Looking for the best photography quotes to elevate your website, boost your Instagram captions, or inspire your followers on social media? This page features a curated, public domain-friendly collection of classic, famous, and motivational photography quotes. Use them to add impact to your profile, portfolio, blog, or next creative project.
Whether you need the perfect quote for a banner, About page, Pinterest Pin, Instagram post, or story, you’ll find timeless wisdom and creative inspiration from legendary photographers below. Short, powerful, and ready to copy—just credit the author and share!
🌟 Best Photography Quotes for Social Media & Website
Boost your profile, homepage, or creative portfolio with these inspiring photography quotes. Ideal for use as section headings, hero banners, testimonials, or image overlays. These are especially effective for about pages and photography blogs:
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
— Dorothea Lange
“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”
— Ansel Adams
“In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
— Alfred Stieglitz
“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
— Dorothea Lange
Try adding these to your next blog post intro, portfolio slider, or as pull quotes for extra visual interest.
📸 Short & Creative Photography Quotes for Instagram
Level up your Instagram feed with famous, short, and catchy photography quotes. These make perfect captions, Instagram bio quotes, Reels overlays, or story backgrounds for more engagement and shares:
“The best camera is the one that’s with you.”
— Chase Jarvis
“A camera is a save button for the mind’s eye.”
— Roger Kingston
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”
— Ansel Adams
“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.”
— Destin Sparks
Pro tip: Pair a quote with your best shot or create a quote graphic for more saves, shares, and reach on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
📌 How to Use Photography Quotes for SEO & Branding
Quotes aren’t just for captions—they can help boost your website’s SEO, attract followers, and define your brand style. Use photography quotes as:
- Alt text or overlay on Pinterest Pins
- Section intros or CTAs on landing pages
- Social media post graphics and Stories
- Testimonials or creative About page highlights
- Email headers or newsletter sign-offs
Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.
— Aaron Siskind
In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.
— Alfred Stieglitz
The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.
— Dorothea Lange
To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place.
— Elliott Erwitt
The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.
— Elliott Erwitt
A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know.
— Diane Arbus
A good photograph is knowing where to stand.
— Ansel Adams
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.
— Ansel Adams
You don’t take a photograph, you make it.
— Ansel Adams
A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.
— Ansel Adams
To photograph: it is to put on the same line of sight the head, the eye and the heart.
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
The best camera is the one that’s with you.
— Chase Jarvis
A photograph is neither taken nor seized by force. It offers itself up. It is the photo that takes you. One must not take photos.
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.
— Dorothea Lange
A camera is a save button for the mind’s eye.
— Roger Kingston
I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed.
— Garry Winogrand
The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print the performance.
— Ansel Adams
Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.
— Ansel Adams
Photography is the story I fail to put into words.
— Destin Sparks
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
— John Lubbock
When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.
— Ansel Adams
The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.
— Scott Lorenzo
Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.
— Imogen Cunningham
There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.
— Robert Frank
For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity.
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.
— Alfred Eisenstaedt
The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.
— Ansel Adams
In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.
— Alfred Stieglitz
I have always been fascinated by the power of the snapshot to freeze a moment in time.
— Julia Margaret Cameron
Every artist has a central story to tell, and the difficulty, the impossible task, is trying to present that story in pictures.
— Gregory Crewdson
When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.
— Alfred Eisenstaedt
Frequently Asked Questions
Are photography quotes copyright protected?
Most short, attributed photography quotes from historical figures are safe to use for educational, inspirational, or personal purposes—especially if the author has been deceased for over 70 years. Always credit the original author and avoid copying long passages.
Can I use these quotes on social media or my website?
Yes—sharing short quotes with proper attribution is generally fine for both social media (like Instagram) and your website, especially for non-commercial use. For commercial uses, stick to public domain quotes or check author rights.
What are the best photography quotes for Instagram?
Short, impactful lines work best for Instagram: “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” or “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” See our Instagram section above for more ideas.
How can I create a quote graphic for Pinterest?
Use Canva or Adobe Express to add a famous photography quote to your image, choose vertical size (2:3 ratio), and add a text overlay in bold for maximum visibility on Pinterest.
Unlock new inspiration every time you need it with these photography quotes—perfect for Instagram captions, websites, Pinterest Pins, and creative projects. Using short, famous, or motivational quotes helps capture attention, build your brand, and engage followers.
Bookmark this resource for the best photography quotes for social media and blogs.
Want even more creative prompts? Try our Photography Challenge Generator for instant ideas. For legendary wisdom, learn more about Ansel Adams and other icons of photography.