Poetry is the essence of everything, and it’s through deep contact with reality and living fully that you reach poetry. Very often I see photographers cultivating the strangeness or awkwardness of a scene, thinking it is poetry. No. Poetry is two elements which are suddenly conflict — a spark between two elements. But it’s given very seldom, and you can’t look for it. It’s like if you look for inspiration. No, it just comes by enriching yourself and living.

I believe that, through the act of living, the discovery of oneself is made concurrently with the discovery of the world around us.

Thinking should be done beforehand and afterwards - never while actually taking a photograph.

And no photographs taken with the aid of flashlight either, if only out of respect of the actual light—even when there isn't any of it.

Thinking should be done before and after, not during photographing.

Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.

One has to tiptoe lightly and steal up to one's quarry; you don't swish the water when you are fishing.