Weegee Quotes

Many photographers live in a dream world of beautiful backgrounds. It wouldn't hurt them to get a taste of reality to wake them up.

A natural-born photographer, with hypo in my blood.

It's been a strange [summer] ... I was sent by a magazine to photograph famous photographers ... Of course, I included myself.

The same camera that photographs a murder scene can photograph a beautiful society affair at a big hotel.

Anyone who looks for life can find it ... and they don't need to photograph ashcans. The average camera fan reminds me of Pollyanna, with a lollypop in one hand and a camera in the other. You can't be a Nice Nelly and take news pictures.

My name is Weegee. I'm the world's greatest photographer ...

Sure. I'd like to live regular. Go home to a good looking wife, a hot dinner, and a husky kid. But I guess I got film in my blood. I love this racket. It's exciting. It's dangerous. It's funny. It's tough. It's heartbreaking.

To me a photograph is a page from life, and that being the case, it must be real.

I had so many unsold murder pictures lying around my room ... I felt as if I were renting out a wing of the City Morgue.

People are so wonderful that a photographer has only to wait for that breathless moment to capture what he wants on film.

I have no chips on my shoulder. I like to be constructive. As I have said, I have inspired many persons to take up photography. As a matter of fact, I inspire myself. (When I take a good picture I give myself a bonus.).

I am a perfectionist. When I take a picture ... it's gotta be good.

There are photographic fanatics, just as there are religious fanatics. They buy a so-called candid camera there is no such thing: it's the photographer who has to be candid, not the camera.

If I had a picture of two handcuffed criminals being booked, I would cut the picture in half and get five bucks for each.