--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was like a camera that had been…" description: "\"She was like a camera that had been chronically out of focus until someone came by and twisted the lenses into alignment.\" — Deborah Harkness" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg" --- # She was like a camera that had been chronically out of… ![“She was like a camera that had been chronically out of focus until someone came by and twisted the lenses into alignment.” quote by Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg) > “She was like a camera that had been chronically out of focus until someone came by and twisted the lenses into alignment.” [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The metaphor describes a person gaining clarity and focus when someone helps them align their perspective. **In simple terms:** Help can bring clarity. Key Takeaway Seek perspectives that realign your focus. Themes clarity focus alignment relationships growth Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - creative writing - emotional healing - team dynamics Key Concepts metaphor personal development vision Questions to Reflect On - Who or what helps you see clearly? - What habits keep you out of focus? A Different Perspective Clarity may also require internal work, not just external assistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alignment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alignment/) [Camera Chronically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera-chronically-484432/) [Cameras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cameras/) [Chronically Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronically-focus-484435/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-came-484434/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Lenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lenses/) [Like Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-camera/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Twisted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twisted/) [Twisted Lenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twisted-lenses-484433/) ## Related quotes > [I lived my life one way for 35 years, for me. And then the focus came in on what I really was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-maravich/i-lived-my-life-one-way-for-35-years-for-me-and-then-the-focus-came/) [Pete Maravich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-maravich/) > [I still enjoy acting. I love the moment in front of the camera, but it's all the other moments that I don't enjoy. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-garth/i-still-enjoy-acting-i-love-the-moment-in-front-of-the-camera-but-it-2/) [Jennie Garth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-garth/) > [I don't like the camera. I get very self-conscious with it and then spend way too much time not looking self-conscious instead of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-don-t-like-the-camera-i-get-very-self-conscious-with-it-and-then/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [You know the famous quote, sometimes you have to be ready so you don't have to get ready. I do a lot of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-green/you-know-the-famous-quote-sometimes-you-have-to-be-ready-so-you-don-t/) [Gerald Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-green/) > [Life is like a camera,you never know what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-sablan-islam/life-is-like-a-camera-you-never-know-what-you-see/) [Florence Sablan Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-sablan-islam/) > [I love swimming in the darker seas, so even if I play a noble guy (well, like Lincoln for instance) I am pre-disposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-oberst-jr/i-love-swimming-in-the-darker-seas-so-even-if-i-play-a-noble-guy-well/) [Bill Oberst Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-oberst-jr/) > [Life is like a camera, hold it steady and the picture comes out clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-forgotten/life-is-like-a-camera-hold-it-steady-and-the-picture-comes-out-clear/) [The Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-forgotten/) > [Life is like a camera, just focus on whats important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if things dont work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-camera-just-focus-on-whats-important-and-capture-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do like being in front of the camera more and more. Having experience behind it has taught me about lighting and angles, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-hadid/i-do-like-being-in-front-of-the-camera-more-and-more-having/) [Bella Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-hadid/) > [I think that there isn't a photograph in the world that has any narrative ability... They do not tell stories - they show you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-think-that-there-isn-t-a-photograph-in-the-world-that-has-any/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I think people forget that when they see you on television, it's not like the camera's gone on and I'm doing what I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/i-think-people-forget-that-when-they-see-you-on-television-it-s-not/) [Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/) > [My normal way of filming something is, like, one camera, very well planned out, knowing exactly how we're going to get each shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marielle-heller/my-normal-way-of-filming-something-is-like-one-camera-very-well/) [Marielle Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marielle-heller/) > [My mom had a huge video camera that I would always play with, and there is home video of me, like, with the camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-gonzalez/my-mom-had-a-huge-video-camera-that-i-would-always-play-with-and/) [Rick Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-gonzalez/) > [It's a question of dropping the armor and getting up and doing the work you want to do. And film at first is frightening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-dowd/it-s-a-question-of-dropping-the-armor-and-getting-up-and-doing-the/) [Ann Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-dowd/) > [I don't like to move the camera that much anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/i-don-t-like-to-move-the-camera-that-much-anyway/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) ## More by Deborah Harkness > [After 20 years of writing academic prose and lectures, it seems very familiar and straightforward to me. Writing a novel for the first time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/after-20-years-of-writing-academic-prose-and-lectures-it-seems-very/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“As far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning year after year...One is fear. The other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/as-far-as-i-can-tell-there-are-only-two-emotions-that-keep-the-world/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [For me, a $20 wine that drinks like a $40 wine in terms of complexity and interest is a value, while a $5 wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/for-me-a-20-wine-that-drinks-like-a-40-wine-in-terms-of-complexity/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Some swore he was a maid in man's attire, For in his looks were all that men desire, A pleasant smiling cheeke, a speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/some-swore-he-was-a-maid-in-man-s-attire-for-in-his-looks-were-all/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I took a course on 'Magic, Alchemy, and Astrology' at Mount Holyoke, and it was a whole new awakening for me, a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-took-a-course-on-magic-alchemy-and-astrology-at-mount-holyoke-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [Her bark is worse than her bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/her-bark-is-worse-than-her-bite/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I’d rather lose the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/the-king-just-sits-there-moving-one-square-at-a-time-the-queen-can/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [What if 16th century people were right, and the supernatural and natural coexisted? How would that play out?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/what-if-16th-century-people-were-right-and-the-supernatural-and/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I was planning on starting a new file on my computer with the title "Phrases That Sound One Way to Witches but Mean Something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-was-planning-on-starting-a-new-file-on-my-computer-with-the-title/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I think you can learn a lot from primary sources. 'The Penguin Book of Witches,' which is edited by novelist Katherine Howe, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-think-you-can-learn-a-lot-from-primary-sources-the-penguin-book-of/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“History only became more challenging when it became less neat. Every time I pick up a book or document from the past, I'm in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/history-only-became-more-challenging-when-it-became-less-neat-every/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [We live in a world where we think the mysterious is retreating farther and farther from our lives and eventually we will know all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/we-live-in-a-world-where-we-think-the-mysterious-is-retreating/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“Give me knowledge of my end and the measure of my days, so I may know my frailty. My lifetime is no longer than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/give-me-knowledge-of-my-end-and-the-measure-of-my-days-so-i-may-know/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [Memories were short and history unkind. It was the way of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/memories-were-short-and-history-unkind-it-was-the-way-of-the-world/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [“All men are fools, Your Majesty,” Matthew said swiftly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/all-men-are-fools-your-majesty-matthew-said-swiftly/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) [Explore all 122 Deborah Harkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) ## More Alignment quotes > [“Our first teacher is our own heart. When we begin to tune in and listen to our heart we can bring our thoughts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-l-white/our-first-teacher-is-our-own-heart-when-we-begin-to-tune-in-and/) [Victoria L. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-l-white/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [What business needs now is exactly what women are able to provide, and at the very time when women are surging into the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-helgesen/what-business-needs-now-is-exactly-what-women-are-able-to-provide-and/) [Sally Helgesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-helgesen/) > [“If you are pure in intention and in alignment with beauty and love, in body and mind, the highest levels of your spiritual self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/if-you-are-pure-in-intention-and-in-alignment-with-beauty-and-love-in/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Our world is moving so fast and we are apt to miss so much of what is happening "right now." If we can put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-s-kaufman/our-world-is-moving-so-fast-and-we-are-apt-to-miss-so-much-of-what-is/) [Kristin S. Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-s-kaufman/) > [“Sometimes, it takes an outside perspective to find our true alignment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harjeet-khanduja/sometimes-it-takes-an-outside-perspective-to-find-our-true-alignment/) [Harjeet Khanduja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harjeet-khanduja/) > [“The decision to create a book trailer is entirely up to you. I can remember when "video killed the radio star" on MTV and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kytka-hilmar-jezek/the-decision-to-create-a-book-trailer-is-entirely-up-to-you-i-can/) [Kytka Hilmar-Jezek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kytka-hilmar-jezek/) > [Your inner purpose is an essential part of the purpose of the whole, the universe and its emerging intelligence. Your outer purpose can change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/your-inner-purpose-is-an-essential-part-of-the-purpose-of-the-whole/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Yoga is really the practice of seeing what's most important. Focusing on that first. Then it helps everything else sort of fall into alignment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-yogi/yoga-is-really-the-practice-of-seeing-what-s-most-important-focusing/) [MC Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-yogi/) > [“With best thoughts, words and actions we align our past, present and future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-dallas-jr/with-best-thoughts-words-and-actions-we-align-our-past-present-and/) [John R. Dallas Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-dallas-jr/) > [For good-intentioned people making decisions, there's no such thing as a bad choice. So it doesn't matter what you choose. Choose something, then deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/for-good-intentioned-people-making-decisions-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [The purpose of prayer is the alignment of the mind with the thoughts and the will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-purpose-of-prayer-is-the-alignment-of-the-mind-with-the-thoughts/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The great enemy of freedom is the alignment of political power with wealth. This alignment destroys the commonwealth - that is, the natural wealth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-great-enemy-of-freedom-is-the-alignment-of-political-power-with/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Who you really are is Non-Physical Energy focused in a physical body, knowing full well that all is well and always has been, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/who-you-really-are-is-non-physical-energy-focused-in-a-physical-body/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Consistent alignment of capabilities and internal processes with the customer value proposition is the core of any strategy execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-s-kaplan/consistent-alignment-of-capabilities-and-internal-processes-with-the/) [Robert S. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-s-kaplan/) [Browse all 200 Alignment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alignment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "She was like a camera that had been chronically out of focus until someone came by and twisted the lenses into alignment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deborah Harkness" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chronically-out-of-focus-until/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alignment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chronically-out-of-focus-until/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/deborah-harkness-3590_alignment_she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chro_1631053.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She was like a camera that had been chronically out of focus until someone came by and twisted the lenses…” — Deborah Harkness", "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": "Deborah Harkness", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "She was like a camera that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chronically-out-of-focus-until/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/she-was-like-a-camera-that-had-been-chronically-out-of-focus-until/#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 } } ] } ```