--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I used to always love taking photos, but…" description: "\"I used to always love taking photos, but I would always give a camera away to someone else. Now I don't give the camera away anymore. It also takes a l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/hilton-als-7671_giving_i-used-to-always-love-taking-photos-but_186384.jpg" --- # I used to always love taking photos, but I would always… ![“I used to always love taking photos, but I would always give a camera away to someone else. Now I don't give the camera away anymore. It also takes a long time to develop a visual style, and I think that the things that I was imitating were people I love, like Judy Linn or Gerald Turner, and then…” quote by Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/hilton-als-7671_giving_i-used-to-always-love-taking-photos-but_186384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/hilton-als-7671_giving_i-used-to-always-love-taking-photos-but_186384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/hilton-als-7671_giving_i-used-to-always-love-taking-photos-but_186384.jpg) > “I used to always love taking photos, but I would always give a camera away to someone else. Now I don't give the camera away anymore. It also takes a long time to develop a visual style, and I think that the things that I was imitating were people I love, like Judy Linn or Gerald Turner, and then it slowly started to become more myself.” [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Developing a personal visual style involves moving beyond imitation of admired influences to authentic self‑expression. **In simple terms:** Finding your own style means evolving from copying to originality. Key Takeaway Cultivate originality through practice and reflection. Themes identity art growth Mood thoughtful motivational Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - photography - personal projects - creative workshops Key Concepts self‑discovery influence authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What influences have you outgrown? - How can you accelerate your stylistic evolution? A Different Perspective Progress can be slow and frustrating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Taking Photos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-photos/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Jean-Claude was watching me with his still eyes. I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth. Enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/jean-claude-was-watching-me-with-his-still-eyes-i-took-a-deep-breath/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Develop your visual memory. Draw everything you have drawn from the model from memory as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/develop-your-visual-memory-draw-everything-you-have-drawn-from-the/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [I knew that what I did visually could not be completely understood. I knew that certain aspects of the work need a long time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-buren/i-knew-that-what-i-did-visually-could-not-be-completely-understood-i/) [Daniel Buren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-buren/) > [A lot of things you just stumble into: relationships or ways of putting characters opposite one another that really worked. So then it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lloyd/a-lot-of-things-you-just-stumble-into-relationships-or-ways-of/) [Christopher Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lloyd/) > [When you're learning, especially to write, unless you're some incredibly gifted writer, a young Malcom Gladwell, say, you need to be imitating people. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/when-you-re-learning-especially-to-write-unless-you-re-some/) [Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/) > [Ask God to locate you and stop imitating people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ngoveni-gift/ask-god-to-locate-you-and-stop-imitating-people/) NGOVENI GIFT > [I loved old movies. And I like imitating people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-garner/i-loved-old-movies-and-i-like-imitating-people/) [Julia Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-garner/) > [When I was little, when I was a kid, I used to sit in front of the TV and just say what the TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-sweatshirt/when-i-was-little-when-i-was-a-kid-i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-the-tv/) [Earl Sweatshirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-sweatshirt/) > [From my personal taste, it needed more of a visual style. It's so hard when you're adapting something that's so visually scrumptious like Mike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/from-my-personal-taste-it-needed-more-of-a-visual-style-it-s-so-hard/) [Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/) > [I try not to get trapped in any one musical or visual style at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lambert/i-try-not-to-get-trapped-in-any-one-musical-or-visual-style-at-all/) [Adam Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lambert/) > [What you write sets the visual style for the film. But you have to compromise your style in your first few films before people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mani-ratnam/what-you-write-sets-the-visual-style-for-the-film-but-you-have-to/) [Mani Ratnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mani-ratnam/) > [I created my own Visual style, I'm UNIQUE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taelor-chardae/i-created-my-own-visual-style-i-m-unique/) [Taelor Chardae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taelor-chardae/) > [Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/create-your-own-visual-style-let-it-be-unique-for-yourself-and-yet/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [When I see somebody sun-drenched in a shot with their espadrilles and a cup of coffee, I'm like, "Your life is amazing. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/when-i-see-somebody-sun-drenched-in-a-shot-with-their-espadrilles-and/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [Taking photos is a form of collecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/taking-photos-is-a-form-of-collecting/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) ## More by Hilton Als > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think someone like Khandi Alexander, who's now on 'Treme,' is one of the most extraordinary actresses I've seen in years. But she's dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-someone-like-khandi-alexander-who-s-now-on-treme-is-one-of/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I have not seen 'The Lion King.' I don't do black folklore. And I'm black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-have-not-seen-the-lion-king-i-don-t-do-black-folklore-and-i-m-black/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think you're not really teaching anyone unless you're learning yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-you-re-not-really-teaching-anyone-unless-you-re-learning/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [If I feel like I haven't really tapped into the essence of the story when I do an assignment, I may revisit it on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/if-i-feel-like-i-haven-t-really-tapped-into-the-essence-of-the-story/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Inspiration takes many forms, but it's rarely pure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/inspiration-takes-many-forms-but-it-s-rarely-pure/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Great sadness can be off putting, hard to comprehend, especially if it hasn't been your experience. It's amazing for me to know now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/great-sadness-can-be-off-putting-hard-to-comprehend-especially-if-it/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think that Tyler Perry's genius really has been to tap into the domestic market. He knows what his audience is based on, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-that-tyler-perry-s-genius-really-has-been-to-tap-into-the/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I love Andre Leon Talley as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-love-andre-leon-talley-as-a-person/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I thought of the structure as musical. The first piece, for instance, contains the names/subject matter of every person to come in the book.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-thought-of-the-structure-as-musical-the-first-piece-for-instance/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [People have a copyright on their own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/people-have-a-copyright-on-their-own-life/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [People are quick to make monuments of anything they live long enough to control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/people-are-quick-to-make-monuments-of-anything-they-live-long-enough/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Racism seduces us with its desire to categorize, shutting out the living and breathing and 'different' world all around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/racism-seduces-us-with-its-desire-to-categorize-shutting-out-the/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I was so well loved by my mother that if people have any expectations of me I really don't notice because I'm hardest on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-was-so-well-loved-by-my-mother-that-if-people-have-any-expectations/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [People approach people of color with preconceived ideas. I don't think this is just restricted to white people, but I think that lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/people-approach-people-of-color-with-preconceived-ideas-i-don-t-think/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) [Explore all 88 Hilton Als quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) ## More Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) [Browse all 39,303 Giving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I used to always love taking photos, but I would always give a camera away to someone else. 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