Every great historic change has been based on nonconformity, has been bought either with the blood or with the reputation of nonconformists.

I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none.

We tried to present the ordinary in an extraordinary manner. But that's the paradox because the only thing extraordinary about it was that it was so ordinary. Nobody had ever done it before, deliberately. Now it's called documentary, which I suppose is all right ... We just took pictures that cried out to be taken.

Being an artist is not only what you do, but how you live your life.

I feel, having the choices I had, I felt I had more control over my own medium than I did over photography.

I've been asked often what is the difference between an amateur and a professional artist, and I will tell you. An amateur artist is one who works all week at something else so he can paint on Saturday and Sunday. A professional artist is one whose wife works so he can paint all the time.

An ametuer is an artist who supports himself with outside jobs which enable him to paint. A professional is someone whose wife works to enable him to paint.