There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.

There are worlds of experience beyond the world of the aggressive man, beyond history, and beyond science. The moods and qualities of nature and the revelations of great art are equally difficult to define; we can grasp them only in the depths of our perceptive spirit.

There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.

A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.

The only things in my life that compatibly exists with this grand universe are the creative works of the human spirit.

Millions of men have lived to fight, build palaces and boundaries, shape destinies and societies; but the compelling force of all times has been the force of originality and creation profoundly affecting the roots of human spirit.

The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance.

Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.

To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity which live or are latent in all things.

In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.

We must remember that a photograph can hold just as much as we put into it, and no one has ever approached the full possibilities of the medium.

A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.

The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways.

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.