Asking Quote by Steven Sebring
![“When I started photographing Patti [Smith], I knew that there wasn't a whole a lot of information out there about her. I was periodically interested in films, and so I just kept asking her if I could come around.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ad7/steven-sebring-14700_asking_when-i-started-photographing-patti-smith_1891719.jpg)
“When I started photographing Patti [Smith], I knew that there wasn't a whole a lot of information out there about her. I was periodically interested in films, and so I just kept asking her if I could come around.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Conversation with Patti Smith, 2005
The photographer recognized a lack of documented material about Patti Smith and proactively sought access to fill that gap.
In simple terms: He saw missing info and kept asking for permission to document her.
Key Takeaway
Seek out and document under‑represented subjects.
Themes
curiosity
documentation
artistic pursuit
Mood
inquisitive
determined
Type
reflective
inspirational
When to use this quote
- music journalism
- documentary projects
- archival work
Key Concepts
archival research
portraiture
music history
Questions to Reflect On
- How can creators build trust with elusive subjects?
- What ethical responsibilities arise when documenting a public figure?
A Different Perspective
Limited access or subject reluctance can hinder documentation.
![“We just grew to trust each other [with Patti Smith] more and more over the years. Most of the time I didn't even have a movie camera.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e21/steven-sebring-14700_cameras_we-just-grew-to-trust-each-other-with-pa_49044.jpg)
![“I do remember, the first time we met [with Patti Smith], the door opening with a squeak. And then there was this very beautiful girl looking out.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9f8/steven-sebring-14700_beautiful_i-do-remember-the-first-time-we-met-with_2572516.jpg)
![“I was making a film [Dream of Life] about Patti [Smith], but I was taking pictures, too.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/825/steven-sebring-14700_cinema_i-was-making-a-film-dream-of-life-about_2370252.jpg)
![“Patti [Smith] was my experiment, to be honest. And the film is what we got out of it. At the end of the day, I learned a lot about how to make a film.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a1c/steven-sebring-14700_being-honest_patti-smith-was-my-experiment-to-be-hone_2229699.jpg)
![“I just wanted to be Patti's [Smith] messenger and get her word out there.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b45/steven-sebring-14700_messengers_i-just-wanted-to-be-patti-s-smith-messen_1768410.jpg)
![“I became Patti's [Smith] messenger, basically, and the film is my view of how I learned about Patti.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/61f/steven-sebring-14700_film_i-became-patti-s-smith-messenger-basical_1482292.jpg)
![“I quickly realized that Patti [Smith] was somebody very special.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/db7/steven-sebring-14700_somebody-special_i-quickly-realized-that-patti-smith-was_788180.jpg)
![“I wasn't familiar with Patti [Smith ]much at all. When I was asked to photograph her, my wife said, "Oh my God, Patti Smith!" So I looked at some Robert Mapplethorpe books and I recognized those pictures.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/645/steven-sebring-14700_book_i-wasn-t-familiar-with-patti-smith-much_665684.jpg)
![“I shot [Dream of Life] all on 16-millimeter, and I just wanted to learn about Patti [Smith].” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0e/steven-sebring-14700_dream_i-shot-dream-of-life-all-on-16-millimete_583938.jpg)
![“I took pictures of the objects and artifacts that Patti [Smith] would show to her friends because I wanted to document them.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b31/steven-sebring-14700_artifacts_i-took-pictures-of-the-objects-and-artif_435299.jpg)
![“At the beginning I didn't even really think about making a movie [Dream of Life]. I was just thinking of documenting somebody.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2d5/steven-sebring-14700_dream_at-the-beginning-i-didn-t-even-really-th_30900.jpg)
![“That was an amazing experience [making Dream of Life]. It's hard to imagine that we were editing every day for a year. And it was pretty extraordinary; it also went by super fast. But every day was an experiment.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/316/steven-sebring-14700_amazing-experience_that-was-an-amazing-experience-making-dr_102805.jpg)
![“We had a hodgepodge of footage. We didn't film [in Dream of Life ]all the time - we would just film periodically, so nothing was synced and nothing was slated.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/325/steven-sebring-14700_dream_we-had-a-hodgepodge-of-footage-we-didn-t_238597.jpg)
![“I thought about how to film something, how to take pictures of it and how to mix it all together. And I was getting that through Patti [Smith] - because she takes pictures, performs, writes; she does so many things, and that was a big inspiration to me. It helped me realized that I'm not just a…” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/08f/steven-sebring-14700_art_i-thought-about-how-to-film-something-ho_292986.jpg)
![“I would bring Patti [Smith ] in to the editing room [working on the Dream of Life] and say, "This is a great moment for a voiceover, or a poem," and then we'd bring in some sound design.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/142/steven-sebring-14700_design_i-would-bring-patti-smith-in-to-the-edit_322546.jpg)
![“Because the filming process was so organic and there was no script, the film [Dream of Life] was literally telling us what it wanted to be in the editing room.” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b7/steven-sebring-14700_cinema_because-the-filming-process-was-so-organ_338933.jpg)
![“She let me in during her tour, in London. Her band members - especially Lenny Kaye - were shocked at the fact that I was filming Patti [Smith].” quote by Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a72/steven-sebring-14700_band_she-let-me-in-during-her-tour-in-london_416754.jpg)
