"I was primarily interested in people, and people in action, so that I did nothing photographically in the sense of doing buildings for their own sake or a still life or anything like that"

In this quote, Ben Shahn expresses his main focus and passion as a professional photographer - individuals and their actions. He clarifies that he is not interested in catching buildings or still life objects for their own sake, however rather in the context of people and their interactions with them. This suggests that Shahn sees photography as a means of catching the human experience and the dynamic nature of human behavior. He values the human component in his pictures and believes that it is what brings life and indicating to his work. Shahn's words highlight his deep interest in individuals and their stories, and how he utilizes photography to capture and protect them.