10 Inspiring Photography Quotes and the Photographers Behind Them
Katya Mulvaney
Thu Aug 29 2024
In any artistic endeavour there are times when we may lose that spark that keeps us creating. Sometimes we need a break, sometimes we need to take a step back and return to what we love about our art, and sometimes we just need a little bit of inspiration – or a combination of all three.
Whether you're looking for a little inspiration, or you just love to read about photography, here are 10 inspiring photography quotes and a bit of information about the photographers behind them. I hope you enjoy.
Photo by Pew Nguyen
- “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
French-born American documentary photographer Elliot Erwitt, is best known for his knack of capturing absurd and ironic moments in everyday settings through his black and white candid photographs. He joined Magnum Photos in 1953, and later turned to film in the 1970s where he produced several documentaries and comedy films.
More about Elliott Erwitt
Photo by Tran Le Tuan
- “If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you're not out there, you'll only hear about it.” - Jay Maisel
American photographer Jay Maisel, is best known for his ability to capture the essence of light, colour, and gesture in ordinary life. He has won several prominent photography awards and his portfolio includes photographing celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Miles Davis.
More about Jay Maisel
Photo by Pixabay
- “A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.” - Irving Penn
Irving Penn was an American photographer whose photographic work focused on portraits, fashion and still life. He is acknowledged as one of the twentieth century's great photographers. He approached photography with an artist's eye at a time where the medium was generally understood as a means of communication.
More about Irving Penn
 Photo by Dayane Nascimento
- “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” - Aaron Siskind
Aaron Siskind was an American photographer who is best known for his early social documentary work capturing moments in Harlem during the 1940s. Influenced by the Abstract Expressionist artists in New York, his later work focuses on the details of things, presented as flat surfaces. This style gives the sense that the image is separate from the original subject.
More about Aaron Siskind
Photo by Hermine Sol Moona
- “It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the ordinary.” - David Bailey
English photographer, David Bailey was a leading photographer in the Swinging Sixties scene in London. He is most well-known for his fashion photography and portraits of celebrities including John Lennon, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Andy Warhol and more. His work is held in the collection at the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
More about David Bailey
Photo by Tomáš Malík
- “My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” - Steve McCurry
American photographer, freelancer, and photojournalist, Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic contemporary photographers for the past fifty years. He has worked on assignment for National Geographic and has been a member of Magnum Photos since the mid-80s. His work has captured conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions, and contemporary culture across the globe.
More about Steve McCurry
Photo by Huy Nguyễn
- “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
Man Ray was an American photographer and visual artist who contributed significantly to the Surrealist and Dada movements. He is renowned for his creative approach to black and white photography and he focused mainly on fashion and portraits.
More about Man Ray
Photo by Инна Микитась
- “If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” - Lewis Hine
Lewis Hine was an American Sociologist and a photographer. He is best known for his work documenting the harsh realities of immigration and child labour in the early 1900s. This work was instrumental in bringing about the first Child Labor Laws in the United States.
More about Lewis Hine
Photo by Muhammad Amdad Hossain
- “There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson
French artist and humanist photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson is considered the master of candid photography. He is renowned for his ability to document decisive moments of human life with a poetic and documentary style and is often hailed as the father of street photography.
More about Henri Cartier-Bresson
Photo by Giulia Baptista
- “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”- Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is best known as a top fashion designer for luxury brands such as Chloé Chanel, however, he was also a passionate photographer. His love for fashion led him to photograph some of the industry's legends, from Naomi Campbell to Diane Kruger.
More about Karl Lagerfeld
Written by Katya Mulvaney | Katya is a brand creation and digital marketing specialist. She heads up marketing and communication here at LightRocket. If you subscribe to our emailer or follow us on social media, then you're probably already familiar with some of her work. She also never shies away from a good plate of pasta.
To read more helpful articles on photography, check out our blog page.
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