--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always believed that photography was…" description: "\"I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth, but I did think that its status as a societa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg" --- # I always believed that photography was subjective… ![“I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth, but I did think that its status as a societal and historical referent needed to be both safeguarded and illuminated…now photojournalism is devolving into yet another medium perceived as…” quote by Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg) > “I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth, but I did think that its status as a societal and historical referent needed to be both safeguarded and illuminated…now photojournalism is devolving into yet another medium perceived as intending to shock, titillate, sell, distort.” [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) ## 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 seen as a subjective lens on reality, yet its role as a cultural record demands protection and clarity; the shift toward sensationalism erodes its documentary purpose. **In simple terms:** Subjective art vs. factual record Key Takeaway Guard truth in visual media Themes subjectivity historical record media ethics sensationalism photojournalism Mood concern critical reflective Type observation critical essay manifesto When to use this quote - newsrooms - documentary projects - educational curricula - media watchdog groups Key Concepts interpretation truth societal impact visual storytelling Practical Applications - media literacy training - ethical guidelines for photojournalists Questions to Reflect On - How can photographers balance artistic vision with factual integrity? - What mechanisms can ensure photojournalism resists sensational trends? A Different Perspective Some argue that all visual media inherently contains bias, so striving for objectivity is unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Photojournalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photojournalism/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjective/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I've always believed that photography is a way to shape human perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-balog/i-ve-always-believed-that-photography-is-a-way-to-shape-human/) [James Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-balog/) > [Photography is very subjective. Photography is not a document on which a report can be made. It is a subjective document. Photography is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-doisneau/photography-is-very-subjective-photography-is-not-a-document-on-which/) [Robert Doisneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-doisneau/) > [“Like my maestro, Juan Ribero, she believed that photography and painting are not competing arts but basically different: the painter interpets reality, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/like-my-maestro-juan-ribero-she-believed-that-photography-and/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Photojournalism has become a hybrid enterprise of amateurs and professionals, along with surveillance cameras, Google Street Views, and other sources. What is underrepresented are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/photojournalism-has-become-a-hybrid-enterprise-of-amateurs-and/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [ I have always felt that a lot of the most interesting work, not just mine but other people's, falls into \[the\] nether area, somewhere… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-webb/i-have-always-felt-that-a-lot-of-the-most-interesting-work-not-just/) [Alex Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-webb/) > [What is photojournalism? Occasionally, a very unique photo, in which form is precise and rich enough and content has enough resonance, is sufficient in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri/what-is-photojournalism-occasionally-a-very-unique-photo-in-which/) [Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri/) > [I did photography in summer camp; I did it in high school. The only hard decision I've had to make was whether to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/i-did-photography-in-summer-camp-i-did-it-in-high-school-the-only/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [Photojournalism is photography with more story telling. A single image can be amazing and dramatic. I started out shooting individual images, but I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-arthur/photojournalism-is-photography-with-more-story-telling-a-single-image/) [Olivia Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-arthur/) > [I respect newspapers, but the reality is that magazine 'photojournalism' is finished. They want illustrations, Photoshopped pictures of movie stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-respect-newspapers-but-the-reality-is-that-magazine-photojournalism/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [ That \[photographs\] disturb readers is exactly as it should be: that's why photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-photographs-disturb-readers-is-exactly-as-it-should-be-that-s/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [I think photojournalism is documentary photography with a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-think-photojournalism-is-documentary-photography-with-a-purpose/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [After I discovered my degree in photojournalism would only get me a job in a camera store, I taught myself lighting. I read tons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-menzel/after-i-discovered-my-degree-in-photojournalism-would-only-get-me-a/) [Peter Menzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-menzel/) > [If you look at photojournalism, it's largely driven by current events... always chasing a crisis or disaster. I follow a narrative that is much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burtynsky/if-you-look-at-photojournalism-it-s-largely-driven-by-current-events/) [Edward Burtynsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burtynsky/) > [One of the leading uses of photography by the mass media came to be called photojournalism. From the late 'twenties' to the early 'fifties'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/one-of-the-leading-uses-of-photography-by-the-mass-media-came-to-be/) [John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/) > [If you are walking down the street, camera in your hand, loaded and ready to shoot. You see a person falling from a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-nimoy/if-you-are-walking-down-the-street-camera-in-your-hand-loaded-and/) [Leonard Nimoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-nimoy/) ## More by Fred Ritchin > [Photographs need to demand the viewer's attention, often implicitly, posing questions as to the nature of what is being depicted. Photographs are not there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/photographs-need-to-demand-the-viewer-s-attention-often-implicitly/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [There is enormous need for professionals who know how to tell stories with narrative punch and nuance, who can work proactively and not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/there-is-enormous-need-for-professionals-who-know-how-to-tell-stories/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [Photojournalism has become a hybrid enterprise of amateurs and professionals, along with surveillance cameras, Google Street Views, and other sources. What is underrepresented are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/photojournalism-has-become-a-hybrid-enterprise-of-amateurs-and/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [We have to tell people how images are made. And, the first step is to abandon the idea we're looking at photographs. We're looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/we-have-to-tell-people-how-images-are-made-and-the-first-step-is-to/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [I hope that many visual journalists will be hired or funded along the way as well - we urgently need their perspectives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-hope-that-many-visual-journalists-will-be-hired-or-funded-along-the/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [There are very few instances where writers have also been effective image makers - different skill sets are required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/there-are-very-few-instances-where-writers-have-also-been-effective/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [The slideshow "is a very primitive form that quickly becomes predictable and repetitive."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/the-slideshow-is-a-very-primitive-form-that-quickly-becomes/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [The decisive moment, the popular Henri Cartier-Bresson approach to photography in which a scene is stopped and depicted at a certain point of high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/the-decisive-moment-the-popular-henri-cartier-bresson-approach-to/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [Multimedia is not more media, but the employment of various kinds of media (and hybrid media) for what they each offer to advance the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/multimedia-is-not-more-media-but-the-employment-of-various-kinds-of/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [We have faith in the photograph not only because it works on a physically descriptive level, but in a broader sense because it confirms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/we-have-faith-in-the-photograph-not-only-because-it-works-on-a/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [In fact, the new malleability of the image may eventually lead to a profound undermining of photography's status as an inherently truthful pictorial form...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/in-fact-the-new-malleability-of-the-image-may-eventually-lead-to-a/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [Word, image, and sound all must have primacy in the development of the narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/word-image-and-sound-all-must-have-primacy-in-the-development-of-the/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [One cannot always summarize massive issues by looking at the life of one person or one family, or even one community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/one-cannot-always-summarize-massive-issues-by-looking-at-the-life-of/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [We have a long history of snapshot photography that appeared to many to be more arbitrary and idiosyncratic than much of the work of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/we-have-a-long-history-of-snapshot-photography-that-appeared-to-many/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) > [Many who are making cellphone images are advocates with a stake in the outcome of what they are depicting. In some ways this makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/many-who-are-making-cellphone-images-are-advocates-with-a-stake-in/) [Fred Ritchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) [Explore all 19 Fred Ritchin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/) ## More Always believe quotes > [I've always believed that humans are good at heart. But there's always the exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carlson/i-ve-always-believed-that-humans-are-good-at-heart-but-there-s-always/) [Amy Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carlson/) > [I've always believed that service to others is rent we pay for our time on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curtis/i-ve-always-believed-that-service-to-others-is-rent-we-pay-for-our/) [Tony Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curtis/) > [I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-fraser/i-ve-always-believed-that-the-desire-must-come-from-within-not-as-a/) [Dawn Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-fraser/) > [I always believe in doing new things and using new materials that I have never used or that I didn't like for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miuccia-prada/i-always-believe-in-doing-new-things-and-using-new-materials-that-i/) [Miuccia Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miuccia-prada/) > [The messaging campaign that stigmatized the term feminist definitely worked on me when I was a teenager. I always believed in equality, but there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/the-messaging-campaign-that-stigmatized-the-term-feminist-definitely/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [I have always believed that anybody with a little guts and the desire to apply himself can make it, can make anything he wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shoemaker/i-have-always-believed-that-anybody-with-a-little-guts-and-the-desire/) [Bill Shoemaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shoemaker/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I've always believed that a good twist is one that, when it is presented to the audience, half of them say, 'I saw that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-lindelof/i-ve-always-believed-that-a-good-twist-is-one-that-when-it-is/) [Damon Lindelof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-lindelof/) > [We hate guys who date more than one woman at a time. I've always believed that what's unacceptable in one sex should, by definition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/we-hate-guys-who-date-more-than-one-woman-at-a-time-i-ve-always/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [Just always believe in yourself. "Champions adjust." It's a line I learned from Billie Jean King, and sometimes your dream adjusts. Be willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/just-always-believe-in-yourself-champions-adjust-it-s-a-line-i/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [The hardest thing to get is true emotion. I always believe you need to earn that with the audience. You can't just tell them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/the-hardest-thing-to-get-is-true-emotion-i-always-believe-you-need-to/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [I have always believed that the ultimate purpose of economic policies and development policy is to meet the basic needs of our people. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/i-have-always-believed-that-the-ultimate-purpose-of-economic-policies/) [Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/) > [Whatever distrust we may have of the sincerity of those who converse with us, we always believe they will tell us more truth than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/whatever-distrust-we-may-have-of-the-sincerity-of-those-who-converse/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [One of my quests from the beginning has been to inform people, educate people, sort of train people, if you will, to spot liberalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/one-of-my-quests-from-the-beginning-has-been-to-inform-people-educate/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I have always believed that most large fortunes are made by men...who tumbled into a lucky opportunity. Hard work and attention to business are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-rosenwald/i-have-always-believed-that-most-large-fortunes-are-made-by-men-who/) [Julius Rosenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-rosenwald/) Browse all 397 Always believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth, but I did think that its status as a societal and historical referent needed to be both safeguarded and illuminated…now photojournalism is devolving into yet another medium perceived as intending to shock, titillate, sell, distort.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fred Ritchin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-always-believed-that-photography-was-subjective-interpretive-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-always-believed-that-photography-was-subjective-interpretive-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/fred-ritchin-28953_always-believe_i-always-believed-that-photography-was-s_373.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always believed that photography was subjective, interpretive and certainly did not represent the truth…” — Fred Ritchin", "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": "Fred Ritchin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ritchin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always believed that photography was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-always-believed-that-photography-was-subjective-interpretive-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ritchin/i-always-believed-that-photography-was-subjective-interpretive-and/#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 } } ] } ```