---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think photography has made us see the…"
description: "\"I think photography has made us see the landscape in a very dull way - that's one of its effects. It's not spatial.\" — David Hockney"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg"
---

#  I think photography has made us see the landscape in a…

![“I think photography has made us see the landscape in a very dull way - that's one of its effects. It's not spatial.” quote by David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg)

> “I think photography has made us see the landscape in a very dull way - that's one of its effects. It's not spatial.”

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

## About This Quote

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

Photography flattens the landscape, reducing its spatial depth and richness.

**In simple terms:** Photos make scenes look flat, losing depth.

Key Takeaway

Explore techniques to restore spatial depth in images.

Themes

art perception technology

Mood

contemplative curious

Type

artistic critical

When to use this quote

- photography
- painting
- digital imaging
- education

Key Concepts

visual representation depth perception media criticism

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you prefer flat or immersive images?
- How does medium affect perception?

A Different Perspective

Flatness can be intentional artistic choice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Landscape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscape/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I thought using three cameras was a lot better than one, because you could see where you were going, where you'd been, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-thought-using-three-cameras-was-a-lot-better-than-one-because-you/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I've always been interested in space in pictures. I think my going deaf increased my spatial sense, because I can't get the direction of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-space-in-pictures-i-think-my-going/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I think photography is so hard. To be working in video and photography the past 20 years - because I was doing it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slater-bradley/i-think-photography-is-so-hard-to-be-working-in-video-and-photography/)

Slater Bradley

> [We think of photography as pictures. And it is. But I think of photography as ideas. And do the pictures sustain your ideas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-meyerowitz/we-think-of-photography-as-pictures-and-it-is-but-i-think-of/)

[Joel Meyerowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-meyerowitz/)

> [I like to think of Photography 1.0 as the invention of photography. Photography 2.0 is digital technology and the move from film and paper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burtynsky/i-like-to-think-of-photography-1-0-as-the-invention-of-photography/)

[Edward Burtynsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burtynsky/)

> [It might be more useful, if not necessarily more true, to think of photography as a narrow, deep area between the novel and film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-baltz/it-might-be-more-useful-if-not-necessarily-more-true-to-think-of/)

[Lewis Baltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-baltz/)

> [It's possible to think of photography as an act of editing, a matter of where you put your rectangle pull it out or take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kenna/it-s-possible-to-think-of-photography-as-an-act-of-editing-a-matter/)

[Michael Kenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kenna/)

> [I think that photography has allowed me to have a voice. I used to stutter, and once I overcame that struggle, it felt good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-think-that-photography-has-allowed-me-to-have-a-voice-i-used-to/)

[Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/)

> [I think photography has a huge potential to expand a circle of knowledge. There's a reality that we are all the more linked globally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-meiselas/i-think-photography-has-a-huge-potential-to-expand-a-circle-of/)

[Susan Meiselas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-meiselas/)

> [Computer photography won't be photography as we know it. I think photography will always be chemical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/computer-photography-won-t-be-photography-as-we-know-it-i-think/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [I was struggling against the flypaper of other arts harnessing film to their own usages, which means essentially as a recording device or within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-brakhage/i-was-struggling-against-the-flypaper-of-other-arts-harnessing-film/)

[Stan Brakhage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-brakhage/)

> [None of us works entirely in a vacuum. Unless you are uncompromisingly working to please yourself you must think to whom your photography is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-langford/none-of-us-works-entirely-in-a-vacuum-unless-you-are-uncompromisingly/)

[Michael Langford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-langford/)

> [There still is some opposition to it in some museums and art schools, but I think photography has really grown into a mature art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/there-still-is-some-opposition-to-it-in-some-museums-and-art-schools/)

[Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/)

> [With the camera, it's all or nothing. You either get what you're after at once, or what you do has to be worthless. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-evans/with-the-camera-it-s-all-or-nothing-you-either-get-what-you-re-after/)

[Walker Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-evans/)

> [People think photography is about photographing. To me, it’s about relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsey-addario/people-think-photography-is-about-photographing-to-me-it-s-about/)

[Lynsey Addario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsey-addario/)

## More by David Hockney

> [ You can't believe any picture nowadays, if it's digital. You can't really believe. If you see me shaking hands with Mr. \[Barack\] Obama, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-can-t-believe-any-picture-nowadays-if-it-s-digital-you-can-t/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I had always planned to make a large painting of the early spring, when the first leaves are at the bottom of the trees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-had-always-planned-to-make-a-large-painting-of-the-early-spring/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I'm rather shocked by what I thought was simple mindedness actually. I thought they're not looking, they're not actually looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-m-rather-shocked-by-what-i-thought-was-simple-mindedness-actually-i/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [You would think death was an optional extra nowadays. Nobody wants to tick that box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-would-think-death-was-an-optional-extra-nowadays-nobody-wants-to/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I live wherever I happen to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-live-wherever-i-happen-to-be/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [Until I saw my drawings replayed on the iPad, I'd never seen myself draw. Someone watching me would be concentrating on the exact moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the-ipad-i-d-never-seen-myself/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [You always need a bit of low-tech.You always need a pair of scissors, it seems to me. You can do better things… The high-tech,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-always-need-a-bit-of-low-tech-you-always-need-a-pair-of-scissors/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [When you are older, you realise that everything else is just nothing compared to painting and drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/when-you-are-older-you-realise-that-everything-else-is-just-nothing/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [The photograph isn't good enough. It's not real enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/the-photograph-isn-t-good-enough-it-s-not-real-enough/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [In fact, I'm a bit of a slob, but I've always said my excuse, I have a higher sense of order, I can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/in-fact-i-m-a-bit-of-a-slob-but-i-ve-always-said-my-excuse-i-have-a/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [Spring is very energising to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/spring-is-very-energising-to-me/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [No theoretician, no writer on art, however interesting he or she might be, could be as interesting as Picasso. A good writer on art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/no-theoretician-no-writer-on-art-however-interesting-he-or-she-might/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [How difficult it is to learn not to see like cameras, which has had such an effect on us. The camera sees everything at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/how-difficult-it-is-to-learn-not-to-see-like-cameras-which-has-had/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [With chemical film, it was possible to alter photographs, but you had to be an expert. That's not true any more. The LA Times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/with-chemical-film-it-was-possible-to-alter-photographs-but-you-had/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

[Explore all 247 David Hockney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

## More Dull quotes

> [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/)

[Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/)

> [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/)

[Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/)

> [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/)

[Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/)

> [Whether one is twenty, forty, or sixty; whether one has succeeded, failed or just muddled along; whether yesterday was full of sun or storm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-mitchell-hodges/whether-one-is-twenty-forty-or-sixty-whether-one-has-succeeded-failed/)

Leigh Mitchell Hodges

> [I am simply looking for a companion with whom to spend my days, a companion who will cherish as much as I the stupidity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/i-am-simply-looking-for-a-companion-with-whom-to-spend-my-days-a/)

[Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/)

> [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [Soothing words can become just another drug we swallow to dull our pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/soothing-words-can-become-just-another-drug-we-swallow-to-dull-our/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [Perhaps it is this theory of all work and no play that has made the Marxist such a very dull boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/perhaps-it-is-this-theory-of-all-work-and-no-play-that-has-made-the/)

[Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/)

> ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [Suppose that we are wise enough to learn and know-and yet not wise enough to control our learning and knowledge, so that we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/suppose-that-we-are-wise-enough-to-learn-and-know-and-yet-not-wise/)

[Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/)

> [The most fascinating powers don't mean a thing if the guy's poorly motivated or dull, and the most generic powers won't hurt a well-motivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/the-most-fascinating-powers-don-t-mean-a-thing-if-the-guy-s-poorly/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/silence-is-the-universal-refuge-the-sequel-to-all-dull-discourses-and/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-good-movie-can-take-you-out-of-your-dull-funk-and-the-hopelessness/)

[Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/)

> [A thrumming of piano-strings beyond the gardens and through the elms. At length the melody steals into my being. I know not when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-thrumming-of-piano-strings-beyond-the-gardens-and-through-the-elms/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

Browse all 1,407 Dull quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think photography has made us see the landscape in a very dull way - that's one of its effects. It's not spatial.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Hockney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the-landscape-in-a-very-dull-way/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dull"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the-landscape-in-a-very-dull-way/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d91/david-hockney-1395_dull_i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the_3199231.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think photography has made us see the landscape in a very dull way - that's one of its effects. It's not…” — David Hockney",
                "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": "David Hockney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think photography has made us...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the-landscape-in-a-very-dull-way/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-photography-has-made-us-see-the-landscape-in-a-very-dull-way/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
