Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art.
Ansel AdamsRead
One of the most important pieces of equipment, for the photographer who really wants to improve, is a great big wastepaper basket.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embracing failure is key to improvement in photography.
Ansel Adams highlights the importance of discarding poor work as an essential part of a photographer's growth. A willingness to let go of unsatisfactory images allows for the space to create better ones, ultimately fostering artistic development and creativity.
Themes
PhotographyImprovementFailureCreativityArtistic Growth
In practice
Example use cases
In a photography workshop, a mentor might remind participants, 'Remember what Ansel Adams said about the wastepaper basket.'
More from Ansel Adams
All quotes →It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.
Ansel AdamsRead
A good photograph is knowing where to stand.
Ansel AdamsRead
With all art expression, when something is seen, it is a vivid experience, sudden, compelling, and inevitable.
Ansel AdamsRead
The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster.
Ansel AdamsRead
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 AdamsRead
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