--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never think about a photo before I…" description: "\"I never think about a photo before I start it. I try to let my mind relax, and then when I get there I do it.\" — Roger Ballen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/roger-ballen-34238_mind_i-never-think-about-a-photo-before-i-sta_104266.png" --- # I never think about a photo before I start it. I try to… ![“I never think about a photo before I start it. I try to let my mind relax, and then when I get there I do it.” quote by Roger Ballen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/roger-ballen-34238_mind_i-never-think-about-a-photo-before-i-sta_104266.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/roger-ballen-34238_mind_i-never-think-about-a-photo-before-i-sta_104266.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/roger-ballen-34238_mind_i-never-think-about-a-photo-before-i-sta_104266.png) > “I never think about a photo before I start it. I try to let my mind relax, and then when I get there I do it.” [Roger Ballen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ballen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The photographer advises approaching a shoot without pre‑conceptions, allowing the mind to relax and the process to unfold organically. **In simple terms:** Start shooting with a relaxed, open mind. Key Takeaway Relaxation fosters creative spontaneity. Themes photography mindset creativity process Mood calm inspired Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - portrait sessions - street photography outings Key Concepts flow state intuition Practical Applications - practice mindfulness before shoots to reduce performance pressure Questions to Reflect On - What mental habits hinder spontaneous photography? - How can you train a relaxed mindset? A Different Perspective May not suit highly planned, technical shoots requiring precise setup. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Turn off your mind, relax, and float down stream. It is not dying, it is not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-beatles/turn-off-your-mind-relax-and-float-down-stream-it-is-not-dying-it-is/) [The Beatles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-beatles/) > [Running provides an outlet for my mind to relax and my peace to be still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamra-davis/running-provides-an-outlet-for-my-mind-to-relax-and-my-peace-to-be/) Tamra Davis > [Think about the photo before and after, never during. The secret is to take your time. You mustn't go too fast. The subject must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/think-about-the-photo-before-and-after-never-during-the-secret-is-to/) [Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/) > [If I happily smile and play around and laugh 'ha-ha, hoo-hoo, yay,' laughing like that, I think the photo looks cooler. If I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoyeon-jung/if-i-happily-smile-and-play-around-and-laugh-ha-ha-hoo-hoo-yay/) [HoYeon Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoyeon-jung/) > [People think photo shoots are easy but they're actually very, very hard, you're not only holding your body position but you're thinking about not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-higgins/people-think-photo-shoots-are-easy-but-they-re-actually-very-very/) [Maura Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maura-higgins/) > [I don't have to think much when I take a photo on my iPhone. 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Mind is a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/if-you-become-capable-of-relaxing-the-body-voluntarily-then-you-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“As in other exercises my father taught me, the way to begin is to sit up straight, breathe normally, and gradually allow your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yongey-mingyur/as-in-other-exercises-my-father-taught-me-the-way-to-begin-is-to-sit/) [Yongey Mingyur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yongey-mingyur/) > [“To have a restful mind is to relax in your nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyalwa-dokhampa/to-have-a-restful-mind-is-to-relax-in-your-nature/) [Gyalwa Dokhampa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyalwa-dokhampa/) > [“You need to empty your mind, and relax each other muscle group until you feel like you are going to melt into the floor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-west/you-need-to-empty-your-mind-and-relax-each-other-muscle-group-until/) [Kasie West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-west/) > [Quiet your mind. Relax. Think peaceful thoughts for three or four minutes. See the beauty in the things that surround you, see the wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/quiet-your-mind-relax-think-peaceful-thoughts-for-three-or-four/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/turn-off-your-mind-relax-and-float-downstream/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I like to laze around. I think that's a huge part of creativity. 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And nothing is already there. Everything is transformed through the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ballen/nothing-is-staged-and-nothing-is-already-there-everything-is/) [Roger Ballen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ballen/) > [I never prepare a speech. 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A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. 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It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 43,542 Mind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never think about a photo before I start it. 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