A lot of times I had footage that didn't have sound [in the Dream of Life film] - either I didn't bring a sound recorder, or I forgot to turn on the sound recorder - so we would have to improvise and build those scenes.

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

I never went to film school, so I just sort of learned on my own.

I took pictures of the objects and artifacts that Patti [Smith] would show to her friends because I wanted to document them.

I would bring Patti [Smith ] in to the editing room [working on the Dream of Life] and say, "This is a great moment for a voiceover, or a poem," and then we'd bring in some sound design.

When I started photographing Patti [Smith], I knew that there wasn't a whole a lot of information out there about her. I was periodically interested in films, and so I just kept asking her if I could come around.

Sometimes my fashion pictures can look a little bit like documentary style pictures. So having a camera in my hand was normal.