There is no denying learning photography is a long journey. But it’s the things you see and the people you meet along the way that make the ride worth it. This adventure is the sole motivator of this photography quotes guide.
Photography is a skill we believe is never truly mastered. In fact, we both have degrees in science and never went school for photography. Photography was a skill we learned on our own with a lot of determination. If you are new to our blog, you can read our story here.
There is something special about photography because it can be enjoyed by anyone anywhere in the world. We believe a good photographer is always experimenting and looking for the next best photo.
We have organized this long list of photography quotes into manageable sections in case you wanted to search for a particular topic.
In this photos quotes guide, we will show you:
- Best photography quotes
- Nature photography quotes
- Black and white photography quotes
- Funny photography quotes
- Wedding photography quotes
- Ansel Adams photography quotes
Now, let’s find the best photography quotes!
Best Photography Quotes
1). “Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” – George Eastman
2). “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
3). “My camera is my passport.” – Steve McCurry
4). “Life is like a camera. Just focus on what’s important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don’t work out, just take another shot.” – Anon
5). “When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.” – Alfred Eisenstaedt
6). “The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.” – Andy Warhol
7). “You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at the picture for a second and think of it all your life.” – Joan Miro
8). “If I have any ‘message’ worth giving to a beginner it is that there are no shortcuts in photography.” – Edward Weston
9). “All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice.” – Elliott Erwitt
10). “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
Nature Photography Quotes
11). “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” – William Shakespeare
12). “Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.” – Vincent Van Gogh
13). “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
14). “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
15). “Actually, it’s nature itself that creates the most beautiful pictures, I’m only choosing the perspective.” – Katja Michael
16). “Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
17). “Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift.” – Albert Einstein
18). “The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.” – Claude Monet
19). “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.” – Isaac Newton
20). “Choose only one master – nature.” – Rembrandt
21). “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Black and White Photography Quotes
22). “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!” – Ted Grant
23). “We see in color all the time. Black and white is therefore immediately an interpretation of the world, rather than a copy.” – Michael Kenna
24). “The special factor about black and white photography is that it doesn’t just copy the reality, but it represents it with its own language.” – Gian Marco Marano
25). “Black and white is abstract; color is not. Looking at a black and white photograph, you are already looking at a strange world.” – Joel Sternfeld
26). “The world is in color, you have to work at black and white.” – Andrew Maclean
27). “Black and white images take you beyond what most people photograph.” – Rob Sheppard
28). “There’s something strange and powerful about black – and – white imagery.” – Stefan Kanfer
29). “Black and white can transform a scene into something magical.” – Rob Sheppard
30). “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.” – Eliott Erwitt
31). “The most colorful thing in the world is black and white, it contains all colors and at the same time excludes all.” – Vikrmn
Funny Photography Quotes
32). “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson
33). “Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” – Diane Arbus
34). “Photography is an itch that won’t go away. No matter how much you scratch it.” – Dara McGrath
35). “Once photography enters your bloodstream, it is like a disease.” – Anon
36). “Since I’m inarticulate, I express myself with images.” – Helen Levitt
37). “No place is boring, if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film.” – Robert Adams
38). “I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse.” – Diane Arbus
39). “Don’t pack up your camera until you’ve left the location.” – Joe McNally
40). “The best photographers do not need 50,000 dollars worth of gear. Look what Ansel Adams did with a Kodak brownie camera. A good photographer has a way of seeing (perspective) that is different from the mundane.” – David Hultgren
41). “Just be prepared to look back in a few years on yourself, and your photos, and laugh.” – Ben Chrisman
Wedding Photography Quotes
42). “I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.” – Bruce Gilden
43). “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” – Jim Richardson
44). “I like to photograph anyone before they know what their best angles are.” – Ellen Von Unwerth
45). “Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” – David Alan Harvey
46). “The most important thing at a wedding is to photograph the bride. The second most important thing is not to forget the groom.” – Alix Reuters
47). “If you force it and you keep looking for moments then you’ll end up shooting what you think the wedding should look like rather than actual moments that are unfolding in front of you.” – Joe Buissink
48). “It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.” – Alfred Eisenstaedt
49). “What I love about Black & White photographs is that they’re more like reading the book than seeing the movie” – Jennifer Price
50). “Life is in color, but black and white is more realistic.” – Samuel Fuller
Ansel Adams Photography Quotes
Ansel Adams was an American landscape photographer who is well known for his images of the American West. Check out the Ansel Adams Gallery here.
51). “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams
52). “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams
53). “If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph.” — Ansel Adams
54). “There are always two people in every photo: the photographer and the viewer.” – Ansel Adams
55). “In my mind, I visualize how a particular… sight 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.” – Ansel Adams
56). “It is my intention to present – through the medium of photography – intuitive observations of the natural world which may have meaning to the spectators.” – Ansel Adams
57). “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.” – Ansel Adams
58). “There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.” – Ansel Adams
59). “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” – Ansel Adams
60). “Sometimes I arrive just when God’s ready to have someone click the shutter.” – Ansel Adams
61). “There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” – Ansel Adams
62). “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”- Ansel Adams
63). “Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs.” – Ansel Adams
Photography Quote FAQ’s
Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions regarding photography quotes and why we are so drawn to photos.
There are many variables to help to make a photo more attractive including good composition, light, subject, focus and exposure.
A few simple ways to take creative photos are using everyday objects, moving your camera, zooming while shooting and taking photos through other objects.
Photography is an extremely powerful learning tool that helps others communicate in a nonverbal way. Photos can inspire people by capturing beautiful moments in life.
Photography is unique because it allows you to create images of special events, places and times. Photos are a great way to share events and moments with loved ones long after it has passed.
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We hope this guide to the best photography quotes helps with inspiring your next photoshoot!
Please let us know if you have any questions about photography quotes or photography in the comments below.
Happy Shooting,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Their work has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications.