Photography Quotes

Photography quotes can be really useful when looking for ideas and inspiration. These photography quotes are from some of the most famous photographers in the world that have over the years offered words of wisdom.

In my opinion all these photography quotes reveal the deeper meaning of each photographers art, they have stood the test of time are just as relevant in today’s digital photography world.

Ansell Adams – “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.”

Bill Brandt – “It is part of the photographer’s job to see more intensely than most people do. He must have and keep in him something of the receptiveness of the child who looks at the world for the first time or of the traveler who enters a strange country.”

Dorothea Lange – “Where there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.”

Inspirational quote by Man Ray

I recently came across this inspirational quote by Man Ray that I thought I would share.

“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information”. Man Ray

Inspiring words from Steve Jobs

Lovely inspiring Steve Jobs quotation “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Steve Jobs

Photography is an art of observation

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt

Wise Words Top 10 Inspirational Quotes

Here are a selection of inspirational quotes and wise words that I particularly like. Inspirational quotes have the power to motivate you, uplift your spirit and challenge your thoughts.

The first inspirational quote listed is my personal favourite that I have prominently positioned above my mac, it is particularly meaningful to me because of the reference to the great outdoors.

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence.” ~ Buddha

The following lists the remainder of my favourite Top Ten Inspirational Quotes.

“May the road rise to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.” ~ Irish Blessing

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Success is not fame or money or the power to bewitch. It is to have created something valuable from your own individuality and skill – a garden, an embroidery, a painting, a cake, a life.” ~ Charlotte Gray

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” ~ Elliott Erwitt

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” ~ Elizabeth Kubler Ross

“Mental toughness is essential to success.” ~ Vince Lombardi

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.” ~ Mark Twain

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

I hope you have enjoyed my personal Top 10 Inspirational Quotes – what are your favourite inspirational quotes, post your reply I would love to hear from you.

Famous Photographer Quotes for Inspiration

These Photographer Quotes can be helpful when you looking for inspiration or have hit a creative wall. Some of the most famous photographers in the world have over the years made photographer quotes offering words of wisdom.

In my opinion all the photographer quotes below reveal the deeper meaning of the photographers art and having stood the test of time are still relevant today.

Elliot Erwitt – To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.

David Bailey – A positive attitude can really make dreams come true – it did for me.

Man Ray – Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.

Ansel Adams – No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit. 

Paul Strand – The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.

Edward Weston – Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.

Henri Cartier-Bresson – Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.

Annie Leibovitz – I wish that all of nature’s magnificence, the emotion of the land, the living energy of place could be photographed.

Diane Arbus – Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.

Bill Brandt – And only the photographer himself knows the effect he wants. He should know by instinct, grounded in experience, what subjects are enhanced by hard or soft, light or dark treatment.

Feel free to leave your comments or add your own favourite photographer quotes.

Photographer Paul Strand – Photography

Photographer Paul Strand has been featured in one of the books in The Aperture Masters of Photography series. This book gives a fascinating insight to the life and works of one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, it includes a selection of his photographs, a brief chronology of his life and an excellent bibliography.

“The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.” Photographer Paul Strand

Paul Strand Photography BookPhotographer Paul Strand (October 16, 1890 – March 31, 1976) was an American photographer and filmmaker who, along with fellow modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped establish photography as an art form in the 20th century. His diverse body of work, spanning six decades, covers numerous genres and subjects throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa.

To read more about Paul Strand and admire his photographic work visit the Getty Museum.

Kodachrome by Paul Simon – Quotation

With the demise of Kodachrome I was recently reminded of the track Kodachrome by Paul Simon.

Kodachrome, it gives us those nice bright colors
Gives us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah!
I got a Nikon camera, I love to take a photograph
So momma, don’t take my Kodachrome away…”

Excerpt from the track entitled Kodachrome by Paul Simon on the album Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-86.

Claude Monet quote – Quotations

Claude Monet quote – “For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life – the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value.”

Claude Monet

Top 10 Ansel Adams quotations

Ansel Adams quotations, the American photographer was a great exponent of black and white photography of the American West with a justly deserved reputation for stunning high quality work.

Here is my Top 10 list of Ansel Adams quotations, they are in no particular order though the first one is my favourite which unfortunately is still as true today as it was then.

1. It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.
2. A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.
3. Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.
4. I tried to keep both arts alive, but the camera won. I found that while the camera does not express the soul, perhaps a photograph can!
5. Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships.
6. In my mind’s eye, I visualize how a particular… sight and feeling will appear on a print. If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph. It is an intuitive sense, an ability that comes from a lot of practice.
7. A good photograph is knowing where to stand.
8. No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.
9. It is my intention to present – through the medium of photography – intuitive observations of the natural world which may have meaning to the spectators.
10. Millions of men have lived to fight, build palaces and boundaries, shape destinies and societies; but the compelling force of all times has been the force of originality and creation profoundly affecting the roots of human spirit.

Hope you have enjoyed these Ansel Adams quotations. Please leave your favourite Ansel Adams quote in the comment box.