I've always wanted to be aware of what's going on around me, and I've wanted to use photography as an instrument of research into and reporting on the life of my own time.
Paul StrandRead
And if you can find out something about the laws of your own growth and vision as well as those of photography you may be able to relate the two, create an object that has a life of its own, which transcends craftsmanship. That is a long road, and because it must be your own road nobody can teach it to you or find it for you. There are no shortcuts, no rules.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The journey of personal growth and artistic expression is unique to each individual and cannot be taught by others.
In this quote, Paul Strand emphasizes the deep connection between personal growth and the art of photography. He suggests that understanding the principles of both personal development and photography allows an artist to create work that is not merely technical but alive and meaningful. This process requires time, effort, and a unique path that one must discover on their own, highlighting the absence of shortcuts and universal rules in both life and art.
Themes
GrowthPhotographyArtIndividualityCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on creative photography, this quote can be used to inspire students to pursue their personal artistic journey.
More from Paul Strand
All quotes →The photographer's problem is to see clearly the limitations and at the same time the potential qualities of his medium, for it is precisely here that honesty no less than intensity of vision is the pre-requisite of a living expression. The fullest realization of this is accomplished without tricks of process or manipulation, through the use of straight photographic methods.
Paul StrandRead
No matter what lens you use, no matter what speed the film, no matter how you develop it, no matter how you print it, you cannot say more than you can see.
Paul StrandRead
It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness.
Paul StrandRead
I like to photograph people who have strength and dignity in their faces. Whatever life has done to them, it hasn’t destroyed them.
Paul StrandRead
It is easy to make a picture of someone and call it a portrait. The difficulty lies in making a picture that makes the viewer care about a stranger.
Paul StrandRead
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