This was whispered to me by a gentle, elderly man in a village in Taiwan. I have since heard it paraphrased in different cultures in disparate parts of the world, including among indigenous people of North America. The concept has gnawed at my mind continuously over the years.

Similarly, the saying goes that "a camera doesn't lie." But the "taker" of pictures can manipulate a scene to do just that. What then is the responsibility of a photographer? Can he or she indeed peel away a layer of someone's soul and transfer it to film - or pixelate it into cyberspace?

Over the past three decades I've come to the conclusion that I agree with the gentleman in Taiwan. This knowledge has helped me to gain the trust of my subjects and has helped me in my relationships with family and friends.