industry in our technology article, The Future of Television in a streaming World.

Spectare is a non-commercial web site dedicated to images, sounds and short travel stories from far-away places using the latest imaging technologies. Our dispatches and media galleries are focused on the beauty and wonder inherent in every culture, in an effort to improve understanding and respect between people globally.

Enjoy the site!