■ Everybody can capture what they see in the field with the archives of their mind and heart and soul and spirit. The difference is, I capture it with the camera and share it. I hope that when people see my pictures, they’re there with me, seeing what I see, feeling what I feel.

■ My father was a minister who said, “Love those who do evil against you.” But it was hard for me. I’m a visual person, and I’d retain everything I’d see. I remember one time when I was growing up in North Carolina, Daddy said, “Everybody be still and be quiet. Get in that room and don’t look out.” I looked out. The Klan were all in robes. They had burned a cross in our yard and put our car in neutral and made it roll down the road. I saw that.

■ Muhammad Ali and I were at his training camp, and he was relaxing. I said, “Champ, let me ask you something.” Because we could talk about anything, everything. “How does it really feel to be the greatest?” He said, “Main man, let me tell you something. Anytime you’re in a ring with another opponent, one punch and a 10-second count will change any record book.” He always respected whoever he was fighting.

■ I was almost killed in crossfire during a rally in South Africa. It was still apartheid, Mandela was still in prison. When we started to leave the rally, police in jeeps with guns and dogs circled to cut us off and began shooting. I heard boom! I looked and a man near me was reaching for his side. I said, “That man’s shot!” Then somebody said, “Halt.” I looked, and an officer had his gun on me. His eyes were saying, I don’t want to kill you but it’s my job. He had his hand on the trigger. I thought, You got to shoot me in the back. And I turned and started running towards our van. Every step, I’m thinking, It’s going to hit. But I finally got into the van. All my career, the angels have been with me.

■ I don’t fear death at all. I fear not getting some things accomplished that I need to do.

■ I saw President Obama on TV talking to some students. They said, “Mr. President, if you had any power, what would it be?” He said, “Speak all the languages of the world.” I thought, Mr. President, every time I do this [makes camera shutter sound], I speak that language. Rich, poor, educated, uneducated — it’s a language everybody understands.

■ I was in Cracker Barrel and saw this couple. Nice couple. He went to the washroom, and when he came back, he walked up behind her and kissed her. I said, OK, John White, you got to go to work. I moved my tray and went over there. I said, “I just saw this beautiful moment and I’ve got to take a picture of it. I’ll do it on your camera.” He handed me his phone. They’re good pictures, really nice. I went back to my table. He came over. He was so happy. He said, “We’ve been married 50-something years. Our anniversary is next week.” He had this big bill to give me. I said, “No, no, that’s my anniversary gift to you.”

■ Photography is about light, but photography without love is nothing.