--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's always a time in any series of…" description: "\"There's always a time in any series of work where you get to a certain point and your work is going steadily and each picture is better than the next, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/775/sally-mann-15174_certain_there-s-always-a-time-in-any-series-of-w_1461499.png" --- # There's always a time in any series of work where you get… ![“There's always a time in any series of work where you get to a certain point and your work is going steadily and each picture is better than the next, and then you sort of level off and that's when you realize that it's not that each picture is better then the next, it's that each picture up's the…” quote by Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/775/sally-mann-15174_certain_there-s-always-a-time-in-any-series-of-w_1461499.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/775/sally-mann-15174_certain_there-s-always-a-time-in-any-series-of-w_1461499.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/775/sally-mann-15174_certain_there-s-always-a-time-in-any-series-of-w_1461499.png) > “There's always a time in any series of work where you get to a certain point and your work is going steadily and each picture is better than the next, and then you sort of level off and that's when you realize that it's not that each picture is better then the next, it's that each picture up's the ante. And that every time you take one good picture, the next one has got to be better.” [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists often experience a plateau where each new work must surpass the previous, creating a rising standard rather than a linear improvement. **In simple terms:** Progress feels like constantly raising the bar. Key Takeaway Embrace continual escalation. Themes creativity growth perseverance Mood determined reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - photography projects - creative workshops - portfolio reviews - career development Key Concepts artistic evolution benchmarking Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance ambition with well‑being? - What signals indicate you’re truly improving? A Different Perspective Sustaining higher expectations can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I keep following this sort of hidden river of my life, you know, whatever the topic or impulse which comes, I follow it along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-keep-following-this-sort-of-hidden-river-of-my-life-you-know/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [Slightly Better Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/slightly-better-picture/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [“Sometimes the beginning doesn't look like it, but in the end, consistency and determination paints a better picture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-omoyele/sometimes-the-beginning-doesn-t-look-like-it-but-in-the-end/) Julius Omoyele > [When you put a big budget into a film, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be a better picture, but it does help in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-harryhausen/when-you-put-a-big-budget-into-a-film-it-doesn-t-necessarily-mean-it/) [Ray Harryhausen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-harryhausen/) > [Must you know that yours will be the “better” picture before you pick up the brush and paint? Can it not simply be another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/must-you-know-that-yours-will-be-the-better-picture-before-you-pick/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [If it is not an interesting picture when in focus, it is not going to be a better picture out of focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-jay/if-it-is-not-an-interesting-picture-when-in-focus-it-is-not-going-to/) [Bill Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-jay/) > [I swear he's cute, hold on . . . LET ME FIND A BETTER PICTURE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-swear-he-s-cute-hold-on-let-me-find-a-better-picture/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You get a little picture that reflects the whole. You can get readers interested in the life of one guy, and he can reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-breslin/you-get-a-little-picture-that-reflects-the-whole-you-can-get-readers/) [Jimmy Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-breslin/) > [In Hollywood, you're never any better than your last picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-bergman/in-hollywood-you-re-never-any-better-than-your-last-picture/) [Ingrid Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-bergman/) > [Probably four years ago but it's a good picture of me..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-macdonald/probably-four-years-ago-but-it-s-a-good-picture-of-me/) [Kyle MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-macdonald/) > [It's not always about how good the picture looks, But more about the memories it holds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/it-s-not-always-about-how-good-the-picture-looks-but-more-about-the/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [In Hollywood - in Hollywood, you're as good as your last picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-von-stroheim/in-hollywood-in-hollywood-you-re-as-good-as-your-last-picture/) [Erich von Stroheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-von-stroheim/) > [My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/my-idea-of-a-good-picture-is-one-that-s-in-focus-and-of-a-famous/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [When someone says to you, 'Oh, I don't take a good picture,' what they mean is they haven't come to terms with how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/when-someone-says-to-you-oh-i-don-t-take-a-good-picture-what-they/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [“It was a good picture. You could tell by the amount of time I spent staring at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-attwell/it-was-a-good-picture-you-could-tell-by-the-amount-of-time-i-spent/) [Cary Attwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-attwell/) ## More by Sally Mann > [My main interest was finding boyfriends. I'd park myself in the bookstore and read with one eye on everyone coming in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/my-main-interest-was-finding-boyfriends-i-d-park-myself-in-the/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [Unless you photograph what you love, you're not going to make good art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/unless-you-photograph-what-you-love-you-re-not-going-to-make-good-art/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [“I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-between-the-reality-of/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [“If you want to keep a memory pristine, you must not call upon it too often, for each time it is revisited, you alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/if-you-want-to-keep-a-memory-pristine-you-must-not-call-upon-it-too/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [Sometimes, when I get a good picture, it feels like I have taken another nervous step into increasingly rarified air. Each good-news picture, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/sometimes-when-i-get-a-good-picture-it-feels-like-i-have-taken/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [One of the things my career as an artist might say to young artists is: The things that are close to you are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/one-of-the-things-my-career-as-an-artist-might-say-to-young-artists/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [If it doesn’t have ambiguity, don’t bother to take it. I love that, that aspect of photography—the mendacity of photography—it’s got to have some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/if-it-doesn-t-have-ambiguity-don-t-bother-to-take-it-i-love-that-that/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [There is a great quote from a female writer. She said, 'If you don't break out in a sweat of fear when you write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/there-is-a-great-quote-from-a-female-writer-she-said-if-you-don-t/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [When the good pictures come, we hope they tell truths, but truths 'told slant,' just as Emily Dickinson commanded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/when-the-good-pictures-come-we-hope-they-tell-truths-but-truths-told/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [All the good pictures that came so easily now make the next set of pictures virtually impossible in your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/all-the-good-pictures-that-came-so-easily-now-make-the-next-set-of/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [ I’m so worried that I’m going to perfect \[my\] technique someday. I have to say its unfortunate how many of my pictures do depend… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-m-so-worried-that-i-m-going-to-perfect-my-technique-someday-i-have/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [The things that are close to you are the things you can photograph the best,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/the-things-that-are-close-to-you-are-the-things-you-can-photograph/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [Like all photographers, I depend on serendipity, and when you're photographing children there's often an abundance of it. I would have an idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/like-all-photographers-i-depend-on-serendipity-and-when-you-re/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [I’m past photographing to see what things look like photographed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-m-past-photographing-to-see-what-things-look-like-photographed/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [What is truth in photography? It can be told in a hundred different ways. Every thirtieth of a second when the shutter snaps, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/what-is-truth-in-photography-it-can-be-told-in-a-hundred-different/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) [Explore all 44 Sally Mann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's always a time in any series of work where you get to a certain point and your work is going steadily and each picture is better than the next, and then you sort of level off and that's when you realize that it's not that each picture is better then the next, it's that each picture up's the ante. 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