The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?
Edward WestonRead
People who wouldn't think of taking a sieve to the well to draw water fail to see the folly in taking a camera to make a painting.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the misuse of tools in art, suggesting that just as a sieve is unsuitable for drawing water, a camera is not the appropriate tool for painting.
Edward Weston’s quote highlights the importance of using the right tools for artistic expression. It draws a parallel between inappropriate methods in different contexts—using a sieve for water and a camera for painting—illustrating how true artistic skill requires the correct medium and approach to convey a vision effectively.
Themes
ArtPaintingCameraToolsExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of choosing the right method for creative expression, one might quote Edward Weston.
More from Edward Weston
All quotes →The photograph isolates and perpetuates a moment of time: an important and revealing moment, or an unimportant and meaningless one, depending upon the photographer's understanding of his subject and mastery of his process.
Edward WestonRead
Why limit yourself to what your eyes see when you have an opportunity to extend your vision?
Edward WestonRead
Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.
Edward WestonRead
I start with no preconceived idea - discovery excites me to focus - then rediscovery through the lens - final form of presentation seen on ground glass, the finished print previsioned completely in every detail of texture, movement, proportion, before exposure - the shutter's release automatically and finally fixes my conception, allowing no after manipulation - the ultimate end, the print, is but a duplication of all that I saw and felt through my camera.
Edward WestonRead
Photography to the amateur is recreation, to the professional it is work, and hard work too, no matter how pleasurable it my be.
Edward WestonRead
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