I just wanted to be Patti's [Smith] messenger and get her word out there.

The only self-consciousness in the film [Dream of Life] is anyone's natural shyness.

I became Patti's [Smith] messenger, basically, and the film is my view of how I learned about Patti.

I shot [Dream of Life] all on 16-millimeter, and I just wanted to learn about Patti [Smith].

I quickly realized that Patti [Smith] was somebody very special.

I like not knowing too much about somebody I'm photographing, because the process also becomes an experience for me to learn about .

I think those moments in Patti's [Smith] bedroom really helped the film [Dream of Life] out, and those moments existed because of the trust between us. There isn't any real self-consciousness in the film because we all like each other.