--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no such thing as the perfect…" description: "\"There is no such thing as the perfect picture. That's the challenge of photography. I was always striving for perfection, even though I knew I could ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a4/phil-stern-63223_achieve_there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-perfect-pi_1038080.jpg" --- # There is no such thing as the perfect picture. That's the… ![“There is no such thing as the perfect picture. That's the challenge of photography. I was always striving for perfection, even though I knew I could never achieve it. But it kept me reaching for something.” quote by Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a4/phil-stern-63223_achieve_there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-perfect-pi_1038080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a4/phil-stern-63223_achieve_there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-perfect-pi_1038080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a4/phil-stern-63223_achieve_there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-perfect-pi_1038080.jpg) > “There is no such thing as the perfect picture. That's the challenge of photography. I was always striving for perfection, even though I knew I could never achieve it. But it kept me reaching for something.” [Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfection is unattainable, yet striving for it drives artistic progress and deeper exploration. **In simple terms:** Chasing perfection fuels growth. Key Takeaway Embrace the pursuit, not the result. Themes art perfection challenge Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - portrait photography - landscape work - photojournalism - creative experiments Key Concepts aesthetics process motivation Questions to Reflect On - What does “perfect” mean to you? - How can imperfection inspire creativity? A Different Perspective Obsessing over flawless results can cause frustration and stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Challenge Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge-photography-2410796/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfect Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-picture-633210/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Photography Striving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography-striving-2410795/) [Picture Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-challenge-2410797/) [Reaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reaching/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [Striving for perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/striving-for-perfection/) [Striving Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/striving-perfection-282636/) ## Related quotes > [We are beautifully imperfect beings, operating in a very imperfect world, and that is just the way it is meant to be. Striving for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/we-are-beautifully-imperfect-beings-operating-in-a-very-imperfect/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Learn the difference between striving for excellence and striving for perfection. The first is attainable; the second is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-merrill/learn-the-difference-between-striving-for-excellence-and-striving-for/) [Douglas Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-merrill/) > [It's been years that I'm striving for perfection but I found out I can't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-chatto/it-s-been-years-that-i-m-striving-for-perfection-but-i-found-out-i/) [Cath Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-chatto/) > [Don't waste your time striving for perfection; instead, strive for excellence - doing your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-olivier/don-t-waste-your-time-striving-for-perfection-instead-strive-for/) [Laurence Olivier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-olivier/) > [“Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kelley/striving-for-perfection-can-get-in-the-way-during-the-early-stages-of/) [David Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kelley/) > [I always had the sense that nothing was never good enough - striving for perfection. My mother and I had a sort of typical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/i-always-had-the-sense-that-nothing-was-never-good-enough-striving/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. You'll be afraid you can't achieve it. It's your excuse to yourself for not doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-olivier/striving-for-perfection-is-the-greatest-stopper-there-is-you-ll-be/) [Laurence Olivier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-olivier/) > [There's no such thing as Perfection. But, in striving for perfection, we can achieve excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/there-s-no-such-thing-as-perfection-but-in-striving-for-perfection-we/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [Consciously or unconsciously, we are all striving for perfection. Every being must attain to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/consciously-or-unconsciously-we-are-all-striving-for-perfection-every/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“Striving for perfection is wasteful if excellence is good enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/striving-for-perfection-is-wasteful-if-excellence-is-good-enough/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“We must have the courage to be imperfect while striving for perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-t-holland/we-must-have-the-courage-to-be-imperfect-while-striving-for-perfection/) [Patricia T. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-t-holland/) > [Striving for excellence is a positive quality. Striving for perfection is self-defeating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/striving-for-excellence-is-a-positive-quality-striving-for-perfection/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [I probably do have an obsessive personality, but striving for perfection has served me well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/i-probably-do-have-an-obsessive-personality-but-striving-for/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [It says no one is perfect. BUT I find it V mst eep striving for perfection becoz somewhere thru the journey V achieved excellence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nickz/it-says-no-one-is-perfect-but-i-find-it-v-mst-eep-striving-for/) [Nickz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nickz/) > [I tend to get caught up in striving for perfection and not so much the accepting excellence part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-tend-to-get-caught-up-in-striving-for-perfection-and-not-so-much/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) ## More by Phil Stern > [I'm always looking for perfection. Every photographer, in one way or another, if he's serious, is. He ain't ever going to get it. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-stern/i-m-always-looking-for-perfection-every-photographer-in-one-way-or/) [Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) > [“I've come to realize we're all two different people. Our younger, innocent self that's inevitably mangled along the highway of life, and our tougher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-stern/i-ve-come-to-realize-we-re-all-two-different-people-our-younger/) [Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) > [Look, Matisse I ain't. You know how they have on the invitations, a reception for the artist will be held at... And I say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-stern/look-matisse-i-ain-t-you-know-how-they-have-on-the-invitations-a/) [Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) > [If you're lucky enough to have captured maybe two hundred memorable pictures, you still haven't captured that much experience, have you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-stern/if-you-re-lucky-enough-to-have-captured-maybe-two-hundred-memorable/) [Phil Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) [Explore all 5 Phil Stern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-stern/) ## More Achieve quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) [Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. 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Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) [Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no such thing as the perfect picture. That's the challenge of photography. I was always striving for perfection, even though I knew I could never achieve it. 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