--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Negatives are the notebooks, the…" description: "\"Negatives are the notebooks, the jottings, the false starts, the whims, the poor drafts, and the good draft but never the completed version of the work..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/w-eugene-smith-17192_museums_negatives-are-the-notebooks-the-jottings_2401299.jpg" --- # Negatives are the notebooks, the jottings, the false… ![“Negatives are the notebooks, the jottings, the false starts, the whims, the poor drafts, and the good draft but never the completed version of the work The print and a proper one is the only completed photograph, whether it is specifically shaded for reproduction, or for a museum wall.” quote by W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/w-eugene-smith-17192_museums_negatives-are-the-notebooks-the-jottings_2401299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/w-eugene-smith-17192_museums_negatives-are-the-notebooks-the-jottings_2401299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/w-eugene-smith-17192_museums_negatives-are-the-notebooks-the-jottings_2401299.jpg) > “Negatives are the notebooks, the jottings, the false starts, the whims, the poor drafts, and the good draft but never the completed version of the work The print and a proper one is the only completed photograph, whether it is specifically shaded for reproduction, or for a museum wall.” [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Drafts and negatives are essential steps; the final polished work is the true representation. **In simple terms:** Drafts lead to the final work; only the finished piece matters. Key Takeaway Value the process, but recognize the final product’s importance. Themes creativity process perfection Mood reflective inspirational Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - photography projects - writing drafts - design prototypes - research experiments Key Concepts iteration artistic development Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance process and final outcome? - What lessons can be drawn from unfinished work? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on final product can undervalue learning from failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Completed Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/completed-photograph-6015463/) [Museums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museums/) [Negatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negatives/) [Negatives Notebooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negatives-notebooks-6015462/) [Notebook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notebook/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photograph Specifically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph-specifically-6015464/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Print](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/print/) [Reproduction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reproduction/) [Versions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versions/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Whim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whim/) ## Related quotes > [No one will ever know what I went through to secure those negatives. The world can never appreciate it. It changed the whole course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-brady/no-one-will-ever-know-what-i-went-through-to-secure-those-negatives/) [Mathew Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-brady/) > [Growing up, I didn't give my grandfather's photography a second thought. I wasn't involved in his work, except that I helped my dad print…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-weston/growing-up-i-didn-t-give-my-grandfather-s-photography-a-second/) [Kim Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-weston/) > [Two wrongs don't make a right, but don't three lefts make a right? Two wrongs don't make a right, but don't two negatives make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-clements/two-wrongs-don-t-make-a-right-but-don-t-three-lefts-make-a-right-two/) [Andrew Clements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-clements/) > [I feel some people are cynical by nature. You show them anything, they only see the problems and negatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/i-feel-some-people-are-cynical-by-nature-you-show-them-anything-they/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [You've got to have positives and negatives about you. I think that's a good negative, that the only thing they could say about me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-donald/you-ve-got-to-have-positives-and-negatives-about-you-i-think-that-s-a/) [Aaron Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-donald/) > [Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you. Focus on the positives, and soon the negatives will be harder to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/be-wise-enough-to-walk-away-from-the-nonsense-around-you-focus-on-the/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [I learned working with the negatives could make for better pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-learned-working-with-the-negatives-could-make-for-better-pictures/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [All the negatives, the flags for the personal fouls and silly stuff after the play, that takes a toll. People don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kelce/all-the-negatives-the-flags-for-the-personal-fouls-and-silly-stuff/) [Travis Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kelce/) > [A lot of people don't want to vote because they believe the negatives rather than the positives about the outcome of their decisions about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bushwick-bill/a-lot-of-people-don-t-want-to-vote-because-they-believe-the-negatives/) [Bushwick Bill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bushwick-bill/) > [“We need to see the bigger picture of what is happening and not always highlight the negatives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mullek/we-need-to-see-the-bigger-picture-of-what-is-happening-and-not-always/) [Andrew Mullek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mullek/) > [If I ever have a son, and if he wants to follow in my footsteps in Formula 1, my main responsibility will be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenson-button/if-i-ever-have-a-son-and-if-he-wants-to-follow-in-my-footsteps-in/) [Jenson Button](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenson-button/) > [Life is like photography, you develop from the negatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latest/life-is-like-photography-you-develop-from-the-negatives/) [Latest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latest/) > [My whole life has been about changing negatives into positives. I got famous, then I got cancer, and now I live to talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/my-whole-life-has-been-about-changing-negatives-into-positives-i-got/) [Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/) > [If you're associated with the Philadelphia media or town, you look for negatives. I don't know if there's something about their upbringing or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schmidt/if-you-re-associated-with-the-philadelphia-media-or-town-you-look-for/) [Mike Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schmidt/) > [People write negatives things, cause they feel that's what sells. Good news to them, doesn't sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/people-write-negatives-things-cause-they-feel-that-s-what-sells-good/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) ## More by W. Eugene Smith > [If I can get them to think, get them to feel, get them to see, then I've done about all that I can as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/if-i-can-get-them-to-think-get-them-to-feel-get-them-to-see-then-i-ve/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [... to became neighbours and friends instead of journalists. This is the way to make your finest photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/to-became-neighbours-and-friends-instead-of-journalists-this-is-the/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [Most photographers seem to operate with a pane of glass between themselves and their subjects. They just can't get inside and know the subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/most-photographers-seem-to-operate-with-a-pane-of-glass-between/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [I was after a set of pictures, so that when people looked at them they would say, ‘This is war’-that the people who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-was-after-a-set-of-pictures-so-that-when-people-looked-at-them-they/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [I am an idealist. I often feel I would like to be an artist in an ivory tower. Yet it is imperative that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-am-an-idealist-i-often-feel-i-would-like-to-be-an-artist-in-an/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [The first word I would remove from the folklore of journalism is the word objective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/the-first-word-i-would-remove-from-the-folklore-of-journalism-is-the/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [What's the best type of light? Why that would be available light... and by available light I mean any damn light is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/what-s-the-best-type-of-light-why-that-would-be-available-light-and/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [I am constantly torn between the attitude of the conscientious journalist who is a recorder and interpreter of the facts and of the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-am-constantly-torn-between-the-attitude-of-the-conscientious/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [You can't photograph if you're not in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/you-can-t-photograph-if-you-re-not-in-love/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [I think photojournalism is documentary photography with a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-think-photojournalism-is-documentary-photography-with-a-purpose/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [I would that my photographs might be, not the coverage of a news event, but an indictment of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-would-that-my-photographs-might-be-not-the-coverage-of-a-news-event/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [Many claim I am a photographer of tragedy. In the greater sense I am not, for though I often photograph where the tragic emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/many-claim-i-am-a-photographer-of-tragedy-in-the-greater-sense-i-am/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [My camera, my intentions stopped no man from falling. Nor did they aid him after he had fallen. It could be said that photographs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/my-camera-my-intentions-stopped-no-man-from-falling-nor-did-they-aid/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [The purpose of all art is to cause a deep and emotion, also one that is entertaining or pleasing. Out of the depth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/the-purpose-of-all-art-is-to-cause-a-deep-and-emotion-also-one-that/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [I didn’t write the rules. Why would I follow them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-didn-t-write-the-rules-why-would-i-follow-them/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) [Explore all 37 W. Eugene Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) ## More Museums quotes > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [Individually, museums are fine institutions, dedicated to the high values of preservation, education and truth; collectively, their growth in numbers points to the imaginative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/individually-museums-are-fine-institutions-dedicated-to-the-high/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [We have created indoor installations inside museums, like the Wrapped Floor at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 1968, and not monumental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christo/we-have-created-indoor-installations-inside-museums-like-the-wrapped/) [Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christo/) > [I do not exactly remember at what period I started my museum which absorbed so much of my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-loti/i-do-not-exactly-remember-at-what-period-i-started-my-museum-which/) [Pierre Loti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-loti/) > [Most of my life, I thought that I would end up a novelist. But then, in New York City, after college, I started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/most-of-my-life-i-thought-that-i-would-end-up-a-novelist-but-then-in/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [The current demoralization of the art world is attributable at least in part to museum interference, ideological and practical, with ongoing creation in art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-rosenberg/the-current-demoralization-of-the-art-world-is-attributable-at-least/) [Harold Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-rosenberg/) > [I love doing normal things - movies, shopping, going out with friends, writing, reading, taking hot bubble baths - that's a big one for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-aguilera/i-love-doing-normal-things-movies-shopping-going-out-with-friends/) [Christina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-aguilera/) > [Museums, I think, are becoming more and more aware of how to turn themselves into a must-see spectacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-barton/museums-i-think-are-becoming-more-and-more-aware-of-how-to-turn/) [Jake Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-barton/) > [I think movies are now like going to a museum and seeing the latest exhibit - people just aren't going. It really is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-posey/i-think-movies-are-now-like-going-to-a-museum-and-seeing-the-latest/) [Parker Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-posey/) > [The debut show, “Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary,” is supposed to be about how artists reuse humble or unusual materials. There’s good work here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/the-debut-show-second-lives-remixing-the-ordinary-is-supposed-to-be/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [Every innovation scraps its immediate predecessor and retrieves still older figures – it causes floods of antiques or nostalgic art forms and stimulates the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/every-innovation-scraps-its-immediate-predecessor-and-retrieves-still/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) [Browse all 896 Museums quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museums/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Negatives are the notebooks, the jottings, the false starts, the whims, the poor drafts, and the good draft but never the completed version of the work The print and a proper one is the only completed photograph, whether it is specifically shaded for reproduction, or for a museum wall.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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