scsdesphotography Loc: Southeastern Michigan

According to a photography book I read years ago, the definitions go like this. A snapshot is an image of what you see. If it has good composition then it's a picture. If it provokes an emotional response in the viewer then it is a "photograph!" Some purist say that it is only a photograph when it's printed.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

I made no such distinction and will not even try. Like I said, all photographs are pictures, but there pictures that are not photographs. Your statements go well beyond any conclusion that could be drawn from what I said.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

People can make up these personal definitions of common words all they want, but how are we going to understand what each other are talking about.

anotherview Loc: California

Template for evaluating and processing a photograph: Effective composition. Good exposure. Interesting subject. Intention or purpose.

This approach goes to photography as a craft. Hence, it minimizes if not excludes the philosophy of photography and its history, in favor of practice.

delder Loc: Maryland

Yes & no.
The ORIGINAL Camera
[CAMERA OBSCURA] output was rendered as a hand-drawn PICTURE, in charcoal, pencil, watercolor, oil or whatever medium was available over the years.
[ 400 BC to present day!]
When photosensitive
[Glass plates then film]
became available, this technology became the pinhole camera.
The various imaging techniques/technology share a LONG history TOGETHER!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Nex time I use my "Camera Obscura" or my wet-plate gear, I'll have to keep my definitions in mind. As a kid, I drilled a hole in the broom closet door, lit up the kitchen in the middle of the night, and tried to make a Camera Obscura. I couldn't get it to work- never saw an image on the back wall of the closet. Parents were not impressed- they filled in the hole and repainted the door! They took a dim view of my damaging the door and attempting to draw on the wall!

delder Loc: Maryland

Remember, the Camera Obscura had an f stop of infinite proportions!
Memory served, this was pretty much a BRIGHT daylight project!

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I see you list composition first in the list. I would rate composition as being one of the most significant factors that can lift a photo up to another level. For that reason I would rate it as being the best starting point for a series of lectures about the difference between good and not so good photography.

The choices of subject and intention/purpose are usually determined beforehand or determined by what circumstances provide. But it's worth mentioning as a subject because we can train our eye to notice good photo-ops.

I would rate exposure as one of the technical issues, along with things like focus, DOF and appropriate shutter speed. Of course all of the technical issues are worth knowing about but they're often over-emphasised, as if they're the main things that differentiate good photography from not so good photography.

I'm not sure what you mean by the philosophy of photography. I don't see photography as needing much in the way of philosophy. If a photo can grab our attention, hold our attention and evoke something in the way of feelings and/or interest, it can claim something in the way of success. That can come from so many different directions I don't see how any one philosophy could cover all bases.

melcohen

Agree with mwsilvers. Keep it simple. You haven’t even considered the term “image”

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Just one of several definitions.


picture | ˈpik(t)SHər |
noun
a painting or drawing: draw a picture of a tree.
• a photograph: we were warned not to take pictures.
• a portrait: have her picture painted.
• archaic a person or thing resembling another closely: she is the very picture of her mother.
• an impression of something formed from an account or description: a full picture of the disaster had not yet emerged.
• an image on a television screen.
• a movie: it took five honors, including best picture.
• (the pictures) the movies: I'm going to the pictures with my buddies.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Now, you tell me! So the 25-watt light bulb in my parent's kitchen didn't hack it. I once put a 100-watt bulb in that fixture and my grandmother asked me if I was going in partnership with the "Edison Company"!

We, at least, let me have my darkroom in the cellar. I assured them the print safelight only used a 7.5 -watt bulb and the enlarger lamp was only on for 10 seconds at a time. I did not tell that about the prin dryer. tThe smell of the brown toner kept the rats away! Brooklyn 1956- lots of rats!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I usually don't rate any of the elements of a good photograph in an order or sequence of importance. I think is ALL composition. To me, the composition is not only the placement of subject matter, framing, etc, and impact points. There is also composition influenced by light/lighting, color, and tone. If you get into portraiture it has to do with pose, line, and space.

You can have a composition thatis the product of the ultimate genius but if the exposure is seriously faulty, the contrast or focus is poorly crafted- waht do you have?

It's like "Love and Marriage and a Horse and Carriage...you can have one without the other!

Why argue over waht element is more important? Try to get it all right. Nobody's perfect and we all have our successes and failures but we still try!

xposure

I have been teaching photography for years, and have been asked that question. I summerize as " A Picture is your memory and snapshot, a photograph is art. It involves the viewer in that they are drawn into the image, with use of composition, exposure, lighting, and subject. It they just glance at it and move on, it is a picture. If the viewer looks intently at the image and maybe gets some sort of feeling, it is a photograph."

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I have yet to see a definition of photograph which says if people are indifferent to it and don't get a feeling from it, then it actually isn't a photograph.

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

Perhaps you should change it to snapshot vs photograph.