I have always felt as though I needed a weapon against evil.

I suffered first as a child from discrimination, poverty ... So I think it was a natural follow from that that I should use my camera to speak for people who are unable to speak for themselves.

I have never known anyone important enough to consume me in anger beyond a few hours. Better to depart their existence before they poison your own.

I picked up a camera because it was my choice of weapons against what I hated most about the universe: racism, intolerance, poverty. I could have just as easily picked up a knife or a gun, like many of my childhood friends did... most of whom were murdered or put in prison... but I chose not to go that way. I felt that I could somehow subdue these evils by doing something beautiful that people recognize me by, and thus make a whole different life for myself, which has proved to be so.

And now, I feel at 85, I really feel that I'm just ready to start.

If you don't have anything to say, your photographs aren't going to say much.

Use anger to emotionalize whatever thing you intend to do in life - being a painter, a poet or a photographer