--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate taking pictures,’ he says. ‘I feel…" description: "\"“I hate taking pictures,’ he says. ‘I feel that if you pick up a camera you take yourself out of the moment. You’re no longer there, living it purely f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/james-wallman-36829_photography_i-hate-taking-pictures-he-says-i-feel-th_1021279.jpg" --- # I hate taking pictures,’ he says. ‘I feel that if you pick… ![“I hate taking pictures,’ he says. ‘I feel that if you pick up a camera you take yourself out of the moment. You’re no longer there, living it purely for the experience. You’re trying to record it for someone else.” quote by James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/james-wallman-36829_photography_i-hate-taking-pictures-he-says-i-feel-th_1021279.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/james-wallman-36829_photography_i-hate-taking-pictures-he-says-i-feel-th_1021279.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c4/james-wallman-36829_photography_i-hate-taking-pictures-he-says-i-feel-th_1021279.jpg) > ““I hate taking pictures,’ he says. ‘I feel that if you pick up a camera you take yourself out of the moment. You’re no longer there, living it purely for the experience. You’re trying to record it for someone else.”” [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker believes that photographing a scene removes you from fully experiencing it, turning the moment into a record for others. **In simple terms:** Taking photos can distance you from the present experience. Key Takeaway Limit camera use to stay present. Themes presence authenticity memory Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - travel - concerts - family gatherings - artistic creation Key Concepts mindfulness experience documentation Questions to Reflect On - When does documenting enhance versus hinder experience? - Can a photo ever capture the essence of a moment? A Different Perspective Photos can also enhance memory and share moments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Taking pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-pictures/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I hate taking pictures. I never look at them, otherwise I would have to change everything. I prefer not to see any and trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-hate-taking-pictures-i-never-look-at-them-otherwise-i-would-have-to/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [This is life. It is everywhere, and it is here for the taking. I am alive and I know this, now, in a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-jay/this-is-life-it-is-everywhere-and-it-is-here-for-the-taking-i-am/) [Bill Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-jay/) > [When you work with kids, especially, you want to be ready to turn the camera on at a moment's notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/when-you-work-with-kids-especially-you-want-to-be-ready-to-turn-the/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/there-is-a-creative-fraction-of-a-second-when-you-are-taking-a/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [“Look behind the camera. At that moment in time I was there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-power/look-behind-the-camera-at-that-moment-in-time-i-was-there/) George Power > [I miss the camera each moment and each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitabh-bachchan/i-miss-the-camera-each-moment-and-each-day/) [Amitabh Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitabh-bachchan/) > [Basically, if you shoot your own stuff, you can just pick up a camera and some wireless microphones, grab a couple of LEDs, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramona-s-diaz/basically-if-you-shoot-your-own-stuff-you-can-just-pick-up-a-camera/) Ramona S. Diaz > [It's so easy to pick up a camera, white balance, and shoot people having sex, but I don't think there's anything very interesting about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-grey/it-s-so-easy-to-pick-up-a-camera-white-balance-and-shoot-people/) [Sasha Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-grey/) > [On practical level I can't pick up the camera until I think I know what I want. I don't wander around. It's almost impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-henson/on-practical-level-i-can-t-pick-up-the-camera-until-i-think-i-know/) [Bill Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-henson/) > [You pick up a camera because something has been revealed to you in the landscape or in the human-scape. And you have no choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-henson/you-pick-up-a-camera-because-something-has-been-revealed-to-you-in/) [Bill Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-henson/) > [I would never say no to anything that sounded interesting! The thing I like about making films is that the adventure just begins when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-pennebaker/i-would-never-say-no-to-anything-that-sounded-interesting-the-thing-i/) [D. A. Pennebaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-pennebaker/) > [With documentary, you just pick up a camera and start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaspar-noe/with-documentary-you-just-pick-up-a-camera-and-start/) [Gaspar Noe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaspar-noe/) > [ I just use \[the camera\]. I just pick it up like an axe when I've got to chop down a tree. I pick up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-ruscha/i-just-use-the-camera-i-just-pick-it-up-like-an-axe-when-i-ve-got-to/) [Edward Ruscha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-ruscha/) > [Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sister star in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/pick-up-a-camera-shoot-something-no-matter-how-small-no-matter-how/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [I hate taking pills. Like, I probably haven't taken a pill in over 10 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaylen-brown/i-hate-taking-pills-like-i-probably-haven-t-taken-a-pill-in-over-10/) [Jaylen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaylen-brown/) ## More by James Wallman > [“memories live longer than dreams”:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/memories-live-longer-than-dreams/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“Life is not about having things. It’s about having good experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/life-is-not-about-having-things-it-s-about-having-good-experiences/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“By having less and doing more, we will be happier, healthier, richer, in every sense: less clutter, less regret, less anxiety, more meaning, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/by-having-less-and-doing-more-we-will-be-happier-healthier-richer-in/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“In the 1980s, people wanted a fast car. Now they want a good story to tell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/in-the-1980s-people-wanted-a-fast-car-now-they-want-a-good-story-to/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“happiness is more likely to come from the enjoyment of experiences rather than the accumulation of stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/happiness-is-more-likely-to-come-from-the-enjoyment-of-experiences/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“We live in a cluttered world of too much information and too much stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/we-live-in-a-cluttered-world-of-too-much-information-and-too-much/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“as per the law of unintended consequences, no matter what people’s intention when they do something, they rarely know what the ultimate outcome of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/as-per-the-law-of-unintended-consequences-no-matter-what-people-s/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“You are more likely to be happy, so studies have shown, if you do something for intrinsic reasons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/you-are-more-likely-to-be-happy-so-studies-have-shown-if-you-do/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“We are realizing that, to live a life that is meaningful, to shake our tail feathers, and to be happy in the twenty-first century—you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/we-are-realizing-that-to-live-a-life-that-is-meaningful-to-shake-our/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“research suggests every shared car takes up to thirteen others off the road”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/research-suggests-every-shared-car-takes-up-to-thirteen-others-off/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) > [“Everyone is an autobiographer nowadays, it’s like everyone is actively writing their own biography all the time,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wallman/everyone-is-an-autobiographer-nowadays-it-s-like-everyone-is-actively/) [James Wallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) [Explore all 12 James Wallman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wallman/) ## More Camera quotes > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [When I made my debut as an actor in 'Rock On!' I was confident to get in front of the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhan-akhtar/when-i-made-my-debut-as-an-actor-in-rock-on-i-was-confident-to-get-in/) [Farhan Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhan-akhtar/) > [Since a camera is something too heavy for women and initially made for men, you need a good cameraman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/since-a-camera-is-something-too-heavy-for-women-and-initially-made/) Mitra Farahani > [To be honest, I don't know... something about the camera like turns me into such a diva. Like when it's on and I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bretman-rock/to-be-honest-i-don-t-know-something-about-the-camera-like-turns-me/) [Bretman Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bretman-rock/) > [When the camera is on, I am an actor; otherwise, I am an ordinary person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-patekar/when-the-camera-is-on-i-am-an-actor-otherwise-i-am-an-ordinary-person/) [Nana Patekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-patekar/) > [“A camera is an opening in a box: that is the best emblem of the fact that a camera holding an object is holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-cavell/a-camera-is-an-opening-in-a-box-that-is-the-best-emblem-of-the-fact/) [Stanley Cavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-cavell/) > [It's such a weird thing, because you have a whole crew of people standing over there, on the other side. There's a camera pointing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/it-s-such-a-weird-thing-because-you-have-a-whole-crew-of-people/) [Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/) > [“The camera lets me see things in a different way. It's like I finally have perspective. I can't always say stuff right in words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-camera-lets-me-see-things-in-a-different-way-it-s-like-i-finally/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [I was so green, and my background was mostly in theater. The only thing I'd done in front of a camera, besides an infomercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-britton/i-was-so-green-and-my-background-was-mostly-in-theater-the-only-thing/) [Connie Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-britton/) > [As far as lighting and blocking, camera angles and facial expressions, all that stuff that has to be very specific in film, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/as-far-as-lighting-and-blocking-camera-angles-and-facial-expressions/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-photographer-not-the-camera-that-is-the-instrument/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like to move the camera that much anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/i-don-t-like-to-move-the-camera-that-much-anyway/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [I feel like 'Preacher's Daughter' was my Trojan horse, in a way. I'm excited to pull back, be behind the camera instead of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/i-feel-like-preacher-s-daughter-was-my-trojan-horse-in-a-way-i-m/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) [Browse all 2,026 Camera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I hate taking pictures,’ he says. ‘I feel that if you pick up a camera you take yourself out of the moment. You’re no longer there, living it purely for the experience. 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