QuoteProject
For me the true business of photography is to capture a bit of reality (whatever that is) on film...if, later, the reality means something to someone else, so much the better.
Garry Winogrand
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Photography captures moments of reality, creating connections with viewers through shared experiences.

Garry Winogrand emphasizes that the essence of photography lies in its ability to capture reality, regardless of its subjective interpretation. The goal is not only to preserve moments but to evoke meaning for those who later engage with the photograph, highlighting the shared human experience behind each image.

Themes

PhotographyRealityArtMeaningConnection

In practice

Example use cases

In a photography exhibition, one might say this quote to explain the purpose of their work.

More from Garry Winogrand

The photo is a thing in itself. And that's what still photography is all about.
Garry WinograndRead
The photograph should be more interesting or more beautiful than what was photographed
Garry WinograndRead
Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you change those facts.
Garry WinograndRead
When I’m photographing I see life.
Garry WinograndRead
Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed.
Garry WinograndRead
I like to think of photographing as a two-way act of respect. Respect for the medium, by letting it do what it does best, describe. And respect for the subject, by describing it as it is. A photograph must be responsible to both.
Garry WinograndRead

Similar quotes

One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on the music in such a way that you're not aware there was a writer there.
Stephen SondheimRead
I wanted to be a singer, of course, but there was something about the songwriting, then and now, that is the most important thing. It's how I express myself, how I express how I see things. When I see people struggling with emotions and feelings and don't know how to put it down, I'm able to do that. It's really like a therapy, and it's like a buddy and a friend. It's a way out of a lot of things.
Dolly PartonRead
My tendency as an actor was to correct people, was to say, 'What if we tried it this way, what about if we tried that way?' That's terrible habit for an actor, but that's a good habit for director. So I became a director.
David MametRead
Writing is not about making a buck, not about publishers and agents. Writing is not about feeling good. Writing is about pain, suffering, hard work, risk, and fear.
Sue GraftonRead
The genesis of a poem for me is usually a cluster of words. The only good metaphor I can think of is a scientific one: dipping a thread into a supersaturated solution to induce crystal formation. I don't think I solve problems in my poetry; I think I uncover the problems.
Margaret AtwoodRead
I hope people will say, 'Mr. Valentino, he did something for fashion, no?'
Valentino GaravaniRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.