---
title: "1 Photography Central Quotes By John Szarkowski"
description: "1 Photography Central quotes by John Szarkowski. Plus more from John Szarkowski and more Photography Central sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/john-szarkowski-20414_aesthetic_photography-s-central-sense-of-purpose-a_167413.jpg"
---

> [Photography's central sense of purpose and aesthetic: the precise and lucid description of significant fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/photography-s-central-sense-of-purpose-and-aesthetic-the-precise-and/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/john-szarkowski-20414_aesthetic_photography-s-central-sense-of-purpose-a_167413.jpg)

## More by John Szarkowski

> [To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer's craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/to-quote-out-of-context-is-the-essence-of-the-photographer-s-craft/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [Because we see reality in different ways, we must understand that we are looking at different truths rather than the truth and that, therefore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/because-we-see-reality-in-different-ways-we-must-understand-that-we/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [Whatever else a photograph may be about, it is inevitably about photography, the container and vehicle of all its meanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/whatever-else-a-photograph-may-be-about-it-is-inevitably-about/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [Photography's central sense of purpose and aesthetic: the precise and lucid description of significant fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/photography-s-central-sense-of-purpose-and-aesthetic-the-precise-and/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [The central act of photography, the act of choosing and eliminating, forces a concentration on the picture edge - the line that separates in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/the-central-act-of-photography-the-act-of-choosing-and-eliminating/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [One of the leading uses of photography by the mass media came to be called photojournalism. From the late 'twenties' to the early 'fifties'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/one-of-the-leading-uses-of-photography-by-the-mass-media-came-to-be/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [It isn't what a picture is of, it is what it is about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/it-isn-t-what-a-picture-is-of-it-is-what-it-is-about/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [Photography is choosing where to point your eye-cone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/photography-is-choosing-where-to-point-your-eye-cone/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [The photographer’s vision convinces us to the degree that the photographer hides his hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/the-photographer-s-vision-convinces-us-to-the-degree-that-the/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [In practice a photographer does not concern himself with philosophical issues while working; he makes photographs, working with subject matter that he thinks will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/in-practice-a-photographer-does-not-concern-himself-with/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [ Trained as a musician, \[photographer Ansel\] Adams understood the richness of variation that could be unfolded from a simple theme. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/trained-as-a-musician-photographer-ansel-adams-understood-the/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [Pure photography is a system of picture-making that describes more or less faithfully what might be seen through a rectangular frame from a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/pure-photography-is-a-system-of-picture-making-that-describes-more-or/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [A photographer's best work is, alas, generally done for himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/a-photographer-s-best-work-is-alas-generally-done-for-himself/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [The invention of photography provided a radically new picture-making process - a process based not on synthesis but on selection. The difference was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/the-invention-of-photography-provided-a-radically-new-picture-making/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

> [“There is a terrible truthfulness about photography. The ordinary academician gets hold of a pretty model, paints her as well as he can, calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/there-is-a-terrible-truthfulness-about-photography-the-ordinary/)

[John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/)

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