Quotes from famous photographers

"The photographer should go out into the fields with an open eye and open mind to be moved to an expression of his appreciation of pattern, his appreciation of tone, of values, etc. Let him leave the mind open and that will tell him what to express"

Clarence H. White
 
I am not surprised by the flak William Eggleston is getting on this thread. He is, after all, one of the more enigmatic masters of photography. For those interested, have a look at this documentary about his life and work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jZ_HkaTXh8 The documentary is in 5 parts. Click on 'auto play' on YouTube to see them all. Cheers, OtL
 
PKR said:
I couldn't find the Gibson quote but, its content has stayed with me over the years.

Its content was something like: The photograph is an illusion of reality. Three dimensions are made into two, a large space is made into a small one, printed on a sheet of paper. In the case of color, Color is made into Black and White.
Click to expand...

I think it was about the levels the image is being removed from reality and therefore turned into art.
As far as I remember it goes along these lines:

"Reality is three dimensions, in contious time and in color.
You take an image, you freeze time, you reduce it to two diemsions and in case of black and white you remove color as well."
--- Ralph Gibson
 
icebear said:
I think it was about the levels the image is being removed from reality and therefore turned into art.
As far as I remember it goes along these lines:

"Reality is three dimensions, in contious time and in color.
You take an image, you freeze time, you reduce it to two diemsions and in case of black and white you remove color as well."
--- Ralph Gibson
Click to expand...

Hi Ice,

That one covers it but, there may have been another adding tha reduction of a large space into a small one. For a time, Ralph was interviewed a lot and his stuff was always published in the popular photo press.

Thanks for finding that one. I couldn't locate any.

Here's one from Paul Fusco that was delivered directly to me. He had just looked at a bunch of my annual report photos and said, When you look at all those machines you can see art in them. The people who own them only see money, never forget that.
 
icebear said:
I think it was about the levels the image is being removed from reality and therefore turned into art.
As far as I remember it goes along these lines:

"Reality is three dimensions, in contious time and in color.
You take an image, you freeze time, you reduce it to two diemsions and in case of black and white you remove color as well."
--- Ralph Gibson
Click to expand...

Waxing philosophical, Ralph Gibson is equating "reality" with human visual perception. If Albert Einstein WERE to comment on photography he MAY have said, Spacetime is four dimensions and visually experienced by humans in a spectral range of 380-700 nm. You take an image, you freeze it in the time dimension, you reduce the three Cartesian dimensions to two. In the case of B&W, you remove all but the tonal effects of the electromagnetic spectrum.
 
When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes.
When you photograph people in Black and White, you photograph their souls!
--Ted Grant, Canadian photographer
 
This is not a quote by a photographer but is a nice quote directed at a photographer - spoken by the recently departed HRH Prince Philip who was always forthright in saying exactly what he was thinking without hesitation and without filters. Especially when he was irritated at being kept hanging around. :)

Unfortunately the video sound is somewhat indistinct but his exact words seem to be "Take the F##### picture!" His grandson, the future King at least seems amused as does the Prince himself - check his furtive grin a few seconds later. Not too sure how the photographer feels.

The same words would serve as good advice to myself when I am dithering about on the street and feeling self conscious about whether to shoot or not when my my potential subject may have noticed me. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BkdYTDj6Eg
 
I did think that I'd met one of the Battle of Britain veterans that were present at the "****ing photo" incident - looking at the video, he wasn't actually there, but I do have a letter from Geoff Wellum (2nd right, front row). All gone to Valhalla, now.

The Roy DeCarava quote reminds me of the work Ansel Adams put into his (New?) Mexico cemetery photo, on and off over several years.
 
Cecil Beaton on meeting a Lady that he was sure he knew,
asked "and what does your husband do?"
Oh he is still the King

Elizabeth, Queen Mother about George V!
 
A list of some that I tend to relate to...

  • "...batteries in a camera are so over rated!", Al Kaplan
  • "Colour is merely symbolic; the real truth is in luminosity!" (don't have authors for this one)
  • "Documentary photos are representations of the photographer's reaction to the scene", Morry Katz
  • "The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don't belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation.", Susan Meiselas
  • "You are not a photographer because you are interested in photography. Photography is a tool for expressing a passion in something else.” David Hurn
  • Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about money, masters worry about light, I just make pictures.", Vinton Trent
  • "I’m always looking outside, trying to look inside. Trying to tell something that’s true. But maybe nothing is really true. Except what’s out there.", Robert Frank
  • "Try not to take pictures, which simply show what something looks like...", Constantine Manos
  • "Any man who can see what he wants to get on film will usually find some way to get it; and a man who thinks his equipment is going to see for him is not going to get much of anything.", Hunter S. Thompson
 
craygc said:
A list of some that I tend to relate to...

  • "...batteries in a camera are so over rated!", Al Kaplan
  • "Colour is merely symbolic; the real truth is in luminosity!" (don't have authors for this one)
  • "Documentary photos are representations of the photographer's reaction to the scene", Morry Katz
  • "The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don't belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation.", Susan Meiselas
  • "You are not a photographer because you are interested in photography. Photography is a tool for expressing a passion in something else.” David Hurn
  • Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about money, masters worry about light, I just make pictures.", Vinton Trent
  • "I’m always looking outside, trying to look inside. Trying to tell something that’s true. But maybe nothing is really true. Except what’s out there.", Robert Frank
  • "Try not to take pictures, which simply show what something looks like...", Constantine Manos
  • "Any man who can see what he wants to get on film will usually find some way to get it; and a man who thinks his equipment is going to see for him is not going to get much of anything.", Hunter S. Thompson
Click to expand...

That's a wonderful list.

The Susan Meiselas quote is interesting. In my younger days I needed to get things done when I had taken time off from my career trajectory for a two year research project. I found years before I took a camera about a lot that if I had on a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, no tie, and I had a sheaf of papers in my hand and a couple of pens in my pocket, I could get through any door and get to the office I needed to visit.
 
narsuitus said:
When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes.
When you photograph people in Black and White, you photograph their souls!
--Ted Grant, Canadian photographer
Click to expand...


I like that! Thanks.
 
It was indeed King George VI but he was the protagonist Princess Mary’s brother. The other player was the English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham:

Beecham once met a lady he knew, but could not remember who she was. He asked her whether she was well.

"Oh, very well, but my brother has been rather ill lately", she said.
"Ah, yes, your brother. I'm sorry to hear that. And, er, what is your brother doing at the moment?"
"Well... he's still King", replied Princess Mary.
 
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