By sight and observation and thought, with the help of the camera, and the addition of the date of the year, we can hold fast the history of the world.

Nothing seemed to me more appropriate than to project an image of our time with absolute fidelity to nature by means of photography.

No language on earth speaks as comprehensively as photography, always providing that we follow the chemical and optic and physical path to demonstrable truth, and understand physiognomy.

Therefore, let me in honesty speak the truth about our epoch and people.

In photography there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated.

... mortification is basic to the act of photographing. The person is mobile, ... then I freeze one moment in his movement, a mere five-hundredth of a second of that person's life-time. That's a very meager or small extract from a life.

Nothing is more abhorrent to me than sugary-sweet photography full of pretense, poses, and gimmickry. For this reason, I have allowed myself to tell the truth about our times and people in a sincere manner.