Some quotes (in no particular order) relating to photography in general and (IMHO) Leica photography in particular. Are there any words of wit or wisdom you've heard that have stuck with you over the years?

"Great depth of field, no depth of feeling." - W. Eugene Smith, explaining why he destroyed most of his pre-WWII photographs after the war.

"Leicas will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no Leicas." - Fabulously Furry Freak Brothers (original statement referred to illegal leafy pharmaceutical rather than expensive camera brand)

"I photograph things to see what they look like photographed." - Lee Friedlander, Leica photographer.

"Never ever confuse sharp with good, or you will end up shaving with an ice cream cone and licking a razor blade." - Bill Pierce, Leica photographer and columnist, digitaljournalist.com and the late "Camera35"

"Budget the luxuries first; the necessities will take care of themselves." - Lazarus Long ("The Senior") in "Time Enough for Love" by Robert A. Heinlein.

"The mission of photography is to explain Mankind to Man, and each man to himself. And that is no mean function." - Edward Steichen, photographer, curator of photography (MOMA/NY), curator of original "Family of Man" exhibit; but not (obviously) a proponent of gender-neutral language (sigh).

"1/60th second on the shady side of the street, 1/250th second on the sunny side; f/8 and focus!" - Walker Evans' entire instructions to Ben Shahn on the occasion of loaning the painter his Leica.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 22, 2001

Answers

Andy;

Thanks for that: some old and some new.

Ansel Adams said that "a fuzzy image of a strong idea is better than a sharp picture of a fuzzy idea" or something close to that-apologies to AA & any others for any misquote.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), November 22, 2001.

I think it was St. Ansel who in his later years said something like "Anything more than half a mile from the car isn't photogenic."

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), November 22, 2001.

Good stuff. I think, however, that you'll find it was Gary Winogrand who said "I photograph to see what things look like photographed," and Edward Weston who said that "nothing more than a half-mile from the car is photogenic."

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), November 22, 2001.

"The photograph isn't what was photographed. It's something else. It's a new fact." --Garry Winogrand

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), November 22, 2001.

More; Gary Winogrand on being asked about the possibility of missing good shots during the rather lengthy reloading process of his Leica said: "There are no good shots when I am reloading".

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richard.ilomaki@hotmail.com), November 22, 2001.

"It is by strict economy of means that simplicity of expression is achieved." -Henri Cartier-Bresson

"Available light is any light that's available." -Eugene Smith

"L'adresse, l'adresse, toujours l'adresse!" -George Patto

-- david kelly (dmkedit@aol.com), November 23, 2001.

- -George Patton.........

-- david kelly (dmkedit@aol.com), November 23, 2001.

Si tu fait fais des images, ne parles pas, n'ecris pas, ne t'analyse pas, ne reponds a aucune question. Robert Doisneau

(If you make images, don't talk, don't write, don't indulge in self analysis, answer no questions.)

-- Margaret (fitz@neptune.fr), November 23, 2001.

"Damn, I forgot to set the film speed!" - Robert Appleby

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), November 23, 2001.

why are you arresting me for taking pictures? - me

-- brian david stevens (briandavidstevens@excite.com), November 23, 2001.

I don't know where it came from, but one of those sayings I like most is

"Yeah, the M is a wide-angle camera anyhow".

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), November 23, 2001.

Quoted from the book: 75 yrs Leica Photography, ed. by Verena Frey:

- Leica to me is like a mother or a very close friend. I can share all my secrets with it and it shares all its secrets with me. I can trust it. (Peter Magubane, 1990)

- The eye makes the picture not the camera. But the Leica was always an exquisite means to an end. (Gisele Freund, 1989)

Best wishes and good shooting

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), November 23, 2001.

When I start sharing my secrets with my camera, I'll know it's time to move on to something new.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), November 23, 2001.

Don't you already? ;-)

-- Margaret (fitz@neptune.fr), November 23, 2001.

Well, not _all_....

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), November 23, 2001.

Hallo Rob,

is there anything the rest of us should also know? Please inform us in time. Otherwise we perhaps make the same mistake you are going to make.

I used to forget to set the correct filmspeed as well from time to time. The solution: IŽam only buying ASA 200 films now and donŽt have to worry at least about that one.

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), November 23, 2001.