--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I only know how to approach a place by…" description: "\"I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/alex-webb-31006_approach_i-only-know-how-to-approach-a-place-by-w_892064.jpg" --- # I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what… ![“I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heat of the known awaits just around the corner.” quote by Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/alex-webb-31006_approach_i-only-know-how-to-approach-a-place-by-w_892064.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/alex-webb-31006_approach_i-only-know-how-to-approach-a-place-by-w_892064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/alex-webb-31006_approach_i-only-know-how-to-approach-a-place-by-w_892064.jpg) > “I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heat of the known awaits just around the corner.” [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A street photographer must walk, observe, wait, and engage, trusting that hidden moments will appear nearby. **In simple terms:** Walk, watch, wait, and talk to capture unseen moments. Key Takeaway Embrace patience and curiosity. Themes photography observation patience creativity trust Mood reflective anticipatory Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - urban exploration - photo assignments - gallery preparation - teaching workshops Key Concepts visual storytelling mindful presence anticipation Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay present while waiting? - What does “secret heat of the known” mean to you? A Different Perspective Unexpected moments may never materialize without effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Approach Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach-place-1158204/) [Around the corner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-corner/) [Corners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Heat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photographer Walk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer-walk-1158202/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Place Walking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-walking-1158205/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Street Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street-photographer-1158203/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Walking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking/) [Walking Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking-does-1158206/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) ## Related quotes > [Walking does good to the fat and giving alms does good to the sinners; these both make one feel lighter!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/walking-does-good-to-the-fat-and-giving-alms-does-good-to-the-sinners/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [For me looking, touching, material, place and form are all inseparable from the resulting work. It is difficult to say where one stops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-goldsworthy/for-me-looking-touching-material-place-and-form-are-all-inseparable/) [Andy Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-goldsworthy/) > [“You will never get to a new place by walking an old path.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/you-will-never-get-to-a-new-place-by-walking-an-old-path/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [I don't like gimmicky pictures; I've always hated them. I like pictures that are very clear and clean, whether you're a great street photographer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-don-t-like-gimmicky-pictures-i-ve-always-hated-them-i-like-pictures/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [After all these years of wandering around as a street photographer and a journalist, I decided that this world is such a curious, screwed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burk-uzzle/after-all-these-years-of-wandering-around-as-a-street-photographer/) [Burk Uzzle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burk-uzzle/) > [Well, I'm not going to get into that. I think that those kind of distinctions and lists of titles like "street photographer" are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/well-i-m-not-going-to-get-into-that-i-think-that-those-kind-of/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [Perhaps the street photographer has been replaced by the security camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-miller/perhaps-the-street-photographer-has-been-replaced-by-the-security/) [Nicole Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-miller/) > [You don't know what's coming for you in life, and you don't know what's around the corner. When you're in a great deal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-h-wyman/you-don-t-know-what-s-coming-for-you-in-life-and-you-don-t-know-what/) [J.H. Wyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-h-wyman/) > [“A courteous war mage. The world really was coming to an end. And then Pritkin ran back around the corner followed by half a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/a-courteous-war-mage-the-world-really-was-coming-to-an-end-and-then/) [Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/) > [At some point during almost every romantic comedy, the female lead suddenly trips and falls, stumbling helplessly over something ridiculous like a leaf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/at-some-point-during-almost-every-romantic-comedy-the-female-lead/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [With the great people that you work with, it's that they're never giving up and they're never thinking something's finished until they've really, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-price/with-the-great-people-that-you-work-with-it-s-that-they-re-never/) [Steven Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-price/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll never see me coming around the corner not smiling... I mean, I enjoy every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquem-griffin/you-ll-never-see-me-coming-around-the-corner-not-smiling-i-mean-i/) [Shaquem Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquem-griffin/) > [I feel excited about getting older as an actress, too. I think there are some amazing opportunities around the corner and I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/i-feel-excited-about-getting-older-as-an-actress-too-i-think-there/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) ## More by Alex Webb > [Color is very much about atmosphere and emotion and the feel of a place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/color-is-very-much-about-atmosphere-and-emotion-and-the-feel-of-a/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [My understanding – of course, I’m not a philosopher or a scientist – of an aspect of Goethe’s theory of color is that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/my-understanding-of-course-i-m-not-a-philosopher-or-a-scientist-of-an/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [ I have always felt that a lot of the most interesting work, not just mine but other people's, falls into \[the\] nether area, somewhere… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/i-have-always-felt-that-a-lot-of-the-most-interesting-work-not-just/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [To a certain extent what I do is play with the world, but it's disciplined play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/to-a-certain-extent-what-i-do-is-play-with-the-world-but-it-s/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [I'm always playing along that line: adding something more, yet keeping it sort of chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/i-m-always-playing-along-that-line-adding-something-more-yet-keeping/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [I mean its an obsession, you follow the obsession but at the same time you have so many doubts, you know. Why am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/i-mean-its-an-obsession-you-follow-the-obsession-but-at-the-same-time/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [Traditional photojournalists arrive with an idea of what they are going to produce or what the editor wants. I approach a subject very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/traditional-photojournalists-arrive-with-an-idea-of-what-they-are/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [Ultimately, the reward is the process - the process of photographing and discovering and trying to understand why and what am I photographing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/ultimately-the-reward-is-the-process-the-process-of-photographing-and/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [It's not just that that and that exists. It's that that, that, that, and that all exist in the same frame. I'm always looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/it-s-not-just-that-that-and-that-exists-it-s-that-that-that-that-and/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [Running through a lot of traditional photojournalism there is an overwhelming sense of... pictures that say something, that define something. I'm not trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/running-through-a-lot-of-traditional-photojournalism-there-is-an/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [The viewer is yet another eye that is part of the compact that makes a photograph what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/the-viewer-is-yet-another-eye-that-is-part-of-the-compact-that-makes/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [... the possibility of one particular photographer's pictures lying around the corner is never realized until the photographer is there. It's one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/the-possibility-of-one-particular-photographer-s-pictures-lying/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [There is something about the light, the heat (physical and perhaps metaphysical), the vibrancy of street life, and the rawness and disjointedness of much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/there-is-something-about-the-light-the-heat-physical-and-perhaps/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [Most of my projects seem to start as exploratory journeys with no visible end in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/most-of-my-projects-seem-to-start-as-exploratory-journeys-with-no/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [Three years after my first trip to Haiti, I realized there was another emotional note that had to be reckoned with: the intense, vibrant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/three-years-after-my-first-trip-to-haiti-i-realized-there-was-another/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) [Explore all 17 Alex Webb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) ## More Approach quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [I don't have any particular method, my approach is very simple. I try to understand the emotional graph of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-don-t-have-any-particular-method-my-approach-is-very-simple-i-try/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything, every part that you approach has to be somehow rooted in yourself. You have to somehow root everything so that it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/everything-every-part-that-you-approach-has-to-be-somehow-rooted-in/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. What has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/like-a-morning-dream-life-becomes-more-and-more-bright-the-longer-we/) [Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/) > [What begins as a Utopian vision, always - always - ends in bloodshed. Because you have to force a utopia on a free people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/what-begins-as-a-utopian-vision-always-always-ends-in-bloodshed/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [The only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-only-two-good-words-that-can-be-said-for-a-hurricane-are-that-it/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) [Browse all 3,949 Approach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I only know how to approach a place by walking. 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