BebuLamar

Is a photo a photograph? Isn't a snapshot also a photograph?

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Of course it is. No definition of "Photograph" I have even seen requires a certain level of quality or skill.

jouster Loc: Witlesss Protection Program

I believe that the difference between a snapshot and a Photograph is whatever you believe it is.

Long ago I would be offended if - after I'd spent hours looking for just the right spot, setting up the tripod and camera, waiting for the light to be just right, taking a few shots and carefully looking at them before making exposure setting, and finally taking a few 3-shot bracketed image groups - some person would walk up and ask "Getting any good snaps"

Nowadays I just smile and reply "I sure hope so."

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Were they from another country? Some areas refer to photographs as snaps.
(All this reading makes me want to go out and snap a few photographs.)

dragonfist Loc: Stafford, N.Y.

To me subject matter is what will catch my eye first, be it a snapshot, picture, or photograph, or sketch, or painting. If the subject matter doesn't interest me all of the rest, composition, lighting, exposure won't make it great. I'm not much on Warhol's soup can and Ansel Adams doesn't do anything for me either. Undoubtedly both were very talented but the talent was wasted on me. The subject matter didn't interest me so the skills invested were all for naught as far as I'm concerned.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

You called them artsy fartsy, I called them glitsy, and neither we nor most photographers have any desire to emulate that style. There is good reason too! As Ansel Adams said there is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. That style is little other than exactly that. There is no message, there is no lasting content or purpose. They have no value other than filling wall space in a boring place.

They are almost the same as paint by the numbers too, carefully and tediously following every rule of thumb that can be matched. As Edward Weston famously cracked it's like checking the law of gravity before each step.

In 50 years no museum will be showing any of that style of photography from today. It simply lacks value.

On the other hand look at what is on display today from decades past. None that look like that. Steiglitz, Weston, Eisenstadt, Evens, Lange, Cartier-Bresson, Meyerowitz and on and on with works that all had a clear concept to communicate (and may not have followed any of the lengthy lists of pedantic rules).

In fact emulating the artsy fartsy glitter style is easy and anyone can learn it using entry level gear. They don't because it is boring!

The difficult art is communicating concise messages using visual symbols. It is similar to writting well structured non-ambiguous text.

TJBNovember Loc: Long Island, New York

For myself, a snapshot is a picture I captured with my smartphone that called to me at the moment. A photograph is a scene, event or action that I had planned and hoped to capture with my camera to display and/or share and preserve.

Just an added thought on how the technology of the the last decades has changed the definitions of what is or is not a photograph for me.

vetus pictorem

Ok so after twelve pages of heart burn I don't see a definitative answer to a nebulous question. The discussion has generally turned into debate of what is a good or bad picture. The underlying tone is everyone thinks or wants others to appreciate their work. My take away from this discussion is "snapshot" is the equivalent of "lucky shot" or "yeah it's something to look at but you didn't put enough effort or ability in it". Therefore a "snapshot" in this discussion is inferior to a "photograph" whatever the majority deems a"photograph" to be.
Using this information one might assume that "snapshot" is too derogatory and offensive to be "politically correct" and should not be used. Other terms or uphemisms will be needed to convey your true feelings.
I would suggest the word "photograph" also be banned because it is too general and undefined. After all it's just a "nice" way of saying "picture" which is slightly more accurate.
Personally, I will try in the future to refrain from using these inaccurate and offensive words when criticizing and or complimenting others "pictures".
I'm pondering the creation of a rating scale that might be more amenable to those of varying sensitivities.
I don't mean to hijack this thread but would like to know how to comment on others efforts without being misunderstood or offensive. 😃😒😏😀😅😳😉☺️😁😃😂😃💁🏿👍👍👍👍🙏👍👍

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

I refer to all images as snaps. Regardless of how crappy or fantastic they are. So when I say "nice snap" I am not relegating it to being just a snapshot. It may also be a fantastic photograph.

BebuLamar

I prefer the term photogragh over photo, snapshot, image etc... I also prefer the term make rather than take or shoot.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

You are so out of touch. Do you actually believe and do you actually believe that those who read this post of yours believe that they could come up with a photo like those from those links? "Anyone can learn it with entry level gear? First of all, what does the quality of gear has to do with it? You, as a professional with your gear couldnt come anywhere near to producing such work. Never in a million years and neither could most of us. That is why our pictures look what they looked like.

On the other hand, what you produce is being done with entry level gear by most who has a camera of some sort daily.

PS: thank you again for another morning laugh.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

There are too many of your shots that I like. Those who read this thread should check out your results of natives and afterward look at Apaflo's photos from the link he posted of his snaps. Yours are much better.

BebuLamar

These are my 2 snapshots. Although I like them, the interesting thing in both are the couples and I actually didn't see them when I snapped the shots.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Both, but in particular the first, are very good Street Photography.

Consider posting those and others like them in the Street Photography section for informed commentary and discussion.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

There is a Street Photo forum in UHH? 😳