--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Photography is not about the thing…" description: "\"Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed.\" — Garry Winogrand" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/garry-winogrand-2342_inspirational_photography-is-not-about-the-thing-photo_1113036.png" --- # Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is… ![“Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed.” quote by Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/garry-winogrand-2342_inspirational_photography-is-not-about-the-thing-photo_1113036.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/garry-winogrand-2342_inspirational_photography-is-not-about-the-thing-photo_1113036.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19a/garry-winogrand-2342_inspirational_photography-is-not-about-the-thing-photo_1113036.png) > “Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed.” [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Photography focuses on the visual representation, not the subject itself; the image is about perception. **In simple terms:** Image is about perception. Key Takeaway Prioritize composition and perspective. Themes art photography perception representation Mood analytical reflective Type artistic technical When to use this quote - portraiture - street photography - exhibitions - education Key Concepts visual theory semiotics aesthetics Questions to Reflect On - How does viewer interpretation shape meaning? - Can subject and perception coexist? A Different Perspective May undervalue subject significance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) ## Related quotes > [The challenge of photography is to show the thing photographed so that our feelings are awakened and hidden aspects are revealed to us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-gowin/the-challenge-of-photography-is-to-show-the-thing-photographed-so/) [Emmet Gowin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-gowin/) > [A photograph must be more interesting than the thing photographed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-winogrand/a-photograph-must-be-more-interesting-than-the-thing-photographed/) Gary Winogrand > [To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge-and therefore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/to-photograph-is-to-appropriate-the-thing-photographed-it-means/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [The thing itself photographed becomes less interesting when you go back to it years later but I think the photograph becomes more important later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-tice/the-thing-itself-photographed-becomes-less-interesting-when-you-go/) [George A Tice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-tice/) > [Freaks was a thing I photographed a lot. It was one of the first things I photographed and it had a terrific kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/freaks-was-a-thing-i-photographed-a-lot-it-was-one-of-the-first-2/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [Freaks was a thing I photographed a lot. 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You're presenting this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kane/i-also-paint-draw-and-i-m-into-film-and-photography-as-well-and-the/) [Paul Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kane/) > [I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-photograph-to-find-out-what-something-will-look-like-photographed/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [It's possible to think of photography as an act of editing, a matter of where you put your rectangle pull it out or take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kenna/it-s-possible-to-think-of-photography-as-an-act-of-editing-a-matter/) [Michael Kenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kenna/) > [It's all the same. It's the same face. We always look for an idea, for the same face, for the same position. 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What else had they worked so hard for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/they-had-assumed-this-photography-thing-was-an-adolescent-phase-like/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [The photograph should be more interesting or more beautiful than what was photographed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/the-photograph-should-be-more-interesting-or-more-beautiful-than-what/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [Photography was the only thing that mattered in my life and I gave it everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-corbijn/photography-was-the-only-thing-that-mattered-in-my-life-and-i-gave-it/) [Anton Corbijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-corbijn/) ## More by Garry Winogrand > [ \[Photography is \] 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/) > [It's got to do with the contention between content and form. Invariably that's what's responsible for its energies, its tensions, its being interesting or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/it-s-got-to-do-with-the-contention-between-content-and-form/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't think anything happens without the press, one way or the other. I think it's all done for it. You saw it start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-think-anything-happens-without-the-press-one-way-or-the-other/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't really have any faith in anybody enjoying photographs in a large enough sense to matter. I think it's all about finances, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-really-have-any-faith-in-anybody-enjoying-photographs-in-a/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [When I see something, I know why something's funny or seems to be funny. But in the end it's just another picture as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/when-i-see-something-i-know-why-something-s-funny-or-seems-to-be/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There are things I photograph because I'm interested in those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-are-things-i-photograph-because-i-m-interested-in-those-things/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There's no way a photograph has to look... in a sense. There are no formal rules of design that can apply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-s-no-way-a-photograph-has-to-look-in-a-sense-there-are-no/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I don't have anything to say in any picture. My only interest in photography is to see what something looks like as a photograph.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-have-anything-to-say-in-any-picture-my-only-interest-in/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I'll come back to New York. I think I'll start focusing in more on the entertainment business. I have been doing some of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-ll-come-back-to-new-york-i-think-i-ll-start-focusing-in-more-on-the/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [There is no special way a photograph should look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/there-is-no-special-way-a-photograph-should-look/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [It's a lot of work organizing something, whether it's a show or a book, and I don't want to do it every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/it-s-a-lot-of-work-organizing-something-whether-it-s-a-show-or-a-book/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I have a good friend who's a very good printer. And he does a certain amount of printing for me. I do all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-have-a-good-friend-who-s-a-very-good-printer-and-he-does-a-certain/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I never saw a pyramid, but I've seen photographs; I know what a pyramid or a sphinx looks like. There are pictures that do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-never-saw-a-pyramid-but-i-ve-seen-photographs-i-know-what-a-pyramid/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [I develop my own film. And I work in spurts. I pile it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-develop-my-own-film-and-i-work-in-spurts-i-pile-it-up/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [People are going to have a good time, you know. One can go have a good time at these big openings in museums. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/people-are-going-to-have-a-good-time-you-know-one-can-go-have-a-good/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) [Explore all 171 Garry Winogrand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Photography is not about the thing photographed. 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