To me, it’s encounters that matter, pictures are much less important. 

 There is not a big difference between life and taking pictures... You’re in the middle of life, you’re living, making love, eating, sleeping—and photography is part of it. And I don’t say this because I’m being romantic. I say this because that’s just the way it happens to be. 

 (Be wary of:
nicely formulated principles and truths.
useless feelings of guilt and sins of the past
or while we’re at it
a
photograph resembling pretty adjectives
on the other hand, I like private
diaries and family albums
 

 I don’t care so much about form. Perhaps I did in the beginning, a long time ago. But now I just want to be as straight and simple and as true as possible. 

 That 15th of a second. Once you’ve been there, you keep on wanting to get back. 

 I can’t describe reality; at the most, I can try to capture things that seem to be valid, the way I see them. 

 Cutting is a good way to describe [my way of shooting]. I cut… that’s what it feels like, because it’s so fast. Then I peel away layers. 

 You have to focus on what you are doing, not just as a photographer, but as a human being.