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You sort of have to be always aware, even when you're not thinking of shooting. That's when the best stuff happens.

Jay Maisel

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Jay Maisel
Age: 93
Born: 1931
Born: January 18
Photographer
Brooklyn
New York
Sort
Stuff
Happens
Best
Even
Shooting
Always
Photographer
Thinking
Aware
Photography

More quotes by Jay Maisel

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Color really doesn't have interaction if it's full of colors. It's the interaction or relationship among or between colors that makes a color image. This usually happens with a few colors, not a glut of them.
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Try to go out empty and let your images fill you up.
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When we are given gifts, we must be quick and able to accept them.
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There are rules about perception, but not about photography.
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The awareness of the quality of space in out photos is akin to our awareness of the very air in our photos, the atmosphere that pervades every square inch of our image and yet is often invisible to the photographer.
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Sometimes as you work, you find that you are learning things about your own perceptions and motivations that are way below you consciousness. If you get lucky, you recognize what you are doing, but all too often we don't find the connection between our work and our own motivations.
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We don't experience light, color, and gesture in a vacuum. We experience it in contexts.
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Each picture you take has power as long as it brings experience to the person who’s looking at it.
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Gesture is not always action.
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If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you're not out there, you'll only hear about it.
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Remember that most people (those who are not photographers) don't even see the things that you missed. Many don't even look. Ergo, you are way ahead of the game.
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Failing is not a problem. Not trying is a problem.
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Since the background is as important as the subject, you mustn't let it default by chance. You must control not only vertical and horizontal, you must be aware of the depth of field (or lack of it) that you want in the background.
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All these factors are only valuable if you're curious. But in any case, the more knowledge you have, the more things are open and available to you.
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When you shoot, that is opportunity number one to make a statement. When you edit, you have opportunity number two to make your statement. It could be an affirmation of your first choice or could go off in another direction.
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If you can capture the element of surprise, you're way ahead of the game.
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You must be open to what otherwise may seem to be a detriment to your 'plans'.
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Had I not been told to look, I would have quite, ignorant of what was really there, because I had 'made plans' and was wearing visual and emotional blinders that limited my perceptions and my vision.
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As people, we love pattern. But interrupted pattern is more interesting.
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I want to go out as unprepared as possible so I can get filled up with what the world has to offer.
Jay Maisel