---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had no real photography experience…"
description: "\"I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I consciously took a lot of crowd shots. I was influenced by Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg"
---

#  I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I…

![“I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I consciously took a lot of crowd shots. I was influenced by Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, who always seemed to incorporate fans in his live band shots.” quote by Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg)

> “I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I consciously took a lot of crowd shots. I was influenced by Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, who always seemed to incorporate fans in his live band shots.”

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

## About This Quote

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

Lack of formal training can be offset by intentional practice and learning from influential peers.

**In simple terms:** Practice and inspiration can replace formal training.

Key Takeaway

Learn by doing and studying others.

Themes

creativity learning influence

Mood

reflective curious

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- documentary shooting
- live event coverage
- self‑directed learning

Key Concepts

photography music culture

Questions to Reflect On

- Who inspires your creative process?
- How can you balance experimentation with skill building?

A Different Perspective

Self‑teaching may miss foundational techniques.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Seattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seattle/)

## Related quotes

> [The camera, you know, will never capture you. Photography, in my experience, has the miraculous power of transferring wine into water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-camera-you-know-will-never-capture-you-photography-in-my/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Even in manipulating the images, I would like to do my dailies in a digital way because you can do so many things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/even-in-manipulating-the-images-i-would-like-to-do-my-dailies-in-a/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

> [Real photography is a wonderfully inclusive, democratic medium, whereas art photography is more often a private pursuit by conmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jones-griffiths/real-photography-is-a-wonderfully-inclusive-democratic-medium-whereas/)

[Philip Jones Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jones-griffiths/)

> [The idea of having an indie rock "career" while living in a remote backwater like Seattle was too ridiculous to contemplate. It was simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/the-idea-of-having-an-indie-rock-career-while-living-in-a-remote/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [Music careerists from Seattle would typically move to the closest media center, which was L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/music-careerists-from-seattle-would-typically-move-to-the-closest/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [I love downtown Seattle. It's a city that has all of the outdoor activities and is still a very cosmopolitan city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lemond/i-love-downtown-seattle-it-s-a-city-that-has-all-of-the-outdoor/)

[Greg LeMond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lemond/)

> [Every time when they would call my name I kept hearing 'New York Knicks' instead of 'Seattle SuperSonics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/every-time-when-they-would-call-my-name-i-kept-hearing-new-york/)

[Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/)

> [We still have our home in Seattle. The kids are there. The grandkids are there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-holmgren/we-still-have-our-home-in-seattle-the-kids-are-there-the-grandkids/)

[Mike Holmgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-holmgren/)

> [I started drag in Portland, Oregon, but I don't feel that I came to life as a drag queen until I started working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinkx-monsoon/i-started-drag-in-portland-oregon-but-i-don-t-feel-that-i-came-to/)

[Jinkx Monsoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinkx-monsoon/)

> [As far as the grunge thing, there are three bands from Seattle that I would call true grunge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-jones/as-far-as-the-grunge-thing-there-are-three-bands-from-seattle-that-i/)

[Adam Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-jones/)

> [I think our relationship with Seattle has had ups and downs frankly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-jassy/i-think-our-relationship-with-seattle-has-had-ups-and-downs-frankly/)

[Andy Jassy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-jassy/)

> [When I played in the NBA for 12 years, Seattle had some of the best fans in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-johnson/when-i-played-in-the-nba-for-12-years-seattle-had-some-of-the-best/)

[Kevin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-johnson/)

> [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/)

[Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/)

> [If Nirvana had remained a small, underground punk rock band, Kurt Cobain would still be alive. And he'd probably be living in Seattle, getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/if-nirvana-had-remained-a-small-underground-punk-rock-band-kurt/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [I learned so much about playing and touring being on the road and in the studio with Jeff, but I'd always played a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-g/i-learned-so-much-about-playing-and-touring-being-on-the-road-and-in/)

[Kenny G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-g/)

## More by Bruce Pavitt

> [People are hard-wired for tribal identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/people-are-hard-wired-for-tribal-identity/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [Music careerists from Seattle would typically move to the closest media center, which was L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/music-careerists-from-seattle-would-typically-move-to-the-closest/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [There's no school you can go to where you can study how to run a record label. Every day was a learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/there-s-no-school-you-can-go-to-where-you-can-study-how-to-run-a/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [The idea of having an indie rock "career" while living in a remote backwater like Seattle was too ridiculous to contemplate. It was simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/the-idea-of-having-an-indie-rock-career-while-living-in-a-remote/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [ I can fully understand \[that\] artists want to be able to pay their bills. As a fan of art, and art as a way… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-can-fully-understand-that-artists-want-to-be-able-to-pay-their/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [I love the dynamic contrast between the spontaneous shots and the more formal, pro-rock-star photos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-love-the-dynamic-contrast-between-the-spontaneous-shots-and-the/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [I was a history major in school. I review the past a lot and think about music history and how culture unfolds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-was-a-history-major-in-school-i-review-the-past-a-lot-and-think/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [Indie rock is very healthy, there's a lot of diversity and a lot of creativity, but it does not have the revolutionary spirit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/indie-rock-is-very-healthy-there-s-a-lot-of-diversity-and-a-lot-of/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [I think in times of crisis it's the artists' responsibility to dig a little deeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-think-in-times-of-crisis-it-s-the-artists-responsibility-to-dig-a/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

> [I think so much of our society is geared towards mainstream media and pop culture and so forth. And there's a huge divide between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-think-so-much-of-our-society-is-geared-towards-mainstream-media-and/)

[Bruce Pavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

[Explore all 11 Bruce Pavitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/)

## More Band quotes

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/)

[Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/)

> [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/)

[Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/)

> [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/)

[Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/)

> [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/)

[Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/)

> [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/)

[Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/)

> [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/)

[Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/)

> [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/)

[Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/)

> [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/)

[Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/)

> [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/)

[Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/)

> [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/)

[Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/)

> [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/)

[Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/)

> [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/)

[Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/)

Browse all 6,497 Band quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I consciously took a lot of crowd shots. I was influenced by Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, who always seemed to incorporate fans in his live band shots.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bruce Pavitt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-had-no-real-photography-experience-thankfully-i-consciously-took-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Band"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-had-no-real-photography-experience-thankfully-i-consciously-took-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/bruce-pavitt-39355_band_i-had-no-real-photography-experience-tha_2284407.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I had no real photography experience, thankfully. I consciously took a lot of crowd shots. I was influenced…” — Bruce Pavitt",
                "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": "Bruce Pavitt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pavitt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I had no real photography experience,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-had-no-real-photography-experience-thankfully-i-consciously-took-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pavitt/i-had-no-real-photography-experience-thankfully-i-consciously-took-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
