---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For me, the creation of a photograph is…"
description: "\"For me, the creation of a photograph is experienced as a heightened emotional response, most akin to poetry and music, each image the culmination of a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg"
---

#  For me, the creation of a photograph is experienced as a…

![“For me, the creation of a photograph is experienced as a heightened emotional response, most akin to poetry and music, each image the culmination of a compelling impulse I cannot deny. Whether working with a human figure or a still life, I am deeply aware of my spiritual connection with it. In my…” quote by Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg)

> “For me, the creation of a photograph is experienced as a heightened emotional response, most akin to poetry and music, each image the culmination of a compelling impulse I cannot deny. Whether working with a human figure or a still life, I am deeply aware of my spiritual connection with it. In my life, as in my work, I am motivated by a great yearning for balance and harmony beyond the realm of human experience, reaching for the essence of oneness with the Universe.”

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

## About This Quote

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

Creating a photograph is an intense, poetic act that seeks harmony and a sense of unity with the universe.

**In simple terms:** Photography as poetic, spiritual act.

Key Takeaway

Seek balance and harmony in art.

Themes

creativity spirituality harmony

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

artistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- portrait sessions
- gallery exhibitions
- personal projects
- mindful practice

Key Concepts

aesthetics visual poetry

Questions to Reflect On

- What does harmony mean in your work?
- Can art truly capture universal essence?

A Different Perspective

The quest for oneness may idealize reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Balance and harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance-and-harmony/) [Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Creation Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-photograph-5986858/) [Culmination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culmination/) [Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Emotional response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-response/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Human experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-experience/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Image Culmination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image-culmination-5986860/) [Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Oneness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneness/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photograph Experienced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph-experienced-827648/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry and music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-and-music/) [Reaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reaching/) [Realms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realms/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-connection/) [Still life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still-life/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Yearning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yearning/) [Yearning Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yearning-balance-5986859/)

## Related quotes

> [The first photograph I ever experienced consciously is a picture of my mother from before she gave birth to me. Unfortunately, it's a black-and-white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/the-first-photograph-i-ever-experienced-consciously-is-a-picture-of/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kinkade/balance-peace-and-joy-are-the-fruit-of-a-successful-life/)

[Thomas Kinkade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kinkade/)

> [“Though the fox kills the chicken, and the bigger animals live on the little animals, what appears to be cruelty is a design of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-krishnamurti-3/though-the-fox-kills-the-chicken-and-the-bigger-animals-live-on-the/)

[J KRISHNAMURTI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-krishnamurti-3/)

> [Just as light brightens darkness, discovering inner fulfillment can eliminate any disorder or discomfort. This is truly the key to creating balance and harmony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/just-as-light-brightens-darkness-discovering-inner-fulfillment-can/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [If the blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-blood-humor-is-too-strong-and-robust-calm-it-with-balance-and/)

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

> [“The Eastern and Western Cherokees live thousands of miles from each other. Yet, many ties remain, through family, friends, and a shared culture. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-claro/the-eastern-and-western-cherokees-live-thousands-of-miles-from-each/)

[Nicole Claro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-claro/)

> [If people do not revere the Law of Nature It will adversely affect them. If they accept It with knowledge and reverence, It will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-people-do-not-revere-the-law-of-nature-it-will-adversely-affect/)

[Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/)

> [As you continue to send out love, the energy returns to you in a regenerating spiral...As love accumulates, it keeps your system in balance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paddison/as-you-continue-to-send-out-love-the-energy-returns-to-you-in-a/)

[Sara Paddison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paddison/)

> [There’s not a better feeling than when you have found that moment of balance and harmony when both running and life come together. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-benoit/there-s-not-a-better-feeling-than-when-you-have-found-that-moment-of/)

[Joan Benoit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-benoit/)

> [To get past your ego and its defenses you need to get quiet, be brave, and listen to your inner voices…When you embrace the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/to-get-past-your-ego-and-its-defenses-you-need-to-get-quiet-be-brave/)

[Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/)

> [When you practice selfless giving, you're in balance and harmony with everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-practice-selfless-giving-you-re-in-balance-and-harmony-with/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“Justice is the state that exists when there is equity, balance, and harmony in relationships and in society. Injustice is the state that exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wytsma/justice-is-the-state-that-exists-when-there-is-equity-balance-and/)

[Ken Wytsma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wytsma/)

> [There can never be any real opposition between religion and science; for the one is the complement of the other. Every serious and reflective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-planck/there-can-never-be-any-real-opposition-between-religion-and-science/)

[Max Planck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-planck/)

> [Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/happiness-is-not-a-matter-of-intensity-but-of-balance-and-order-and/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Most of us are searching-consciously or unconsciously- for a degree of internal balance and harmony between ourselves and the outside world, and if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/most-of-us-are-searching-consciously-or-unconsciously-for-a-degree-of/)

[Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/)

## More by Ruth Bernhard

> [I never question what to do, it tells me what to do. The photographs make themselves with my help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/i-never-question-what-to-do-it-tells-me-what-to-do-the-photographs/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [Light is my inspiration. My photographic images search for dimensions that words cannot touch- the result of intense responses to personal experiences. I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/light-is-my-inspiration-my-photographic-images-search-for-dimensions/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [Photography is art when it's used by an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/photography-is-art-when-it-s-used-by-an-artist/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [If you are not passionately devoted to an idea, you can make very pleasant pictures but they won't make you cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/if-you-are-not-passionately-devoted-to-an-idea-you-can-make-very/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [My quest, through the magic of light and shadow, is to isolate, to simplify and to give emphasis to form with the greatest clarity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/my-quest-through-the-magic-of-light-and-shadow-is-to-isolate-to/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [#1 Never Get Used to Anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/1-never-get-used-to-anything/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [I always said 'yes' to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/i-always-said-yes-to-everything/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [I expect photographs to find me. I never thought of looking for them. I instinctively put them there. My intellect had nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/i-expect-photographs-to-find-me-i-never-thought-of-looking-for-them-i/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [There is nothing unimportant in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/there-is-nothing-unimportant-in-the-universe/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [Every day I am aware of the flow and constant change; perhaps I am at the edge of discovering what more our bodies might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/every-day-i-am-aware-of-the-flow-and-constant-change-perhaps-i-am-at/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [I never look for a photograph. The photograph finds me and says, I'm here! and I say, Yes, I see you. I hear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/i-never-look-for-a-photograph-the-photograph-finds-me-and-says-i-m/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [Fall in love. Every day. With everything. With life. If you can fall in love, you can be a photographer. I think that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/fall-in-love-every-day-with-everything-with-life-if-you-can-fall-in/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [It is so basic. A human being is an innocent part of nature. Our civilization has distorted this universal quality that allows us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/it-is-so-basic-a-human-being-is-an-innocent-part-of-nature-our/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [A person cannot learn to be a photographer. He can only cultivate what he already has. I try to make people aware that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/a-person-cannot-learn-to-be-a-photographer-he-can-only-cultivate-what/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

> [Everything is one and I am one with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/everything-is-one-and-i-am-one-with-it/)

[Ruth Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

[Explore all 30 Ruth Bernhard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/)

## More Balance quotes

> [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/)

[Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/)

> [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/)

[Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/)

> [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/)

[Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/)

> [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/)

[Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/)

> [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/)

[A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/)

> [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/)

[Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/)

[George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/)

> [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/)

[John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/)

> [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/)

[Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/)

> [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/)

[Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/)

> [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/)

[Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/)

[Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "For me, the creation of a photograph is experienced as a heightened emotional response, most akin to poetry and music, each image the culmination of a compelling impulse I cannot deny. Whether working with a human figure or a still life, I am deeply aware of my spiritual connection with it. In my life, as in my work, I am motivated by a great yearning for balance and harmony beyond the realm of human experience, reaching for the essence of oneness with the Universe.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ruth Bernhard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-experienced-as-a-heightened/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Balance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-experienced-as-a-heightened/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/ruth-bernhard-20610_balance_for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-e_2396490.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For me, the creation of a photograph is experienced as a heightened emotional response, most akin to poetry…” — Ruth Bernhard",
                "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": "Ruth Bernhard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bernhard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "For me, the creation of a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-experienced-as-a-heightened/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bernhard/for-me-the-creation-of-a-photograph-is-experienced-as-a-heightened/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
