---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Photography is a magic thing. A thing…"
description: "\"Photography is a magic thing. A thing that has mysterious odors, a little strange and frightening, something one quickly grows to love.\" — Jacques-Henr..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png"
---

#  Photography is a magic thing. A thing that has mysterious…

![“Photography is a magic thing. A thing that has mysterious odors, a little strange and frightening, something one quickly grows to love.” quote by Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png)

> “Photography is a magic thing. A thing that has mysterious odors, a little strange and frightening, something one quickly grows to love.”

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes photography as an enchanting, mysterious medium that becomes beloved over time.

**In simple terms:** Photography feels magical, mysterious, and eventually cherished.

Key Takeaway

Embrace photography’s mystery and let it inspire love.

Themes

art creativity perception beauty

Mood

reflective curious

Type

artistic inspirational

When to use this quote

- travel photography
- portrait sessions
- street shooting
- personal projects

Key Concepts

aesthetic experience visual storytelling emotional resonance

Questions to Reflect On

- What draws you to photograph?
- How does mystery enhance artistic appreciation?

A Different Perspective

The allure can fade without continual exploration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Frightening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/)

## Related quotes

> [For me the printing process is part of the magic of photography. It's that magic that can be exciting, disappointing, rewarding and frustrating all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/for-me-the-printing-process-is-part-of-the-magic-of-photography-it-s/)

[John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/)

> [“Magic is not a thing to be borrowed here. It simply is. Can you not feel it in the air, in the land?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-abdullah/magic-is-not-a-thing-to-be-borrowed-here-it-simply-is-can-you-not/)

Chelsea Abdullah

> [If ever I feel I might be able to tackle it, I'd love to try holding a spear or something in the theater, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-mills/if-ever-i-feel-i-might-be-able-to-tackle-it-i-d-love-to-try-holding-a/)

[Hayley Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-mills/)

> [That's what's so stupid about the whole magic thing, you know. You spend twenty years learning the spell that makes nude virgins appear in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/that-s-what-s-so-stupid-about-the-whole-magic-thing-you-know-you/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gilpin/a-river-seems-a-magic-thing-a-magic-moving-living-part-of-the-very/)

[Laura Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gilpin/)

> [Magic was a thing that, when I did it, it made all the kids go, "Ah, that's cool."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/magic-was-a-thing-that-when-i-did-it-it-made-all-the-kids-go-ah-that/)

[David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/)

> [“Magic is one thing, and reflected-sound-of-underground-spirits is another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magic-is-one-thing-and-reflected-sound-of-underground-spirits-is/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [There is no such things as magic, though there is such a thing as knowledge of the hidden ways of Nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/there-is-no-such-things-as-magic-though-there-is-such-a-thing-as/)

[H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/)

> [“Maybe magic wasn’t the magic thing, when you grew up with it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia-and-margret-stohl/maybe-magic-wasn-t-the-magic-thing-when-you-grew-up-with-it/)

[Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia-and-margret-stohl/)

> [“Magic is where you find it; the only thing that matters is that you take the time to look for it. It can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ryan/magic-is-where-you-find-it-the-only-thing-that-matters-is-that-you/)

[Tom Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ryan/)

> [My love for you grows, my love for you is eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-johnston/my-love-for-you-grows-my-love-for-you-is-eternal/)

Sue Johnston

> [The prisoner grows to love his chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-prisoner-grows-to-love-his-chains/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [All grace grows as Love to the Word of God grows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-henry/all-grace-grows-as-love-to-the-word-of-god-grows/)

Philip Henry

> [Dreams burst like bubbles in the wind. But change takes time.When people fall in love and lose the overwhelming desire for it to last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-fredriksson/dreams-burst-like-bubbles-in-the-wind-but-change-takes-time-when/)

[Marianne Fredriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-fredriksson/)

> [“Love: We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/love-we-cultivate-love-when-we-allow-our-most-vulnerable-and-powerful/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

## More by Jacques-Henri Lartigue

> [Photography is something you learn to love very quickly. I know that many, many things are going to ask me to have their pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-is-something-you-learn-to-love-very-quickly-i-know-that/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [Photography and writing are marvelous distractions from painting. I might even have found movies more interesting than photography. I tried it a bit, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-and-writing-are-marvelous-distractions-from-painting-i/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [I have never taken a photograph without one thought in my head to amuse myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/i-have-never-taken-a-photograph-without-one-thought-in-my-head-to/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [It's marvellous, marvellous! Nothing will ever be as much fun. I'm going to photograph everything, everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/it-s-marvellous-marvellous-nothing-will-ever-be-as-much-fun-i-m-going/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [I have two pairs of eyes – one to paint and one to take photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/i-have-two-pairs-of-eyes-one-to-paint-and-one-to-take-photographs/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [To talk about photos rather than making them seems idiotic to me. It's as though I went on and on about a woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/to-talk-about-photos-rather-than-making-them-seems-idiotic-to-me-it-s/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [The golden rule is work fast. As for framing, composition, focus-this is no time to start asking yourself questions: you just have to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/the-golden-rule-is-work-fast-as-for-framing-composition-focus-this-is/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [I have never taken a picture for any other reason than that at that moment it made me happy to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/i-have-never-taken-a-picture-for-any-other-reason-than-that-at-that/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [It's marvelous, marvelous! Nothing will ever be as much fun. I'm going to photograph everything, everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/it-s-marvelous-marvelous-nothing-will-ever-be-as-much-fun-i-m-going/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [Photography to me is catching a moment which is passing, and which is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-to-me-is-catching-a-moment-which-is-passing-and-which-is/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [One shouldn’t be only two photographers but thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/one-shouldn-t-be-only-two-photographers-but-thousands/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [I take photographs with love, so I try to make them art objects. But I make them for myself first and foremost - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/i-take-photographs-with-love-so-i-try-to-make-them-art-objects-but-i/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [What’s so incredibly amusing with photography is that while seemingly an art of the surface, it catches things I haven’t even noticed. And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/what-s-so-incredibly-amusing-with-photography-is-that-while-seemingly/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

> [I think just about everything has been tackled, but it may be that things will be done again, only better and differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/i-think-just-about-everything-has-been-tackled-but-it-may-be-that/)

[Jacques-Henri Lartigue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

[Explore all 15 Jacques-Henri Lartigue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/)

## More Frightening quotes

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [“Because, in the dark, I’m equally as frightening as any”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/because-in-the-dark-i-m-equally-as-frightening-as-any/)

[Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/)

> [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [“Missing: A teenaged girl with lanky, blonde hair and a sunburst tattoo on her cheek. The holographic posters, brighter than day itself, lit up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-l-bernstein/missing-a-teenaged-girl-with-lanky-blonde-hair-and-a-sunburst-tattoo/)

Amy L. Bernstein

> [What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lukyanenko/what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-witches-and-vampires-and/)

[Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/)

> [Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/fiction-that-isn-t-an-author-s-personal-adventure-into-the/)

[Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/)

> [Death is frightening, and so is Eternal Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/death-is-frightening-and-so-is-eternal-life/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [I understand that change is frightening for people, especially if there's nothing to go to. It's best to stay where you are. I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-diana/i-understand-that-change-is-frightening-for-people-especially-if/)

[Princess Diana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-diana/)

> [It's a question of dropping the armor and getting up and doing the work you want to do. And film at first is frightening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-dowd/it-s-a-question-of-dropping-the-armor-and-getting-up-and-doing-the/)

[Ann Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-dowd/)

> [For any couple, once you delve into the idea of non-monogamy, you're entering pretty frightening territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-lister-jones/for-any-couple-once-you-delve-into-the-idea-of-non-monogamy-you-re/)

[Zoe Lister-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-lister-jones/)

> [“Zam watched as the creature began to fade, until it disappeared altogether and all that remained was his own reflection in the mirror. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lambert/zam-watched-as-the-creature-began-to-fade-until-it-disappeared/)

[Frank Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lambert/)

> [Everything we have developed over the last 100 years should be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pentti-linkola/everything-we-have-developed-over-the-last-100-years-should-be/)

[Pentti Linkola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pentti-linkola/)

[Browse all 960 Frightening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Photography is a magic thing. A thing that has mysterious odors, a little strange and frightening, something one quickly grows to love.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacques-Henri Lartigue"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-that-has-mysterious-odors-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Frightening"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-that-has-mysterious-odors-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/jacques-henri-lartigue-32723_frightening_photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-tha_642381.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Photography is a magic thing. A thing that has mysterious odors, a little strange and frightening, something…” — Jacques-Henri Lartigue",
                "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": "Jacques-Henri Lartigue",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-lartigue/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Photography is a magic thing. A...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-that-has-mysterious-odors-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-lartigue/photography-is-a-magic-thing-a-thing-that-has-mysterious-odors-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
