Alfred Stieglitz: Photography

Alfred Stieglitz was American photographer. Explore interesting quotes on photography.
Alfred Stieglitz: 24   quotes 1   like

“Photography is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”

Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred Stieglitz, as quoted in The Real Thing: Imitation and Authenticity in American Culture, 1880-1940, M. Orvell (1989). p. 220
Variant: There is a reality — so subtle that it becomes more real than reality. That's what I'm trying to get down in photography.

Reality

“Photography is not an art. Neither is painting, nor sculpture, literature or music. They are only different media for the individual to express his aesthetic feelings... You do not have to be a painter or a sculptor to be an artist. You may be a shoemaker. You may be creative as such. And, if so, you are a greater artist than the majority of the painters whose work is shown in the art galleries of today.”

Alfred Stieglitz

'Is Photography a Failure?', Alfred Stieglitz, 'Sun: 5.', March 14, 1922; as quoted on Wikipedia

Art , Music , Feeling , Literature

“Photography as a fad is well-nigh on its last legs, thanks principally to the bicycle craze.”

Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred Stieglitz (1887), in the American Annual of Photography 1897.

“I am an American. Photography is my passion. The search for truth my obsession”

Alfred Stieglitz

From Adams to Stieglitz' (1990)
Source: 'Alfred Stieglitz' Photo notes, August 1946, p. 65

Truth , Search , Passion

“to show that [the success of my portray-] photographs was not due to subject matter – not to special trees or faces, or interiors, to special privileges – clouds were there for everyone... I wanted to photograph clouds to find out what I had learned in forty years about photography. Through clouds to put down my philosophy of life... My aim is increasingly to make my photographs look so much like photographs that unless one has eyes and sees, they won't be seen – and still everyone will never forget them having once looked at them.”

Alfred Stieglitz

'How I came to Photograph Clouds', Alfred Stieglitz, in 'Amateur Photographer and Photography', (19 September 1923): 255.
about his new subject: 'clouds' in his long series 'Equivalents' he started in 1922

Life , Tree , Learning , Success