Lois Greenfield Quotes

Powerful Lois Greenfield for Daily Growth

About Lois Greenfield

Lois Greenfield (1937- ), an eminent American photographer, is best known for her groundbreaking work in dance and aerial photography. Born on February 26, 1937, in New York City, Greenfield developed an early fascination with the arts, particularly ballet and modern dance. This passion led her to study dance at the High School of Performing Arts in New York. However, a knee injury forced her to abandon her dancing career, leading her instead to photography as a means of capturing the beauty and grace of movement. Greenfield's photographic journey began when she studied with renowned photographers Dorothea Lange and Paul Strand at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. In the 1960s, she returned to New York and started her career as a dance photographer, working with notable companies such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Greenfield's breakthrough came in the 1970s when she began experimenting with aerial photography, capturing dancers from above in breathtaking, weightless poses. This innovative approach transformed the way dance was visualized, creating a new genre of dance photography that showcased the fluidity and dynamism of movement in unprecedented ways. Greenfield's major works include "Caught in Motion" (1982), a collection of her aerial dance photographs, and "Airborne: A Celebration of Flight in Dance and Circus Arts" (2015). Her photographs have been exhibited worldwide and are held in numerous permanent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Throughout her illustrious career, Lois Greenfield's work has not only captured the essence of dance but also redefined its visual representation, leaving an indelible mark on both photography and dance communities.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In every moment there is a dance, and in every dance there is a story."

This quote by Lois Greenfield suggests that life itself is a continuous dance where each moment flows seamlessly into another, and within these moments lie unique stories waiting to be told. It encourages us to find beauty and meaning in the ordinary and appreciate the rhythm and narrative of our existence as we move through time.


"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of movement."

This quote suggests that dance is a universal, intuitive means of expression for deep-seated emotions and feelings, often difficult to articulate through words. It posits that by moving, one can speak the "language" of the soul – connecting with oneself and others on a profound level, transcending boundaries of language and culture. Dance, in this context, becomes an essential tool for self-discovery, communication, and human connection.


"Dance as though no one is watching you; live as though God is watching you."

This quote by Lois Greenfield encourages a duality in our actions, both in dance and life. The first part, "Dance as though no one is watching," suggests that we should express ourselves freely, without fear of judgment or criticism. It's about embracing joy, passion, and creativity without constraints. The second part, "Live as though God is watching," implies a sense of responsibility and respect for our actions, as if we are constantly under the watchful eye of something greater than ourselves – a moral compass that guides us towards integrity, kindness, and dignity. It serves as a reminder that our behavior should be thoughtful and considerate, not just spontaneous or careless. In essence, this quote invites us to find balance between self-expression and accountability in both our creative pursuits and everyday life.


"The body is an instrument to be played."

This quote by Lois Greenfield emphasizes that our bodies are not just physical entities, but tools or instruments designed for movement, expression, and creativity. It encourages us to use our bodies actively, exploring their capabilities, pushing boundaries, and finding joy in physicality as we would with a musical instrument. The implication is that just as a musician plays an instrument to produce beautiful music, we should engage our bodies to express ourselves, connect with our surroundings, and find harmony within ourselves and the world around us.


"Movement never lies, it expresses what we feel deep within us."

Lois Greenfield's quote emphasizes that physical movements reflect our emotional and psychological states. When we move, whether it's dancing, walking, or any other form of physical activity, our actions reveal our true feelings and emotions, giving a genuine glimpse into our inner world. In essence, movement is a powerful means of self-expression and an authentic reflection of who we are.


My interest in photography is not to capture an image I see or even have in my mind, but to explore the potential of moments I can only begin to imagine.

- Lois Greenfield

Mind, Image, Imagine, Photography

What intrigues me is making images that confound and confuse the viewer but that the viewer knows, or suspects, really happened.

- Lois Greenfield

Making, Viewer, Images, Suspects

I realized that one of the differences between news photography and dance photography was that the former has to tell a specific story, whereas all a dance photograph had to be was visually interesting.

- Lois Greenfield

Differences, News, Tell, Whereas

If I knew what the photograph was going to look like, I wouldn't bother taking it. It's the voyage of discovery that fascinates me.

- Lois Greenfield

Like, Going, Bother, Fascinates

I don't digitally manipulate my images, because I am interested in the spontaneous act of creating images without forethought. I know many artists start with an idea in mind, and then they put it on paper. I don't work that way.

- Lois Greenfield

Idea, Without, Put, Spontaneous

Being called a dance photographer makes me bristle. You might say that dance is my landscape. The root of my interest is movement or, rather, how movement can be interpreted photographically, and dance provides a perfect opportunity for this.

- Lois Greenfield

Perfect, Might, Rather, Interpreted

I shoot just one moment at a time... These moments are beneath the threshold of perception.

- Lois Greenfield

Moment, Beneath, Threshold, Perception

The ostensible subject of my photographs may be motion, but the subtext is time. A dancer's movements illustrate the passage of time, giving it a substance, materiality, and space. In my photographs, time is stopped, a split second becomes an eternity, and an ephemeral moment is solid as sculpture.

- Lois Greenfield

Passage, Subtext, Subject, Sculpture

My inspiration has always been photography's ability to stop time and reveal what the naked eye cannot see.

- Lois Greenfield

Always, Reveal, Been, Ability

Working improvisationally in my studio with dancers, it's completely different. We don't have any starting point; we don't have an end point. We don't have anything we are trying to show or do. The picture evolves from nowhere.

- Lois Greenfield

Show, Studio, Any, Dancers

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