Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by W. Eugene Smith

Quote by W. Eugene Smith

Author

W. Eugene Smith
W. Eugene Smith

W. Eugene Smith was an influential American photographer known for his profound documentary photography. His work is renowned for its empathy towards human suffering and its focus on social issues. Smith's contributions to photography have had a lasting impact, and he is widely considered one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. more

You May Also Like

“If a subject has a delicate surface to it, you do not want to go charging in there. You need to establish some kind of presence and understanding. I will say, Try to forget I'm here. I won't ask you to pose, I won't ask you to do anything. It's important that I just be allowed to be around, to be present. Photographing people requires a willingness to be rejected. So, I think the best approach is to be honest and direct. Very often, I tell them, You don't know me. There's no reason why you should trust me... the only thing I can promise is that I'll try to do the most honest work I can.”

PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsWantNeedsShouldTryingKindI CanImportantReasonAsksUnderstandingForgetSubjectsHonestPromiseApproachDirectSurfaceBeing HonestReason WhyNo ReasonWillingnessDelicateKnow MeRejectedTrust MeChargingHonest WorkYou Don't Know Me
Author:William Albert Allard
Create image

“Working alone on stories, I began to feel the anonymity of motels on interstate highways reached by jet planes and rental cars. It was hard to have a good time, and the only way I could make the loneliness excusable was by taking pictures I thought were very good, even valuable.”

WayFeelsHardStoriesCarLonelinessVery GoodValuablePlanesGood TimesHighwaysHaving A Good TimeJetAnonymityTaking PicturesInterstateMotelsCar RentalJet PlanesWorking Alone
Book:Pictures under discussion
Create image

“When I teach a class I often give the assignment: Photograph someone you love. I ask people to do this so they have a subject about whom they have feelings, a subject that is more than a model, or an object, or a shape, or an idea. In this way, they can judge the result not only by its technical success, but also by how well it describes their feelings.”

PeopleWayGivingWellsIdeasFeelingsAsksResultsClassTeachSubjectsObjectsJudgingShapesModelsPhotographAssignmentsOne You LoveSomeone You Love
Book:Pictures under discussion
Create image

“The fact is that the camera is literal if anything, which gives it something in common with a thermometer... Often the tension that exists between the pictorial content of a photograph and its record of reality is the picture's true beauty. There is sleight of hand in photography... you make the viewer think he's seeing everything while at the same time you make him realize he's not. I try to make my pictures seem reasonable and then, at the last minute, pull the rug from beneath the viewer's feet, very gently so there's a little thrill.”

IfsThinkingGivingTryingLittlesFactsHandsRealitySeemsLastsRealizingCommonRecordsSeeingFeetMinutesPhotographyCamerasPhotographTensionReasonableThrillViewersLiteralTrue BeautyLast MinutePictorialThermometersSleight Of Hand
Author:John Loengard
Create image