Deal Quote by Garry Winogrand
“You've got to deal with how photographs look, what's there, not how they're made.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: 1970s Photography Magazine, Garry Winogrand, 1975
Focus on the visual result of a photograph rather than its technical creation.
In simple terms: Judge photos by appearance, not method.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize composition over process.
Themes
photography
visual perception
artistic intent
Mood
analytical
contemplative
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- gallery exhibition
- photo critique
- digital editing
- teaching photography
Key Concepts
aesthetics
observer bias
medium specificity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does focusing on the image change your creative choices?
- What aspects of a photo matter most to you?
A Different Perspective
Technical details can distract from artistic impact.
![“[William] Eggleston's photographs look like they were taken by a Martian who lost the ticket for his flight home and ended up working at a gun shop in a small town near Memphis. On the weekend he searches for the ticket - it must be somewhere - with a haphazard thoroughness that confounds…” quote by Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f90/geoff-dyer-8822_flight_william-eggleston-s-photographs-look-lik_1681804.jpg)
![“My aim is increasingly to make my photographs look so much like photographs [rather than paintings, etchings, etc.] that unless one has eyes and sees, they won't be seen - and still everyone will never forget having once looked at them.” quote by Alfred Stieglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/530/alfred-stieglitz-13773_aim_my-aim-is-increasingly-to-make-my-photog_822023.jpg)
![“[Me book is] called Stock Photographs. It was done at the Fort Worth livestock show and rodeo. I was commissioned to shoot there by the Fort Worth Art Museum for a show. I probably shot a total of fourteen days, give or take.” quote by Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d7d/garry-winogrand-2342_art_me-book-is-called-stock-photographs-it-w_3209289.jpg)
![“[Photography is ] likewise even French impressionists. So the Sculls bought pop. It was politics, and they moved with it. And I think that could be happening, to some degree, with photography, too. It doesn't cost as much to do it, either.” quote by Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2eb/garry-winogrand-2342_cost_photography-is-likewise-even-french-impr_2802.jpg)
