---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always thought if I photographed anyone…"
description: "\"I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never lose the memory, I would never lose the plac..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png"
---

#  I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything…

![“I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never lose the memory, I would never lose the place. But the pictures show me how much I've lost.” quote by Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png)

> “I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never lose the memory, I would never lose the place. But the pictures show me how much I've lost.”

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

## About This Quote

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

Photographs can’t preserve memories; they reveal loss and change over time.

**In simple terms:** Pictures show what’s gone, not what stays.

Key Takeaway

Accept impermanence of memories.

Themes

memory photography loss impermanence

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

artistic emotional

When to use this quote

- personal loss
- archiving
- artistic expression
- reflection

Key Concepts

nostalgia visual storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- What memories do photos evoke?
- How do you cope with loss?

A Different Perspective

Images can trigger grief.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/)

## Related quotes

> [If we lose our memory, we lose ourselves. Forgetting is one of the symptoms of death. Without memory we cease to be human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-klima/if-we-lose-our-memory-we-lose-ourselves-forgetting-is-one-of-the/)

[Ivan Klíma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-klima/)

> [I used to think that I could never lose anyone if I photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-used-to-think-that-i-could-never-lose-anyone-if-i-photographed-them/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [You know, also I, you know, I was on those birth control pills and my breasts were like, they hurt... and, you know, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/you-know-also-i-you-know-i-was-on-those-birth-control-pills-and-my/)

[Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/)

> [I also photographed Maggie Cheung - but these didn't develop into a friendship either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-also-photographed-maggie-cheung-but-these-didn-t-develop-into-a/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [Database: the information you lose when your memory crashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/database-the-information-you-lose-when-your-memory-crashes/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The only time I lose is when it's my memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/the-only-time-i-lose-is-when-it-s-my-memory/)

[Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/)

> [“So couples relive romantic memories, families watch home movies, and friends "catch up" with each other, as if they've lagged behind on a trail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/so-couples-relive-romantic-memories-families-watch-home-movies-and/)

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

> [When you lose someone, their memory lives on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-matthews/when-you-lose-someone-their-memory-lives-on/)

[Spencer Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-matthews/)

> [They say you lose your memory as you grow older. I say 'forget about the past' and live life to the fullest today. Start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-you-lose-your-memory-as-you-grow-older-i-say-forget-about/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the level I would want to... you start to lose your memory.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor-and-still-at-the-level-i/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [Well, I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the level I would want to ... you start to lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/well-i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor-and-still-at-the-level/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [Where would dictators be without our compliant amnesia? Make the collective lose its memory, you can conceal anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/where-would-dictators-be-without-our-compliant-amnesia-make-the/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [You have to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives. Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-bunuel/you-have-to-begin-to-lose-your-memory-if-only-in-bits-and-pieces-to/)

[Luis Buñuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-bunuel/)

> [We may lose our memory as we get older, but this might not be such a bad thing - who wants to drag a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/we-may-lose-our-memory-as-we-get-older-but-this-might-not-be-such-a/)

[Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/)

> [If we lose our culture, we lose our memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/if-we-lose-our-culture-we-lose-our-memory/)

[Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/)

## More by Nan Goldin

> [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [No place could be less sympathetic to my politics than America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/no-place-could-be-less-sympathetic-to-my-politics-than-america/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [I'm very much interested in water and women in water. I've been photographing that for years although I didn't really know it at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-m-very-much-interested-in-water-and-women-in-water-i-ve-been/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [I think it killed my sister as the times she was living in were so conformist. This is a subject I really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-think-it-killed-my-sister-as-the-times-she-was-living-in-were-so/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [American magazines are becoming very patriotic beyond belief to the point that I can't live there any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/american-magazines-are-becoming-very-patriotic-beyond-belief-to-the/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [I'm very flattered when people I respect like my work. It's like a dream of a little kid when somebody I idolised likes my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-m-very-flattered-when-people-i-respect-like-my-work-it-s-like-a/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [As a non-Catholic, and since I was a child, I have been obsessed with the ritual and the beauty of Catholic art. I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/as-a-non-catholic-and-since-i-was-a-child-i-have-been-obsessed-with/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [The main thing that I want to say is that I don't think women are at their most beautiful in their adolescence or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/the-main-thing-that-i-want-to-say-is-that-i-don-t-think-women-are-at/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [Each time I spend with Stella McCartney, I like her better. So I was excited to be asked by her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/each-time-i-spend-with-stella-mccartney-i-like-her-better-so-i-was/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [A lot of people seem to think that art or photography is about the way things look, or the surface of things. That's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/a-lot-of-people-seem-to-think-that-art-or-photography-is-about-the/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [ Some people have become \[in U.S\] a lot more conservative but I can't really speak about that because I wasn't there. I feel compassion… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/some-people-have-become-in-u-s-a-lot-more-conservative-but-i-can-t/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [I used to think that I could never lose anyone if I photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-used-to-think-that-i-could-never-lose-anyone-if-i-photographed-them/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [ I know somewhat about Kate \[Moss who featured in the Vogue spread\]. I always thought that Kate's look had come from my old friend… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-know-somewhat-about-kate-moss-who-featured-in-the-vogue-spread-i/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [I have very healthy strong relationships with women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-have-very-healthy-strong-relationships-with-women/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [My life is more important. At this point in my life I'm alone. I don't think about it a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/my-life-is-more-important-at-this-point-in-my-life-i-m-alone-i-don-t/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

[Explore all 99 Nan Goldin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

## More Enough quotes

> [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/)

[Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/)

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

Adam Ant

> [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/)

[Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

Rena Kornreich Gelissen

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/)

[Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/)

> [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/)

[Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/)

> [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/)

[James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/)

[Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/)

Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never lose the memory, I would never lose the place. But the pictures show me how much I've lost.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nan Goldin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyone-or-anything-enough-i-would/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enough"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyone-or-anything-enough-i-would/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/nan-goldin-6289_enough_i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyon_151023.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never…” — Nan Goldin",
                "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": "Nan Goldin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I always thought if I photographed...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyone-or-anything-enough-i-would/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyone-or-anything-enough-i-would/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
