#MagnoliaMonday

 "Abstraction in photography is ridiculous, and is only an imitation of painting. We stopped imitating painters a hundred years ago, so to imitate them in this day and age is laughable." - Berenice Abbott

Minor White Photo Quote

"I'm always mentally photographing everything as practice." - Minor White

Editors Note: I am not really a fan of Minor White. His photography is not really my style and I don't know much of his photography. I chose the image above because it is the Minor White image that is in the photography textbook that I use for my Comm 220 class. My photography preferences aside the sentiment in the quote is right on the money.

Stieglitz Photo Quote

Photo by Alfred Stieglitz

"The camera was waiting for me by predestination and I took to it as a musician takes to the piano or a painter to canvas. I found that I was master of the elements, that I could work miracles."- Alfred Stieglitz

This is the feeling I get with my iPhone and Photo Apps. I'm addicted to iPhone photography.

Clicking with People

"It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”~Alfred Eisenstaedt

Elliott Erwitt Photo Quote

"The best things happen when you just happen to be somewhere with a camera."
~Elliott Erwitt

Photo Quote: Elliott Erwitt

"I can not remember a project that took more than 5 seconds to shoot." Elliott Erwitt

Photo Quote: Elliot Erwitt

"It’s about time
we started to take
photography seriously
and treat it as a hobby."
~Elliot Erwitt

Joe McNally Photo Quote

"It’s a wonderful thing to be a photog. We can illustrate the pages of our adventure, sometimes with pictures that really mean something."~ Joe McNally

Kirk Tuck Photo Quote

"The only way to be stealthy with a camera this big is to be un-stealthy and emanate the idea that what you're doing is routine, non-exceptional and part of the scene. Within minutes everyone ignored me and went on with real life." ~Kirk Tuck

I often tell my students that a major key to being successful is acting like you are supposed to be there taking pictures. I like to think of the camera as my invisibility machine. People expect to see you working and they quit paying attention to you. I also like the romantic idea of using a small rangefinder camera that people don't even notice because you are using one body and one lens. Many famous photographers have espoused this idea, notably Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Eisenstaedt, W. Eugene Smith, and Elliott Erwitt.

As for the Canon 1DMark2, I still much prefer my Nikon D3s. No mater the make of the camera, Kirk's advice is golden. Take a moment and read The Visual Science Lab. Be sure and read his spot on post entitled A Casual and Even Tempered Rant .

Photo Quote : W. Eugene Smith

What use is having a great depth of field if there is not an adequate depth of feeling?
~W. Eugene Smith











If you can't tell, I am teaching Photography again this semester and in trying to pass along to my students some of the great photographers of the past I keep finding these great photo quotes. I am thankful that you took the time to stop by and read my thoughts.

Photo Quote-Edward Steichen

No photographer is as good as the simplest camera. - Edward Steichen

Photo Quote

"The best noise reduction is actually noise avoidance."~ Tim Grey

Photo Quote

“I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t
photograph them.” – Diane Arbus

Photo Quote

"If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you’re not out there, you’ll only hear about it." – Jay Maisel

Photo Quote

"Photography has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them". - Elliott Erwitt

Photo Quote

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”

Photo Quote

David Vestal says he puts on his camera on the morning and takes it off at night, like his shirt.

Photo Quote:Jay Masiel

"You miss life when you are looking at the back of the camera." -Jay Masiel

Click here to listen to a great interview by Chris Orwig with Jay Maisel.

Photo Quote

"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst."
- Henri Cartier-Bresson

I found this quote as a Tweet from magnumphotos.

Brings me to a couple of quick article links from my favorite online photo magazine, The Online Photographer.

If you notice Henri Cartier-Bresson is shooting with a Leica.
Here, here and here are the articles about how to learn photography.
I am doing the "Variations on a Theme" portion myself as I don't have a Leica. I do have a Kodak Signet 35 RF that my Mother-in-Law bought for me several years ago at an auction. It is a rangefinder and it has no meter so I am guessing exposure and I am using C-41 B&W and not using Tri-X as I don't have ready access to a darkroom anymore. I am only planning on doing it for the summer and not a year because as Henri pointed out I am past my worst photos. I am looking at this as a fun summer brush-up course in photography that will possibly yield a few memorable photos.

6X6 Photo Quote

“If the good Lord had wanted us to take photographs with a 6 by 6, he would have put eyes in our belly,” Henri Cartier-Bresson