"Now to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection."

"Photography to the amateur is recreation, to the professional it is work, and hard work too, no matter how pleasurable it my be."

"Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk."

"There is nothing like a Bach fugue to remove me from a discordant moment... only Bach hold up fresh and strong after repeated playing. I can always return to Bach when the other records weary me."

"Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual."

"I see no reason for recording the obvious."

"I was extravagant in the matter of cameras - anything photographic - I had to have the best. But that was to further my work. In most things I have gone along with the plainest - or without."

"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."

"My own eyes are no more than scouts on a preliminary search, for the camera's eye may entirely change my idea."