Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.

Now to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection...

Now to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection.

My own eyes are no more than scouts on a preliminary search, for the camera's eye may entirely change my idea.

Photography suits the temper of this age -- of active bodies and minds. It is a perfect medium for one whose mind is teeming with ideas, imagery, for a prolific worker who would be slowed down by painting or sculpting, for one who sees quickly and acts decisively, accurately.

I was extravagant in the matter of cameras Ð anything photographic Ð I had to have the best. But that was to further my work. In most things I have gone along with the plainest Ð or without.