--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always said that the only thing a…" description: "\"I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.\" — David Hockney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png" --- # I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good… ![“I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.” quote by David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png) > “I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.” [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. Photographs excel at representing two‑dimensional planes, but struggle to convey depth, texture, and the lived experience of three‑dimensional reality. **In simple terms:** Photos capture flatness well. Key Takeaway Images are limited to surface representation. Themes perception medium limitation visual representation artistic critique technology Mood thoughtful analytical Type observation critical When to use this quote - discussing art theory - teaching photography basics - comparing media - criticizing visual documentation - designing visual curricula Key Concepts photography dimensionality representation visual fidelity Practical Applications - educational lectures on visual media - artistic practice that blends painting and photography Questions to Reflect On - How does medium shape our perception of reality? - In what ways can artists transcend the flatness of photography? A Different Perspective Some argue that high‑dynamic‑range and 3D imaging technologies mitigate this limitation, allowing photographs to suggest depth more effectively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) ## Related quotes > [I am trying to find out why a subject does look so marvelous, and trying to make that sensation manifest on a flat surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euan-uglow/i-am-trying-to-find-out-why-a-subject-does-look-so-marvelous-and/) Euan Uglow > [There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment. This kind of photography is realism. But realism is not enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frank/there-is-one-thing-the-photograph-must-contain-the-humanity-of-the/) [Robert Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frank/) > [If you get one photograph that's good from a trip, that's plenty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-hido/if-you-get-one-photograph-that-s-good-from-a-trip-that-s-plenty/) [Todd Hido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-hido/) > [One thing I would never photograph is a dog lying in the mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/one-thing-i-would-never-photograph-is-a-dog-lying-in-the-mud/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [Actually, documentary pictures include every subject in the world - good, bad, indifferent. I have yet to see a fine photograph which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-abbott/actually-documentary-pictures-include-every-subject-in-the-world-good/) [Berenice Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-abbott/) > [“The best thing about a photograph is that it never changes. Even if the people in it do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/the-best-thing-about-a-photograph-is-that-it-never-changes-even-if/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [I do not photograph for ulterior purposes. I photograph for the thing itself - for the photograph - without consideration of how it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-porter/i-do-not-photograph-for-ulterior-purposes-i-photograph-for-the-thing/) [Eliot Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-porter/) > [It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-strand/it-is-one-thing-to-photograph-people-it-is-another-to-make-others/) [Paul Strand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-strand/) > [In the late Fifties and early Sixties, I used to think that most of these fashion creators weren't that great, and if the photograph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-klein/in-the-late-fifties-and-early-sixties-i-used-to-think-that-most-of/) [William Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-klein/) > [I have yet to see a fine photograph which is not a good document.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-abbott/i-have-yet-to-see-a-fine-photograph-which-is-not-a-good-document/) [Berenice Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-abbott/) > [... No photograph ever was good, yet, of anybody - hunger and thirst and utter wretchedness overtake the outlaw who invented it! It transforms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/no-photograph-ever-was-good-yet-of-anybody-hunger-and-thirst-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Someone said to me, early on in film school if you can photograph the human face you can photograph anything, because that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/someone-said-to-me-early-on-in-film-school-if-you-can-photograph-the/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) > [Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the photo as a judgment that the photograph is good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/photographers-mistake-the-emotion-they-feel-while-taking-the-photo-as/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [It takes skill to trip on a flat surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-skill-to-trip-on-a-flat-surface/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They covered every flat surface in a state of total democracy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/they-covered-every-flat-surface-in-a-state-of-total-democracy/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## 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'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/) > [I think Picasso was, without doubt, the greatest portraitist of the 20th century, if not any other century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-picasso-was-without-doubt-the-greatest-portraitist-of-the/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) [Explore all 247 David Hockney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## More Flats quotes > [Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks-rage-blow-you-cataracts-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Flat muscled and honey coloured. Sea secrets in his eyes. A silver raindrop in his ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/flat-muscled-and-honey-coloured-sea-secrets-in-his-eyes-a-silver/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [ Gonna rain like a cow pissin' on a flat rock" \[drugstore clerk to detective Virgil Flowers\] Dark of the Moon, p.7 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/gonna-rain-like-a-cow-pissin-on-a-flat-rock-drugstore-clerk-to/) [John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/) > [I love flat shoes, more so than heels. One of my obsessions is men's co-respondent lace-ups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-love-flat-shoes-more-so-than-heels-one-of-my-obsessions-is-men-s-co/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [As a child, we lived in flats, and I was never allowed pets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pigott-smith/as-a-child-we-lived-in-flats-and-i-was-never-allowed-pets/) [Tim Pigott-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pigott-smith/) > [The key of D is daffodil yellow, B major is maroon, and B flat is blue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-mcpartland/the-key-of-d-is-daffodil-yellow-b-major-is-maroon-and-b-flat-is-blue/) [Marian McPartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-mcpartland/) > [Wear flats. You're short. It's much cooler not to pretend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alber-elbaz/wear-flats-you-re-short-it-s-much-cooler-not-to-pretend/) [Alber Elbaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alber-elbaz/) > [I wouldn't mind gigging around the same era as Jesus, after he gives his speech about the meek and how blessed they are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-wouldn-t-mind-gigging-around-the-same-era-as-jesus-after-he-gives/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [Lamon, that speech won't scour. It is a flat failure and the people are disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/lamon-that-speech-won-t-scour-it-is-a-flat-failure-and-the-people-are/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The trainee knew he should leave, but he was unable to look away. He'd never seen anything snap out so fast or strike so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/the-trainee-knew-he-should-leave-but-he-was-unable-to-look-away-he-d/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [When I was six years old my friend was auditioning for 'Annie,' and I decided I wanted to audition with her. My mom was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-emerson/when-i-was-six-years-old-my-friend-was-auditioning-for-annie-and-i/) [Jacqueline Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-emerson/) > [Mourning Ruby is not a flat landscape: it is more like a box with pictures painted on every face. And each face is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/mourning-ruby-is-not-a-flat-landscape-it-is-more-like-a-box-with/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [Somebody was saying to Picasso that he ought to make pictures of things the way they are-objective pictures. He mumbled that he wasn't quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/somebody-was-saying-to-picasso-that-he-ought-to-make-pictures-of/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [The secret of this kind of climbing, is like Zen. Don't think. Just dance along. It's the easiest thing in the world, actually easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-secret-of-this-kind-of-climbing-is-like-zen-don-t-think-just/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) Browse all 1,003 Flats quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Hockney" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Flats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/david-hockney-1395_flats_i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-p_54024.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.” — 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've always said that the only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/#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 } } ] } ```