Anton Corbijn Quotes

I'd go down to the end of my street, to a garage that had a certain feeling about it, or a particular light; I'd take a picture of a friend who needed a head shot. That's how I learned, instead of having school assignments and learning camera techniques.

For my first book, 'New York,' I had one camera and two lenses. It was fotografia povera.

Photograph the world as it is. Nothing's more interesting than reality.

I never went to school for photography and started when I was pretty young. I was somewhere around 12 or 13. I started photographing as a hobby and carried that hobby through high school and university.

Now, when I came on to Washington to begin my job, I was so interested in photography at that time that I really would have preferred to work with Stryker than with my department, which was more artistic if you wish.

My stepfather gave me a Kodak camera when I was 17 years old. I started working at a local photo store in Le Havre, France, taking passport pictures and photographing weddings.

Even the photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson, with all due respect to him, are notoriously burned and dodged.

I've been an amateur photographer since my teens.

I don't find myself interesting as a person and the details I find boring, quite frankly. You could sum it up in a few words or sentences really: came from nothing. Self-educated. Luck. Energy. Curiosity. Ambition. That's it. Nothing at all can illuminate the work as far as I can tell.

I never think about a shoot before I do it. Because there's no formula for people. What I try to do is to strip everything away rather than go in with preconceived notions. If I do that, I might miss a gem or a jewel that the person is offering me.

I got a camera when I was nine years old and it wasn't until I was a model that I realized you could be a photographer for a job.

I like to be real. I don't like things to be staged or fussy.

I do read many of the photography magazines from the U.K. and abroad.

I pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. That's it. I don't have the time or patience for anything else. I'm a natural kind of guy. I don't style my hair - never learned how.

My uncle was a photographer for 'The Irish Times.'

I'm always taking behind-the-scenes photos and stuff.

I like the simple things. I don't know why. I'm that way. I came from a simple place.

I photograph what interests me. I'm not saying anything different.

I find I don't need to be polished. I feel that you have to keep it real, and that's the best way to go.

I'm just flowing through, when I see things, I talk about 'em. And it's cool. I don't want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it. I'm not perfect, and I'm just here and trying to make a dollar, and being real at the same time.

I go out to take a walk, I see something, I take a picture. I take photographs. I have avoided profound explanations of what I do.

The highest condition of art is artlessness.

I'm not like paparazzi. I never force myself on anyone. I always ask, and some places offer money. And so I try and get these photos to give you, the viewer, a real look at what I was seeing.

Available light is any damn light that is available!

The main things to rebel against - over-production, too much technology, overthinking. It's a spoiled mentality; everything is too easy. If you want to record a song, you can buy Pro Tools and record four hundred guitar tracks. That leads to overthinking, which kills any spontaneity and the humanity of the performance.