--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve said about a million times that the…" description: "\"I’ve said about a million times that the best thing a young photographer can do is to stay close to home. Start with your friends and family, the peopl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/annie-leibovitz-4011_best-things_i-ve-said-about-a-million-times-that-the_310120.jpg" --- # I’ve said about a million times that the best thing a… ![“I’ve said about a million times that the best thing a young photographer can do is to stay close to home. Start with your friends and family, the people who will put up with you. Discover what it means to be close to your work, to be intimate with a subject. Measure the difference between that and…” quote by Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/annie-leibovitz-4011_best-things_i-ve-said-about-a-million-times-that-the_310120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/annie-leibovitz-4011_best-things_i-ve-said-about-a-million-times-that-the_310120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/annie-leibovitz-4011_best-things_i-ve-said-about-a-million-times-that-the_310120.jpg) > “I’ve said about a million times that the best thing a young photographer can do is to stay close to home. Start with your friends and family, the people who will put up with you. Discover what it means to be close to your work, to be intimate with a subject. Measure the difference between that and working with someone you don't know as much about. Of course there are many good photographs that have nothing to do with staying close to home, and I guess what I'm really saying is that you should take pictures of something that has meaning for you” [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Staying close to familiar subjects nurtures intimacy and meaning in photography, enhancing authenticity. **In simple terms:** Photograph what matters to you. Key Takeaway Focus on personal connections. Themes intimacy authenticity personal relevance Mood inspirational practical Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - commercial assignments - remote subjects - large‑scale projects Key Concepts visual storytelling subject relationship creative focus Questions to Reflect On - How can you deepen intimacy with subjects? - When should you step outside comfort zones? A Different Perspective Too much familiarity may limit perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Family and friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-and-friends/) [Friends and family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-and-family/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Intimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Generations of people staying close to home, there for each other, doing what they knew best, enjoying being a burden to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/generations-of-people-staying-close-to-home-there-for-each-other/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [It is essential for the photographer to know the effect of his lenses. The lens is his eye, and it makes or ruins his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-brandt/it-is-essential-for-the-photographer-to-know-the-effect-of-his-lenses/) [Bill Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-brandt/) > [I was there less than a year before I was assigned to the Paris bureau. I spent two years there and, in fact, before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-was-there-less-than-a-year-before-i-was-assigned-to-the-paris/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [“Living well is both a discipline and an art. Concentrate on staying close to Me, the divine Artist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-young/living-well-is-both-a-discipline-and-an-art-concentrate-on-staying/) [Sarah Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-young/) > [The Church's challenge is staying close to the people, close to the people of the United States, not being a detached Church from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-church-s-challenge-is-staying-close-to-the-people-close-to-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I'm trying to make sure that for myself and for my family, I'm staying as close to the heart of God that I possibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-sandoval/i-m-trying-to-make-sure-that-for-myself-and-for-my-family-i-m-staying/) [Sonny Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-sandoval/) > [Your friends and your family, if you're close to them, they won't let you get too far from who you were or from who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/your-friends-and-your-family-if-you-re-close-to-them-they-won-t-let/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Relationships don't break by going far, neither does it grow by staying close. It's pretty complex to understand yet so simple when we keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/relationships-don-t-break-by-going-far-neither-does-it-grow-by/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [If you can hang in games by staying close defensively, then good things can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ara-parseghian/if-you-can-hang-in-games-by-staying-close-defensively-then-good/) [Ara Parseghian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ara-parseghian/) > [The life of a model isn't easy. But I try to keep a good head on my shoulders by staying close to my family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-jablonski/the-life-of-a-model-isn-t-easy-but-i-try-to-keep-a-good-head-on-my/) [Constance Jablonski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-jablonski/) > [I've gone very far, far away, but my character keeps me close to home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/i-ve-gone-very-far-far-away-but-my-character-keeps-me-close-to-home/) [Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/) > [It's important to me that I don't spend too much time away from the family. I try to pick jobs that will keep me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/it-s-important-to-me-that-i-don-t-spend-too-much-time-away-from-the/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [At about 33 weeks along in my pregnancy, the doctor suggested that I stay pretty close to home and not be touring and flying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-shires/at-about-33-weeks-along-in-my-pregnancy-the-doctor-suggested-that-i/) [Amanda Shires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-shires/) > [I would definitely not rule out doing television in the future because I think it's a great medium for telling stories. And it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/i-would-definitely-not-rule-out-doing-television-in-the-future/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [I don't know if it's good to be stuck at one place. I'm probably too close to home on that. Because that can happen-where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-pettibon/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-good-to-be-stuck-at-one-place-i-m-probably-too/) [Raymond Pettibon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-pettibon/) ## More by Annie Leibovitz > [My body was so instrumental to how I took pictures: it was practically a dance. I used to use my legs a lot; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-body-was-so-instrumental-to-how-i-took-pictures-it-was-practically/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [“Things happen in front of you. That's perhaps the most wonderful and mysterious aspect of photography. It seemed like you just had to decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/things-happen-in-front-of-you-that-s-perhaps-the-most-wonderful-and/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [As I get older, the book projects are - liberating is one word, but they really are me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/as-i-get-older-the-book-projects-are-liberating-is-one-word-but-they/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [I admired the work of photographers like Beaton, Penn, and Avedon as much as I respected the grittier photographers such as Robert Frank. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-admired-the-work-of-photographers-like-beaton-penn-and-avedon-as/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [My hope is that we continue to nurture the places that we love, but that we also look outside our immediate worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-hope-is-that-we-continue-to-nurture-the-places-that-we-love-but/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy - your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/nature-is-so-powerful-so-strong-capturing-its-essence-is-not-easy/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [When I started to be published I thought about Margaret Bourke-White and the whole journalistic approach to things. I believed I was supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/when-i-started-to-be-published-i-thought-about-margaret-bourke-white/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [A lot can be told from what happens in between the main moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/a-lot-can-be-told-from-what-happens-in-between-the-main-moments/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [One doesn't stop seeing. One doesn't stop framing. It doesn't turn off and turn on. It's on all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/one-doesn-t-stop-seeing-one-doesn-t-stop-framing-it-doesn-t-turn-off/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [When you involve people, they come out, you see them, you get to see their sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/when-you-involve-people-they-come-out-you-see-them-you-get-to-see/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [If I didn't have my camera to remind me constantly, I am here to do this, I would eventually have slipped away, I think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/if-i-didn-t-have-my-camera-to-remind-me-constantly-i-am-here-to-do/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [My early childhood equipped me really well for my portrait work: The quick encounter, where you are not going to know the subject for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-early-childhood-equipped-me-really-well-for-my-portrait-work-the/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/a-thing-that-you-see-in-my-pictures-is-that-i-was-not-afraid-to-fall/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [There were some advantages to being a woman photographer. I think women have more empathy with the subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/there-were-some-advantages-to-being-a-woman-photographer-i-think/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) [Explore all 117 Annie Leibovitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) ## More Best things quotes > [I need the best things in life, that's women, thats cars. Cigars in Venice, bottle on ice, thats priceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-need-the-best-things-in-life-that-s-women-thats-cars-cigars-in/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The next best thing to being witty one's self, is to be able to be able to quote another's wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/the-next-best-thing-to-being-witty-one-s-self-is-to-be-able-to-be/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [I really believe that our past can really hold us back from growth, so the best thing that we can do is MOVE ON…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-harper/i-really-believe-that-our-past-can-really-hold-us-back-from-growth-so/) [Bob Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-harper/) > [The best thing for you to do is shop at your local farmer's market and support the organic growers who are there. Because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/the-best-thing-for-you-to-do-is-shop-at-your-local-farmer-s-market/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [The best things in life are free. Sunsets and sunrises are free. Air is free. Love is free. Death is free. The best things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-best-things-in-life-are-free-sunsets-and-sunrises-are-free-air-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I always wanted to be a player, but I never had the talent to make the big leagues. So I did the next best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-finley/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-player-but-i-never-had-the-talent-to-make-the/) Charlie Finley > [I was a 36C or D, and at 5' 1'', I knew that being a small person with big boobs standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-was-a-36c-or-d-and-at-5-1-i-knew-that-being-a-small-person-with-big/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Each time I stop somewhere and look out, there are more people sitting there than there were the time I came before. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/each-time-i-stop-somewhere-and-look-out-there-are-more-people-sitting/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [One of the best things that happened for me as a playwright is becoming a comic-book writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-aguirre-sacasa/one-of-the-best-things-that-happened-for-me-as-a-playwright-is/) [Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-aguirre-sacasa/) > [I don't really know who I am as an actor: the best thing would be to experiment with it for the next 30 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-barnes/i-don-t-really-know-who-i-am-as-an-actor-the-best-thing-would-be-to/) [Ben Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-barnes/) > [The best thing about time passing is the privilege of running out of it, of watching the wave of mortality break over me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-manguso/the-best-thing-about-time-passing-is-the-privilege-of-running-out-of/) [Sarah Manguso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-manguso/) > [What was the best thing before sliced bread?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/what-was-the-best-thing-before-sliced-bread/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [The best thing about waking up early is seeing the sun rise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgit-mendler/the-best-thing-about-waking-up-early-is-seeing-the-sun-rise/) [Bridgit Mendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgit-mendler/) [Browse all 1,021 Best things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I’ve said about a million times that the best thing a young photographer can do is to stay close to home. 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