They said whaaat?! Bill Cunningham. #RIP.

Bill Cunningham, Legendary New York Times Photographer, has died aged 87.
Here are his best quotes.

“The best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been. Always will be.”

“I don’t decide anything. I let the street speak to me, and in order for the street to speak to you, you’ve got to stay out there and see what it is.”

“The problem is I’m not a good photographer. To be perfectly honest, I’m too shy. Not aggressive enough. Well, I’m not aggressive at all. I just loved to see wonderfully dressed women, and I still do. That’s all there is to it.”

“The main thing I love about street photography is that you find the answers you don’t see at the fashion shows. You find information for readers so they can visualise themselves.”

“The wider world perceives fashion as frivolity that should be done away with.

“The point is that fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life. I don’t think you can do away with it. It would be like doing away with civilization.”

“It’s not work, it’s pleasure. That’s why I feel so guilty. Everybody else does work — I have too much fun.”

“I’m not interested in celebrities with their free dresses. Look at the clothes, the cut, the silhouette, the color. It’s the clothes. Not the celebrity and not the spectacle.”

“If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do, kid.”

“I could never concentrate on Sunday church services because I’d be concentrating on women’s hats.”

“When I’m photographing I look for the personal style with which something is worn — sometimes even how an umbrella is carried or how a coat is held closed”.

“At parties, it’s important to be almost invisible, to catch people when they’re oblivious to the camera — to get the intensity of their speech, the gestures of their hands. I’m interested in capturing a moment with animation and spirit.”

“You’re invited to see the work of artists, great artists. Think about what they’re showing, look at the clothes, look at what they do for the body.”

“I go out every day. When I get depressed at the office, I go out, and as soon as I’m on the street and see people, I feel better. But I never go out with a preconceived idea. I let the street speak to me.”

“All the people who tell the truth are in the last rows.” Read more about Bill here at nytimes.com

NB: You must watch this fabulous doco Bill Cunningham New York.  buy here.

* Pic above is from a Harpers Bazaar shoot with Carolyn Murphy from 2002 , one of my favourites of all time.