Edward Weston was an influential American photographer known for his innovative and groundbreaking work. His photographs often captured the beauty of everyday objects and landscapes, revealing their unique characteristics and transforming them into works of art. Throughout his career, Weston shared his insights and perspectives on photography and life through his memorable quotes. In this article, we have compiled a collection of some of the most inspiring and thought-provoking Edward Weston quotes.
Read these Edward Weston quotes
“Photography suits the temper of this age – of active bodies and minds. It is a perfect medium for one whose mind is teeming with ideas, imagery, for a prolific worker who would be slowed down by painting or sculpting, for one who sees quickly and acts decisively, accurately.”
“To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity which live or are latent in all things.”
“Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.”
“I have often thought that if photography were difficult in the true sense of the term—meaning that the creation of a simple photograph would entail as much time and effort as the production of a good watercolor or etching—there would be a vast improvement in total output. The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster.”
“The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?”
“Photography is an austere and blazing poetry of the real.”
“Anything more than 500 yards from the car just isn’t photogenic.”
“I want the stark beauty that a lens can so exactly render… without interference from the artist’s personality.”
“My own eyes are no more than scouts on a preliminary search, for the camera’s eye may entirely change my idea.”
“Photography is a major force in explaining man to man.”
“Composition is the strongest way of seeing.”
“Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.”
“The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead, they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don’t know what to do with it.”
“It is well to remember that a picture before being a battle horse, a nude woman, or some anecdote, is essentially a plane surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order.”
“Photography is not a copy of the real world; it is a transformation of the world, a transformation that takes place continuously and unconsciously.”
“The camera sees both ways – outward and inward.”
“The photographer must be prepared to catch and hold on to those elements which give distinction to the subject or lend it atmosphere or mood. They are often momentary, chance-sent things – a gleam of light on water, a trail of smoke from a passing train, a cat crossing a threshold, the shadows cast by a setting sun. Sometimes they are a matter of luck; the photographer could not expect or hope for them. Sometimes they are a matter of patience, waiting for an effect to be repeated that he has seen and lost or for one that he anticipates.”
“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.”
“Photography can never grow up if it imitates some other medium. It has to walk alone; it has to be itself.”
“Photography to the amateur is recreation, to the professional it is work, and hard work too, no matter how pleasurable it may be.”
“The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh.”
These quotes by Edward Weston give us a glimpse into his creative mindset and philosophy on photography. They remind us to look beyond the surface and capture the essence of our subjects. Weston’s dedication to his craft and his unique approach to photography continue to inspire photographers around the world.
