It's too presumptuous and naïve to think you can change society by a photograph or anything else... I equate that with propaganda; I think that's a lower rank of purpose. Walker Evans More Quotes by Walker Evans More Quotes From Walker Evans Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts. Walker Evans eyephotographyart Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long. Walker Evans staringknowinglong The secret of photography is, the camera takes on the character and personality of the handler. Walker Evans photographypersonalitycharacter In order to put meaning back into our lives, we should recognize illusions for what they are, and we should reach out and touch the fabric of reality. Walker Evans fabricorderreality Incidentally, part of a photographer’s gift should be with people. You can do some wonderful work if you know how to make people understand what you’re doing and feel all right about it, and you can do terrible work if you put them on the defense, which they all are at the beginning. You’ve got to take them off their defensive attitude and make them participate. Walker Evans photographyattitudepeople Documentary: That’s a sophisticated and misleading word. And not really clear… The term should be documentary style… You see, a document has use, whereas art is really useless. Walker Evans stylephotographyart With the camera, it's all or nothing. You either get what you're after at once, or what you do has to be worthless. I don't think the essence of photography has the hand in it so much. The essence is done very quietly with a flash of the mind, and with a machine. I think too that photography is editing, editing after the taking. After knowing what to take, you have to do the editing. Walker Evans photographyeditingthinking That’s my idea of what a portrait ought to be, anonymous and documentary and a straightforward picture of mankind. Walker Evans documentariesportraitsideas I wanted so much to write that I couldn't write a word. Walker Evans wantedwriting Good photography is unpretentious. Walker Evans good-photographyphotographyphotographer Leaving aside the mysteries and the inequities of human talent, brains, taste, and reputations, the matter of art in photography may come down to this: it is the capture and projection of the delights of seeing; it is the defining of observation full and felt. Walker Evans leavingphotographyart The eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts. Walker Evans eyephotographyfeelings The meaning of quality in photography's best pictures lies written in the language of vision. That language is learned by chance, not system. Walker Evans visionphotographylying What I believe is really good in the so-called documentary approach to photography is the addition of lyricism.[this quality] is usually produced unconsciously and even unintentionally and accidentally by the cameraman. Walker Evans qualityphotographybelieve I work rather blindly. I have a theory that seems to work with me that some of the best things you ever do sort of come through you. You don't know where you get the impetus and response to what's before your eyes. Walker Evans eyephotographyphotographer It's easy to photograph light reflecting from a surface, the truly hard part is capturing the light in the air. Walker Evans lightphotographyair Photography is not cute cats, nor nudes, motherhood or arrangements of manufactured products. Under no circumstances it is anything ever anywhere near a beach. Walker Evans photographycutebeach It is the way to educate your eye and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Walker Evans staringeyeway I say half jokingly that photography is the most difficult of the arts. It does require a certain arrogance to see and to choose. I feel myself walking on a tightrope instead of on the ground. Walker Evans arrogancephotographyart The photographs are not illustrative. They, and the text, are coequal, mutually independent, and fully collaborative. By their fewness, and by the importance of the reader’s eye, this will be misunderstood by most of that minority which does not wholly ignore it. In the interests, however, of the history and future of photography, that risk seems irrelevant, and this flat statement necessary. Walker Evans independenteyephotography
