--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would drown in objects if I didn't have…" description: "\"I would drown in objects if I didn't have the ability to photograph them.\" — Martin Parr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png" --- # I would drown in objects if I didn't have the ability to… ![“I would drown in objects if I didn't have the ability to photograph them.” quote by Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png) > “I would drown in objects if I didn't have the ability to photograph them.” [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The urge to capture objects is essential; without it, life feels empty **In simple terms:** Photographs give purpose to objects otherwise ignored Key Takeaway Seek to document and find meaning in everyday things Themes creativity observation purpose Mood curious inspired Type artistic reflective When to use this quote - street photography - museum curation - personal archives Key Concepts visual storytelling material culture Questions to Reflect On - What objects do you feel compelled to photograph? - How does photographing change your perception of them? A Different Perspective Obsessive collecting can become cluttered and stressful ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) ## Related quotes > [If you photograph for a long time, you get to understand such things as body language. I often do not look at people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/if-you-photograph-for-a-long-time-you-get-to-understand-such-things/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Criticism is hypocrisy; society is hypocrisy. I'm a tourist. I'm a consumer. I do the things that I photograph and can be criticized of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/criticism-is-hypocrisy-society-is-hypocrisy-i-m-a-tourist-i-m-a/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Most of the photographs people take with their cameraphones are of little value in terms of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/most-of-the-photographs-people-take-with-their-cameraphones-are-of/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [ \[Cameras\] tend to turn people into things and the photograph extends and multiplies the human image to the proportions of mass-produced merchandise and, \[in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/cameras-tend-to-turn-people-into-things-and-the-photograph-extends/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [The modern artist is living in a mechanical age and we have a mechanical means of representing objects in nature such as the camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/the-modern-artist-is-living-in-a-mechanical-age-and-we-have-a/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [The photograph as an object has a relationship to that which it represents something like the relationship the snake skin has to the snake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-divola/the-photograph-as-an-object-has-a-relationship-to-that-which-it/) [John Divola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-divola/) > [When you look at pornography, the women become objects, whereas what I'm trying to do is make the person in the photograph as important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rankin/when-you-look-at-pornography-the-women-become-objects-whereas-what-i/) [Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rankin/) > [The photograph is the only picture that can truly convey information, even if it is technically faulty and the object can barely be identified.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/the-photograph-is-the-only-picture-that-can-truly-convey-information/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [A work of art is itself an object, first of all, and so manipulation is unavoidable: it's a prerequisite. But I needed the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/a-work-of-art-is-itself-an-object-first-of-all-and-so-manipulation-is/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [While a painting, even one that meets photographic standards of resemblance, is never more than the stating of an interpretation, a photograph is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/while-a-painting-even-one-that-meets-photographic-standards-of/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [The good photograph is not the object, the consequences of the photograph are the objects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-lange/the-good-photograph-is-not-the-object-the-consequences-of-the/) [Dorothea Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-lange/) > [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [As all of us are only too aware, the loud and frantic voices of the outer world easily drown out the small, still loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/as-all-of-us-are-only-too-aware-the-loud-and-frantic-voices-of-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“Let me love you, girl who came from the sea. Let us swim to the bottom of the ocean where we can be anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-dean/let-me-love-you-girl-who-came-from-the-sea-let-us-swim-to-the-bottom/) [Carolee Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-dean/) > [He tried to drown his troubles but they knew how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/he-tried-to-drown-his-troubles-but-they-knew-how-to-swim/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) ## More by Martin Parr > [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/) > [Most of the photographs people take with their cameraphones are of little value in terms of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/most-of-the-photographs-people-take-with-their-cameraphones-are-of/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [I looked around at what my colleagues were doing, and asked myself, 'What relationship has it with what's going on?' I found there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-looked-around-at-what-my-colleagues-were-doing-and-asked-myself/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [When I am in London, all I do is mix with other people in the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/when-i-am-in-london-all-i-do-is-mix-with-other-people-in-the-arts/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Fashion pictures show people looking glamorous. Travel pictures show a place looking at its best, nothing to do with the reality. In the cookery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/fashion-pictures-show-people-looking-glamorous-travel-pictures-show-a/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Tourism is the biggest industry in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/tourism-is-the-biggest-industry-in-the-world/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [In the '70s, in Britain, if you were going to do serious photography, you were obliged to work in black-and-white. Color was the palette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/in-the-70s-in-britain-if-you-were-going-to-do-serious-photography-you/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Nobody thinks about technical issues anymore because cameras or camera phones take care of that automatically. On the other hand, you still have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/nobody-thinks-about-technical-issues-anymore-because-cameras-or/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [As we travel around Britain, I am convinced most of us cannot really appreciate what we are seeing. We take too much for granted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/as-we-travel-around-britain-i-am-convinced-most-of-us-cannot-really/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [I toyed with the notion of being an actor, and am so glad that this whim did not go any further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-toyed-with-the-notion-of-being-an-actor-and-am-so-glad-that-this/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Photos tend to organize chaos, to define what we're doing here. It is essential that individuals' voices depict the world around us, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/photos-tend-to-organize-chaos-to-define-what-we-re-doing-here-it-is/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [We live in a difficult but inspiring world, and there is so much out there that I want to record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/we-live-in-a-difficult-but-inspiring-world-and-there-is-so-much-out/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [My father was an obsessive bird-watcher. The genes of observation passed down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/my-father-was-an-obsessive-bird-watcher-the-genes-of-observation/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [Photographers never want to talk about the fact that they may well be in decline. It's the greatest taboo subject of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/photographers-never-want-to-talk-about-the-fact-that-they-may-well-be/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [I am a big fan of Jim Jarmusch, and I do love big screen documentaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-am-a-big-fan-of-jim-jarmusch-and-i-do-love-big-screen-documentaries/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) [Explore all 107 Martin Parr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [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've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would drown in objects if I didn't have the ability to photograph them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Parr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-have-the-ability-to-photograph/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-have-the-ability-to-photograph/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/martin-parr-4726_ability_i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-hav_982886.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would drown in objects if I didn't have the ability to photograph them.” — Martin Parr", "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": "Martin Parr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I would drown in objects if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-have-the-ability-to-photograph/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/i-would-drown-in-objects-if-i-didn-t-have-the-ability-to-photograph/#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 } } ] } ```