--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I knew from the first moment I picked up…" description: "\"I knew from the first moment I picked up a camera, on my first school assignment, what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was going to find a wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/mary-ellen-mark-8293_camera_i-knew-from-the-first-moment-i-picked-up_3211138.png" --- # I knew from the first moment I picked up a camera, on my… ![“I knew from the first moment I picked up a camera, on my first school assignment, what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was going to find a way to travel the world and tell the stories of the people I met through photographs.” quote by Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/mary-ellen-mark-8293_camera_i-knew-from-the-first-moment-i-picked-up_3211138.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/mary-ellen-mark-8293_camera_i-knew-from-the-first-moment-i-picked-up_3211138.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/mary-ellen-mark-8293_camera_i-knew-from-the-first-moment-i-picked-up_3211138.png) > “I knew from the first moment I picked up a camera, on my first school assignment, what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was going to find a way to travel the world and tell the stories of the people I met through photographs.” [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She realized early that photography would be her lifelong vocation, using it to explore and document diverse lives worldwide. **In simple terms:** Photography became her lifelong passion and purpose. Key Takeaway Pursue your calling with purpose. Themes passion career storytelling Mood inspired determined Type personal career When to use this quote - travel photography - documentary projects - personal branding Key Concepts visual storytelling cultural exploration Questions to Reflect On - What story do you feel compelled to tell? - How does travel shape your creative perspective? A Different Perspective Balancing artistic vision with commercial demands can be tough. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Camera School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera-school-5999726/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Knew Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-moment/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Photographs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographs/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Picked Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picked-camera-1647200/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Travel the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel-the-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Just as Renaissance artists provided narratives for the era they lived in, so do I. 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And especially without any ambition to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisette-model/i-just-picked-up-a-camera-without-any-kind-of-ambition-to-be-good-or/) [Lisette Model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisette-model/) > [I picked up a camera because it was my choice of weapons against what I hated most about the universe: racism, intolerance, poverty. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-picked-up-a-camera-because-it-was-my-choice-of-weapons-against-what/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [It wasn't like I picked a camera up in 1989 and stopped making music. I picked a camera up and found another form of expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/it-wasn-t-like-i-picked-a-camera-up-in-1989-and-stopped-making-music/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [I've picked a camera up a few times. I remember buying my first camera when I was about 18 and really going wild with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-barnard/i-ve-picked-a-camera-up-a-few-times-i-remember-buying-my-first-camera/) [Aneurin Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-barnard/) > [Many of my family members are teachers in the arts, and I picked up the camera years ago, in high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sebring/many-of-my-family-members-are-teachers-in-the-arts-and-i-picked-up/) [Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sebring/) > [“Cameras are supposed to help you relive a moment, but if you never live the moment in the first place, because you are too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/cameras-are-supposed-to-help-you-relive-a-moment-but-if-you-never/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“He knew, the moment he opened his eyes, that something was wrong but he was not quite sure what it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-travers-2/he-knew-the-moment-he-opened-his-eyes-that-something-was-wrong-but-he/) [P.L. Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-l-travers-2/) > [“I knew the moment I held you in the theater, that you were the reason for everything. Every single turn my life has made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-knew-the-moment-i-held-you-in-the-theater-that-you-were-the-reason/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [So many times it seemed like there were chances to stop things before they started. Or even stop them in midstream. But it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/so-many-times-it-seemed-like-there-were-chances-to-stop-things-before/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“I knew in that moment, I would never love anyone in my life the way I loved Evan Mathews.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-donovan/i-knew-in-that-moment-i-would-never-love-anyone-in-my-life-the-way-i/) [Rebecca Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-donovan/) ## More by Mary Ellen Mark > [In a portrait, you always leave part of yourself behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/in-a-portrait-you-always-leave-part-of-yourself-behind/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [That's the way I learned photography: You make your picture in the camera. Now, so much is made in the computer. ... I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/that-s-the-way-i-learned-photography-you-make-your-picture-in-the/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [I'm a documentary photographer. That's what I've always wanted to be; that's where my heart and soul is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-m-a-documentary-photographer-that-s-what-i-ve-always-wanted-to-be/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [I wanted to travel from the beginning. As a kid, I used to dream about airplanes, before I ever flew in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-wanted-to-travel-from-the-beginning-as-a-kid-i-used-to-dream-about/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [A great photograph needs no explanation; it functions by suggestion. There is no need to be explicit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/a-great-photograph-needs-no-explanation-it-functions-by-suggestion/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [Usually my ideas for work have revolved around my interest in people, especially people that live on the edges of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/usually-my-ideas-for-work-have-revolved-around-my-interest-in-people/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [One of my all-time favorite photographers is Irving Penn. I wish I could have watched him work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/one-of-my-all-time-favorite-photographers-is-irving-penn-i-wish-i/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [Nowadays shots are created in post-production, on computers. It's not really photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/nowadays-shots-are-created-in-post-production-on-computers-it-s-not/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [ To touch on people's lives \[ in a way they \] haven't been touched on before, it´s fascianting. You know, it's one thing if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/to-touch-on-people-s-lives-in-a-way-they-haven-t-been-touched-on/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [What you look for in a picture is a metaphor, something that means something more, that makes you think about things you've seen or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/what-you-look-for-in-a-picture-is-a-metaphor-something-that-means/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [It's just a matter of who you are and how you talk to people. Your subjects will trust you only if you're confident about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/it-s-just-a-matter-of-who-you-are-and-how-you-talk-to-people-your/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [If I hadn't become a photographer, I would have loved to become a doctor. I would have loved to have done something that actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/if-i-hadn-t-become-a-photographer-i-would-have-loved-to-become-a/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [I'm not much for cats. I'm terrified of mice. I've worked a lot with elephants, and they are extremely intelligent and sensitive, and thankfully,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-m-not-much-for-cats-i-m-terrified-of-mice-i-ve-worked-a-lot-with/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [I'm not against digital photography. It's great for newspapers. And there are photographers doing great work digitally. When they use Photoshop as a darkroom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-m-not-against-digital-photography-it-s-great-for-newspapers-and/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [Im just interested in what makes a photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/im-just-interested-in-what-makes-a-photograph/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) [Explore all 82 Mary Ellen Mark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 knew from the first moment I picked up a camera, on my first school assignment, what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 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