---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Performance shots are a waste of time…"
description: "\"Performance shots are a waste of time, they look like everyone else's. If you want to shoot a performer, then grab them, own them, you have to own peop..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png"
---

#  Performance shots are a waste of time, they look like…

![“Performance shots are a waste of time, they look like everyone else's. If you want to shoot a performer, then grab them, own them, you have to own people, then twist them into what you want to say about them.” quote by Art Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png)

> “Performance shots are a waste of time, they look like everyone else's. If you want to shoot a performer, then grab them, own them, you have to own people, then twist them into what you want to say about them.”

[Art Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-kane/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Performance photography should capture authenticity, not generic likeness; direct engagement with the subject.

**In simple terms:** Capture authentic performance, not generic shots.

Key Takeaway

Engage subjects deeply for true representation.

Themes

photography authenticity performance

Mood

critical creative

Type

artistic instructional

When to use this quote

- portrait sessions
- documentary work
- media training

Key Concepts

artistic expression media ethics creative direction

Questions to Reflect On

- How to balance authenticity and respect?
- What defines a genuine performance?

A Different Perspective

Direct control may exploit subjects.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performance Shots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance-shots-2223601/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Performer Grab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performer-grab-2223602/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoot/) [Shoot Performer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoot-performer-2223600/) [Shots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shots/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Twists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twists/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-shoot-469406/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [Waste of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste-of-time/) [Wasting time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-time/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/)

## Related quotes

> [As a big, you don't want to be the first one to shoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevon-looney/as-a-big-you-don-t-want-to-be-the-first-one-to-shoot/)

[Kevon Looney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevon-looney/)

> [“You want me to shoot him? I can make it look like an accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-calmes/you-want-me-to-shoot-him-i-can-make-it-look-like-an-accident/)

[Mary Calmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-calmes/)

> [I would rather be hired solely for my talent, not just to fill a quota. I also don't want to shoot just any studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-morano/i-would-rather-be-hired-solely-for-my-talent-not-just-to-fill-a-quota/)

[Reed Morano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-morano/)

> [In television, the cuts are so quick: bang-bang-bang-bang-bang! I want to shoot two people and sit there for eight minutes and watch them. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/in-television-the-cuts-are-so-quick-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-i-want/)

[Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/)

> [I still have a lot of room for improvement. For example, I want to shoot equally well with both feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-messi/i-still-have-a-lot-of-room-for-improvement-for-example-i-want-to/)

[Lionel Messi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-messi/)

> [I want to shoot some indies, some independent features that give me some space to play a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zachar/i-want-to-shoot-some-indies-some-independent-features-that-give-me/)

[Jacob Zachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zachar/)

> [“Let her go or I’ll shoot you.” “I’ve never met a woman who’d have the guts to shoot a man,” he sneered. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-dodd/let-her-go-or-i-ll-shoot-you-i-ve-never-met-a-woman-who-d-have-the/)

[Christina Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-dodd/)

> [If u want to shoot ,shoot the sky if u been lost dont worriy God there to guide ,but never shoot where the moon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdalla-adam/if-u-want-to-shoot-shoot-the-sky-if-u-been-lost-dont-worriy-god-there/)

[Abdalla Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdalla-adam/)

> [I don't want to repeat myself. I don't want to shoot 10 installments of 'Infernal Affairs.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lau/i-don-t-want-to-repeat-myself-i-don-t-want-to-shoot-10-installments/)

[Andrew Lau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lau/)

> [Men are imposible, but after you've had one around nothing ever has quite the flavor without one. It's terrible, really. When they're there you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babs-deal/men-are-imposible-but-after-you-ve-had-one-around-nothing-ever-has/)

[Babs Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babs-deal/)

> [You want me to shoot you in the head right now for that poor girl?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marston/you-want-me-to-shoot-you-in-the-head-right-now-for-that-poor-girl/)

[John Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marston/)

> [“Isn't that why you want to shoot yourself? To make a protest against change?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/isn-t-that-why-you-want-to-shoot-yourself-to-make-a-protest-against/)

[Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/)

> [If you want to shoot me, then shoot me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolverine/if-you-want-to-shoot-me-then-shoot-me/)

[Wolverine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolverine/)

> [All I used to want to do was shoot fadeaways like Kobe because he was my favorite player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-tatum/all-i-used-to-want-to-do-was-shoot-fadeaways-like-kobe-because-he-was/)

[Jayson Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-tatum/)

> [You want to shoot urself, why because u hate ur life, wats rong with your life ABSOLUTELY NOTHING u just need help and want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-jane/you-want-to-shoot-urself-why-because-u-hate-ur-life-wats-rong-with/)

[Rebecca Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-jane/)

## More Ifs quotes

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/)

[L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/)

> [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/)

[Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/)

> [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/)

[Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/)

> [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/)

[Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/)

[Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

[Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Performance shots are a waste of time, they look like everyone else's. If you want to shoot a performer, then grab them, own them, you have to own people, then twist them into what you want to say about them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Art Kane"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-kane/performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-they-look-like-everyone-else-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ifs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-kane/performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-they-look-like-everyone-else-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/art-kane-220874_ifs_performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-th_1014465.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Performance shots are a waste of time, they look like everyone else's. If you want to shoot a performer…” — Art Kane",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Art Kane",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-kane/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Performance shots are a waste of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-kane/performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-they-look-like-everyone-else-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-kane/performance-shots-are-a-waste-of-time-they-look-like-everyone-else-s/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
