---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One thing that struck me early is that…"
description: "\"One thing that struck me early is that you don’t put into a photograph what’s going to come out. Or, vice versa, what comes out is not what you put in...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg"
---

#  One thing that struck me early is that you don’t put into…

![“One thing that struck me early is that you don’t put into a photograph what’s going to come out. Or, vice versa, what comes out is not what you put in.” quote by Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg)

> “One thing that struck me early is that you don’t put into a photograph what’s going to come out. Or, vice versa, what comes out is not what you put in.”

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

## About This Quote

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

Photographs cannot fully capture future outcomes; the image and reality diverge.

**In simple terms:** Pictures don’t predict what will happen.

Key Takeaway

Accept that images are limited.

Themes

photography perception uncertainty

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

artistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- portrait sessions
- journalistic work
- art exhibitions

Key Concepts

visual representation subjectivity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you convey truth beyond the visual?
- What expectations do viewers bring to a photo?

A Different Perspective

Images may mislead viewers about intent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/)

## Related quotes

> [I look at a photograph. What's going on? What's happening, photographically? If it's interesting, I try to understand why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-look-at-a-photograph-what-s-going-on-what-s-happening/)

[Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/)

> [I began photographing around 14; my mother gave me a camera, it's actually the one I still use for creating most of my work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-madigan-heck/i-began-photographing-around-14-my-mother-gave-me-a-camera-it-s/)

Erik Madigan Heck

> [At the end of the day, it's only a photograph and if someone is going to get really upset about a photograph, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rankin/at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-only-a-photograph-and-if-someone-is-going/)

[Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rankin/)

> [One day the photograph is going to become even more important than it is now… But I am not particularly an advocate of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smithson/one-day-the-photograph-is-going-to-become-even-more-important-than-it/)

[Robert Smithson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smithson/)

> [My professional life has nothing to do with my personal life and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-professional-life-has-nothing-to-do-with-my-personal-life-and-vice/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can see how the young girls really get hurt when their moms are critical, or vice versa when they're overly critical of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-can-see-how-the-young-girls-really-get-hurt-when-their-moms-are/)

[Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/)

> [I think anybody who is honestly struggling against racism must struggle against imperialism and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/i-think-anybody-who-is-honestly-struggling-against-racism-must/)

[Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/)

> [If you're wearing a pair of shoes that's a little flashy, then it's important not to be flashy up top and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/if-you-re-wearing-a-pair-of-shoes-that-s-a-little-flashy-then-it-s/)

[Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/)

> [Indians are the Italians of Asia and vice versa. Every man in both countries is a singer when he is happy, and every woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/indians-are-the-italians-of-asia-and-vice-versa-every-man-in-both/)

[Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/)

> [I've learned that people will seldom let you down if they understand that your destiny is in their hands, and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/i-ve-learned-that-people-will-seldom-let-you-down-if-they-understand/)

[Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/)

> [I never really had any intention of getting involved in documentaries until the opportunity came around. I always thought much more in classic fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hyams/i-never-really-had-any-intention-of-getting-involved-in-documentaries/)

[John Hyams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hyams/)

> [Life is art's rival and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyndham-lewis/life-is-art-s-rival-and-vice-versa/)

[Wyndham Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyndham-lewis/)

> [Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/some-years-ago-one-oil-company-bought-a-fertilizer-company-and-every/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [Congratulations to each and every one of you for the concert last night in New York and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/congratulations-to-each-and-every-one-of-you-for-the-concert-last/)

[Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/)

> [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

## More by Diane Arbus

> [I mean, it's very subtle and a little embarrassing to me, but I really believe there are things which nobody would see unless I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-mean-it-s-very-subtle-and-a-little-embarrassing-to-me-but-i-really/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [...I would never choose a subject for what it means to me. I choose a subject and then what I feel about it, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-would-never-choose-a-subject-for-what-it-means-to-me-i-choose-a/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [I think the most beautiful inventions are the ones you don't think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-think-the-most-beautiful-inventions-are-the-ones-you-don-t-think-of/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [Nudists are fond of saying that when you come right down to it everyone is alike, and, again, that when you come right down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/nudists-are-fond-of-saying-that-when-you-come-right-down-to-it/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [I think all families are creepy in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-think-all-families-are-creepy-in-a-way/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don't like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-work-from-awkwardness-by-that-i-mean-i-don-t-like-to-arrange-things/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [We've all got an identity. You can't avoid it. It's what's left when you take everything else away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/we-ve-all-got-an-identity-you-can-t-avoid-it-it-s-what-s-left-when/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [I never have taken a picture I've intended. They're always better or worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-never-have-taken-a-picture-i-ve-intended-they-re-always-better-or/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/the-world-can-only-be-grasped-by-action-not-by-contemplation-the-hand/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [ \[Our self-image is\] that gap between intention and effect ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/our-self-image-is-that-gap-between-intention-and-effect/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [They are the proof of something was there and no longer is. Like a stain. And the stillness of them is boggling. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/they-are-the-proof-of-something-was-there-and-no-longer-is-like-a/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [Everybody has that thing where they need to look one way but they come out looking another way and that's what people observe. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/everybody-has-that-thing-where-they-need-to-look-one-way-but-they/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [It's always seemed to me that photography tends to deal with facts whereas film tends to deal with fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/it-s-always-seemed-to-me-that-photography-tends-to-deal-with-facts/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [My favourite thing is to go where I've never been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/my-favourite-thing-is-to-go-where-i-ve-never-been/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

> [I want to photograph the considerable ceremonies of our present. I want to gather them, like somebody's grandmother putting up preserves, because they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-want-to-photograph-the-considerable-ceremonies-of-our-present-i/)

[Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

[Explore all 80 Diane Arbus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/)

## More Early quotes

> [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [I knew music was for me from an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/i-knew-music-was-for-me-from-an-early-age/)

[Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/)

> [I definitely count my blessings. I feel like I've had such a great ride. Early on, to be able to work with some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-definitely-count-my-blessings-i-feel-like-i-ve-had-such-a-great/)

[Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/)

> [I had been exposed to bitcoin early. I thought the consumer application of it felt, to me, further away. I thought there would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garlinghouse/i-had-been-exposed-to-bitcoin-early-i-thought-the-consumer/)

[Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garlinghouse/)

> [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&amp;R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/)

[Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/)

> [With 'Aurangzeb,' I just knew that the film wasn't going to work, though I think it was one of my most underrated performances. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-kapoor/with-aurangzeb-i-just-knew-that-the-film-wasn-t-going-to-work-though/)

[Arjun Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-kapoor/)

> [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/)

[Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/)

> [The early days were really difficult because it was constant no's, I didn't have an agent. I always knew that I had something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madelyn-cline/the-early-days-were-really-difficult-because-it-was-constant-no-s-i/)

[Madelyn Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madelyn-cline/)

> [The latest I like to be to meeting is 15 minutes early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-latest-i-like-to-be-to-meeting-is-15-minutes-early/)

[David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/)

> [“Why'd she leave so early? It's practically yesterday.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/why-d-she-leave-so-early-it-s-practically-yesterday/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [The game business arose from computer programs that were written by and for young men in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-laurel/the-game-business-arose-from-computer-programs-that-were-written-by/)

[Brenda Laurel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-laurel/)

> [For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/for-years-i-had-a-top-secret-clearance-and-never-left-russia-just/)

[Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/)

> [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/)

[George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/)

> [Kids in the entertainment industry are at a risk of developing depression, as they see glamour at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divyanka-tripathi/kids-in-the-entertainment-industry-are-at-a-risk-of-developing/)

[Divyanka Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divyanka-tripathi/)

Browse all 3,940 Early quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One thing that struck me early is that you don’t put into a photograph what’s going to come out. Or, vice versa, what comes out is not what you put in.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Diane Arbus"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-you-don-t-put-into-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Early"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-you-don-t-put-into-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/diane-arbus-8503_early_one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-y_590408.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One thing that struck me early is that you don’t put into a photograph what’s going to come out. Or, vice…” — Diane Arbus",
                "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": "Diane Arbus",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One thing that struck me early...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-you-don-t-put-into-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/one-thing-that-struck-me-early-is-that-you-don-t-put-into-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
