Whether a photo or music, or a drawing or anything else I might do—it’s ultimately all an abstraction of my peculiar experience.

Often people ask what I'm photographing, which is a hard question to answer. And the best what I've come up with is I just say: Life today.

I am at war with the obvious.

I don't think about what camera I should use that much. I just pick up the one that looks nicest on the day.

I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important.

I only ever take one picture of one thing. Literally. Never two. So then that picture is taken and then the next one is waiting somewhere else.

Whatever it is about pictures, photographs, it's just about impossible to follow up with words. They don't have anything to do with each other.

We have a few things in common - smoking, drinking, and women. Photography just gets us out of the house. (To photographer Juergen Teller)

There is no particular reason to search for meaning.

It quickly came to be that I grew interested in photographing whatever was there wherever I happened to be. For any reason.

Photography just gets us out of the house.

Lord thank you for thy faithfulness.

If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.

I brought a knife to the gunfight. I am the knife. I am all blade.

I'm afraid of being lazy and complacent. I'm afraid of taking myself too seriously.

To confer dignity, forgive. To express contempt, forget.

I once told Nixon that the Presidency is like being a jackass caught in a hail storm. You've got to just stand there and take it.

We say we exchange words when we meet. What we exchange is souls.

I think [the death penalty is] very expensive, and the delays are inordinate, delaying closure for the victims' families.

What better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plants, than by blowing up a rig? I'm just noting the timing, here.

Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you.