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.