--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Photography is pretty simple stuff. You…" description: "\"Photography is pretty simple stuff. You just react to what you see, and take many, many pictures.\" — Elliott Erwitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/elliott-erwitt-8735_photography_photography-is-pretty-simple-stuff-you-j_283707.jpg" --- # Photography is pretty simple stuff. You just react to what… ![“Photography is pretty simple stuff. You just react to what you see, and take many, many pictures.” quote by Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/elliott-erwitt-8735_photography_photography-is-pretty-simple-stuff-you-j_283707.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/elliott-erwitt-8735_photography_photography-is-pretty-simple-stuff-you-j_283707.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/elliott-erwitt-8735_photography_photography-is-pretty-simple-stuff-you-j_283707.jpg) > “Photography is pretty simple stuff. You just react to what you see, and take many, many pictures.” [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Photography is about reacting to visual stimuli and capturing many images to find the right moment. **In simple terms:** Take many photos and react to what you see. Key Takeaway Practice active observation and shoot often. Themes observation creativity patience Mood inspirational practical Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - street photography - learning composition - travel - documentary work Key Concepts visual perception process Questions to Reflect On - How does reacting quickly improve your photos? - When do you stop taking pictures? A Different Perspective Too many shots can lead to overwhelm without focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) ## Related quotes > [Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/life-is-pretty-simple-you-do-some-stuff-most-fails-some-works-you-do/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [I take pleasure in working with the non-art photographs that reside in public archives, essentially authorless and owned by the world itself, because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-take-pleasure-in-working-with-the-non-art-photographs-that-reside/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [I think photographers are too polite. 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The money in tennis never drove me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/i-ve-always-led-a-pretty-simple-life-with-few-extravagances-the-money/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) ## More by Elliott Erwitt > [Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times...I just shoot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/nothing-happens-when-you-sit-at-home-i-always-make-it-a-point-to/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Photoshop is useful in many ways but must NEVER be used for the altering of photographs. My assistants and my agency do whatever Photoshop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/photoshop-is-useful-in-many-ways-but-must-never-be-used-for-the/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [I don't really have a favorite camera. I use a Leica and Canon a lot. It depends, especially professionally, on the requirements. But my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/i-don-t-really-have-a-favorite-camera-i-use-a-leica-and-canon-a-lot/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Do what the client wants, not what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/do-what-the-client-wants-not-what-you-want/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [It's just seeing - at least the photography I care about. You either see or you don't see. The rest is academic. Anyone can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/it-s-just-seeing-at-least-the-photography-i-care-about-you-either-see/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [After following the crowd for a while, I'd then go 180 degrees in the exact opposite direction. It always worked for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/after-following-the-crowd-for-a-while-i-d-then-go-180-degrees-in-the/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [It's about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. You can find pictures anywhere. It's simply a matter of noticing things and organising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/it-s-about-reacting-to-what-you-see-hopefully-without-preconception/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Photography is a craft. Anyone can learn a craft with normal intelligence and application. To take it beyond the craft is something else. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/photography-is-a-craft-anyone-can-learn-a-craft-with-normal/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [I see no difference between my pictures that people consider amusing and the rest. 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You either see or you don't see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/good-photography-is-not-about-zone-printing-or-any-other-ansel-adams/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Professionally I've evolved with what's required, but the pictures I do for pleasure haven't changed, except for the cars in the background, the clothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/professionally-i-ve-evolved-with-what-s-required-but-the-pictures-i/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Making people laugh is one of the highest achievements you can have. And when you can make someone laugh and cry, alternatively, as Chaplin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/making-people-laugh-is-one-of-the-highest-achievements-you-can-have/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [You can find pictures anywhere. It's simply a matter of noticing things and organizing them. You just have to care about what's around you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/you-can-find-pictures-anywhere-it-s-simply-a-matter-of-noticing/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [You don't study photography, you just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/you-don-t-study-photography-you-just-do-it/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) [Explore all 78 Elliott Erwitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) ## More Photography quotes > [If you want to edit your photos and make yourself look different, go for it. That is up to you, but in my opinion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-list/if-you-want-to-edit-your-photos-and-make-yourself-look-different-go/) [Peyton List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-list/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [As far as Vern and I go, we have had situations where people have tried to take photographs of me and cut Vernon out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/as-far-as-vern-and-i-go-we-have-had-situations-where-people-have/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth, but I did think that its status as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-always-believed-that-photography-was-subjective-interpretive-and/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/) [Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/) > [“She realized that the photograph had caused his reaction. It came to her almost as a revelation. Think of it: a photographer presses a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/she-realized-that-the-photograph-had-caused-his-reaction-it-came-to/) [Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [“Now there was photographic evidence of me with a girl. Lindsey pack the camera in her duffel while I contemplated the film inside it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/now-there-was-photographic-evidence-of-me-with-a-girl-lindsey-pack/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [“But any picture could deal with the problem of light. The problem with this picture is greater than that of reflective surfaces - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-otto/but-any-picture-could-deal-with-the-problem-of-light-the-problem-with/) [Whitney Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-otto/) > [All the pictures on the walls, they all white as lilies and smiling like alligators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/all-the-pictures-on-the-walls-they-all-white-as-lilies-and-smiling/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [ \[Photography is \] likewise even French impressionists. So the Sculls bought pop. It was politics, and they moved with it. And I think that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/photography-is-likewise-even-french-impressionists-so-the-sculls/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) [Browse all 11,116 Photography quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Photography is pretty simple stuff. 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