Michael Kenna Quotes About Photography
-
I often think of my work as visual haiku. It is an attempt to evoke and suggest through as few elements as possible rather than to describe with tremendous detail.
→ -
Instant gratification in photography is not something that I need or desire. I find that the long, slow journey to the final print captivates me far more.
→ -
Getting photographs is not the most important thing. For me it's the act of photographing. It's enlightening, therapeutic and satisfying, because the very process forces me to connect with the world. When you make four-hour exposures in the middle of the night, you inevitably slow down and begin to observe and appreciate more what's going on around you. In our fast-paced, modern world, it's a luxury to be able to watch the stars move across the sky.
→ -
I find that when one has worked long enough, technical know-how becomes almost irrelevant. In photography, it's not difficult to reach a technical level where you don't need to think about the technique any more. I think there is far too much literature and far too much emphasis upon the techniques of photography. The make of camera and type of film we happen to use has little bearing on the results.
→ -
I do have strong convictions and political opinions, but I don't think it's necessary to imbue my photographic work with them. I use photography as a vessel for visual material to flow through, to encourage conversation with the viewer. I try to present a catalyst and invite viewers to tell their own stories.
→ -
I prefer to think of photography as a never ending journey with infinite possibilities. I love to return to places to re photograph. Nothing is ever the same. The options are endless.
→ -
The first time, I usually skim off the outer layer and end up with photographs that are fairly obvious. The second time, I have to look a little deeper. The images get more interesting. The third time it is even more challenging and on each subsequent occasion, the images should get stronger, but it takes more effort to get them.
→ -
Nothing is ever the same twice because everything is always gone forever, and yet each moment has infinite photographic possibilities.
→ -
Perhaps most intriguing of all is that it is possible to photograph what is impossible for the human eye to see - cumulative time.
→ -
I gravitate towards places where humans have been and are no more, to the edge of man's influence, where the elements are taking over or covering man's traces.
→ -
I would strongly encourage anybody embarking on photography as a career to embrace and enjoy the whole process. Being a photographer can be a wonderful way to experience the world.
→ -
It's possible to think of photography as an act of editing, a matter of where you put your rectangle pull it out or take it away. Sometimes people ask me about films, cameras and development times in order to find out how to do landscape photography. The first thing I do in landscape photography is go out there and talk to the land - form a relationship, ask permission, it's not about going out there like some paparazzi with a Leica and snapping a few pictures, before running off to print them.
→ -
Parks and gardens are the quintessential intimate landscapes. People use them all the time, leaving their energy and memories behind. It's what's left behind that I like to photograph.
→ -
If the quality of professional materials continues to erode or even dries up, then many of us silver photographers would have to follow the digital tidal wave. It certainly wouldn't be the end of the world, but in my opinion, having no silver material available would be a huge loss to photography.
→ -
Everybody now has a camera, whether it is a professional instrument or just part of a phone. Landscape photography is a pastime enjoyed by more and more. Getting it right is not an issue. It is difficult to make a mistake with the sophisticated technology we now have. Making a personal and creative image is a far greater challenge.
→
Related Authors
-
Irving Penn Photographer -
Bill Brandt Photographer -
Eugene Atget Photographer -
William Eggleston Photographer -
Henri Cartier-Bresson Photographer -
Ansel Adams Photographer -
Nick Brandt Photographer -
Hiroshi Sugimoto Photographer -
Henry Adams Historian -
Imogen Cunningham Photographer -
Ruth Bernhard Photographer -
Greg Gorman Photographer -
Edward Weston Photographer -
Todd Hido Artist -
Andreas Gursky Photographer -
Steve McCurry Photojournalist -
Sebastiao Salgado Photographer -
Elliott Erwitt Photographer -
Sally Mann Photographer -
Andre Kertesz Photographer
Popular Topics
- Control Someone
- Confinement
- Representative Government
- Condemning Yourself
- Inspiring
- Ladders
- Young Athletes
- Betsy Ross
- Trampolines
- Beautiful Rose
- Reward And Punishment
- King Henry
- Authentic Self
- Concentration Camp
- Heaven Or Hell
- Chewing
- Immortal Highlander
- Retailers
- Political Parties
- Perspective On Things