--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Comedians are the most challenging people…" description: "\"Comedians are the most challenging people for me to shoot. Because you're not actually in the dialogue with them, they are performing. When I work with..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/norman-seeff-85514_audience_comedians-are-the-most-challenging-peopl_1814159.jpg" --- # Comedians are the most challenging people for me to shoot… ![“Comedians are the most challenging people for me to shoot. Because you're not actually in the dialogue with them, they are performing. When I work with a comedian, I become their audience.” quote by Norman Seeff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/norman-seeff-85514_audience_comedians-are-the-most-challenging-peopl_1814159.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/norman-seeff-85514_audience_comedians-are-the-most-challenging-peopl_1814159.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/norman-seeff-85514_audience_comedians-are-the-most-challenging-peopl_1814159.jpg) > “Comedians are the most challenging people for me to shoot. Because you're not actually in the dialogue with them, they are performing. When I work with a comedian, I become their audience.” [Norman Seeff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-seeff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shooting comedians is hard because they act, not converse, turning the photographer into an audience member. **In simple terms:** Photographers become viewers when filming comedians. Key Takeaway Treat the shoot as a performance to capture genuine expression. Themes photography performance communication humor Mood creative introspective Type insightful practical When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - behind‑the‑scenes documentaries - live event coverage Key Concepts visual storytelling audience perspective role reversal Questions to Reflect On - How can you anticipate a comedian’s timing? - What techniques help you stay present as an audience? A Different Perspective The performer’s spontaneity can make timing unpredictable for the camera. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedian Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian-audience-971500/) [Comedians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedians/) [Comedians Challenging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedians-challenging-2140646/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Dialogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performing/) [Work Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-comedian-1162841/) ## Related quotes > [I've often been told that if music doesn't work out I could be a comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-ve-often-been-told-that-if-music-doesn-t-work-out-i-could-be-a/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [Creator: A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/creator-a-comedian-whose-audience-is-afraid-to-laugh/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just like observing people - it's something I've done ever since I was a kid, and I got really good at it. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-just-like-observing-people-it-s-something-i-ve-done-ever-since-i/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [Some comedians are silly or goofy or straight joke writers who avoid anything subversive or political. Others are drawn to it. The beauty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-alexandro/some-comedians-are-silly-or-goofy-or-straight-joke-writers-who-avoid/) [Ted Alexandro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-alexandro/) > [The truth is, for however much my stories come out of things that have happened to me, they're not darkly or as deeply personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/the-truth-is-for-however-much-my-stories-come-out-of-things-that-have/) [Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/) > [Ever since I was a kid, I just loved those comedians on TV who would just have fun with the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rudolph/ever-since-i-was-a-kid-i-just-loved-those-comedians-on-tv-who-would/) [Alan Rudolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rudolph/) > [I can get where some scientists would say comedians are crazy. What you have to understand: A lot of comedians are dealing with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-can-get-where-some-scientists-would-say-comedians-are-crazy-what/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [To my knowledge, I was the first guy really to do what I do. And then later on different comedians started trying doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/to-my-knowledge-i-was-the-first-guy-really-to-do-what-i-do-and-then/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I believe that comedians do what they do, and then they get credit or criticism for doing it. There's nothing planned about this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/i-believe-that-comedians-do-what-they-do-and-then-they-get-credit-or/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [As far as stand-ups go, I always loved Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and Sinbad. Basically, I love black comedians because they're the funniest. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/as-far-as-stand-ups-go-i-always-loved-richard-pryor-chris-rock-and/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [I don't want to follow comedians because I don't want to see what they're thinking about, 'cause then maybe I won't stumble across a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-thune/i-don-t-want-to-follow-comedians-because-i-don-t-want-to-see-what/) [Nick Thune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-thune/) > [For me, comedians are like the epitome for everything great, and they terrify me. I just want to be them. I want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/for-me-comedians-are-like-the-epitome-for-everything-great-and-they/) [Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/) > [My mom is two people to me. She's my mom number one, and then she's this lady most comedians know as being a legendary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-shore/my-mom-is-two-people-to-me-she-s-my-mom-number-one-and-then-she-s/) [Pauly Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-shore/) > [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [I would say most comedians have a very cynical worldview of the way the world can work. It's almost like if you didn't, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/i-would-say-most-comedians-have-a-very-cynical-worldview-of-the-way/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) ## More by Norman Seeff > [I'm just at the beginning of my dream. At 78, I'm finally at the place now for myself where I feel my true voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-seeff/i-m-just-at-the-beginning-of-my-dream-at-78-i-m-finally-at-the-place/) [Norman Seeff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-seeff/) > [A photographic session is a joint, interpersonal exchange, a kind of creative encounter session at a high level of intensity. For me, photography is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-seeff/a-photographic-session-is-a-joint-interpersonal-exchange-a-kind-of/) [Norman Seeff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-seeff/) [Explore all 3 Norman Seeff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-seeff/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Comedians are the most challenging people for me to shoot. Because you're not actually in the dialogue with them, they are performing. 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