Michael Kenna Quotes

Nothing is ever the same twice because everything is always gone forever, and yet each moment has infinite photographic possibilities.

I often think of my work as visual haiku. It is an attempt to evoke and suggest through as few elements as possible rather than to describe with tremendous detail.

I gravitate towards places where humans have been and are no more, to the edge of man's influence, where the elements are taking over or covering man's traces.

We see in colour all the time. Everything around us is in colour. Black and white is therefore immediately an interpretation of the world, rather than a copy.

Perhaps most intriguing of all is that it is possible to photograph what is impossible for the human eye to see - cumulative time.

The golden rule in the arts, as far as I am concerned, is that all rules are meant to be broken.

I believe that photographers should be passionate, determined, disciplined and ready to seek out their own styles and identities.

Parks and gardens are the quintessential intimate landscapes. People use them all the time, leaving their energy and memories behind. It's what's left behind that I like to photograph.

I don't have anything against colour. It is just not my first preference. I have always found black and white photographs to be quieter and more mysterious than those made in colour.

I prefer to think of photography as a never ending journey with infinite possibilities. I love to return to places to re photograph. Nothing is ever the same. The options are endless.

We all have choices and must make them for ourselves.

I believe that we photographers don't benefit very much with answers from other photographers. What is more beneficial is to ask questions of ourselves and see what thoughts float out from within.

I would strongly encourage anybody embarking on photography as a career to embrace and enjoy the whole process. Being a photographer can be a wonderful way to experience the world.

Beauty is very much in the mind of the beholder.

One advances by standing on the shoulders of giants, but the ultimate goal is to find one's own vision.

There can be no doubt that probability increases with practice. Fortune favours the brave, fortune favours the prepared mind, and fortune favours those who work the hardest.

One needs to fully accept that surprises sometimes happen and complete control over outcome is not necessary or even desirable.

I try not to make conscious decisions about what I am looking for. I don't make elaborate preparations before I go to a location. Essentially I walk, explore, discover and photograph.

Easier is not necessarily better.

Instant gratification in photography is not something that I need or desire. I find that the long, slow journey to the final print captivates me far more.

As a landscape photographer we should be open to possibilities, for one thing often leads to another.

I encourage playfulness and experimentation with both the camera and subject matter. Sometimes there is an obvious perspective, but it is important never to be satisfied with that.

There is no one way of photographing anything. I don't believe there is even one best way of photographing any given subject.