How do you tell the difference between a snapshot ,and photography ?

Question

The reason I am asking is, i really enjoy photography , and i would like to know if my images are snapshots, here's my flickr account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13606906@N04/?savedsettings=2060214507#photo2060214507

Answer 1

A snapshot is photography,
but tends to be
a little more Off - the - Cuff,
less formal,
spur of the moment,
with little or no planning;

As compared to the Art
of a skilled photographer,
which tends to take into account things like;
subject matter, composition,
key lighting, ambient lighting & back lighting,
framing, focus, & depth of field
to impart to the subject a certain effect or mood,
as to instill harshness or flattery to the subject.

In the (old) days of film & paper,
the type of film/paper was of great importance.
Besides the obvious differences of
Glossy or Matte textured print paper,
and the effect they can impart;
different types of film including:
Black & White, or Color,
Positive>Slides,Movies,Kodachrome,Ektachrome,Polaroid<
>Most Movie Theatre films<
Negative> (most types of still & some home movie film),
Infrared, High contrast, and even X - Ray;
Each variation in film and paper gives a totally different effect to the captured image.
And that does not even mention
how different lenses can,
include or exclude certain elements(composition);
distort or compress the scene(fish - eye or telephoto);
artificially tint(colored filters);
blurr (soft - focus); or
flair(star filter) a scene.

Better cameras let you
manipulate the amount of time
the exposure takes;
>A short exposure time allows you to
freeze the wings of a humming bird or
get a sharp image of a football player.
>A slower exposure lets you
blurrrrr the motion of a race car or
smear neon lights
as thru the eyes of a drunk.

With a flash, you can get
>sharp images in low light situations, or
>multiple images in the same shot.
>Like a tennis player as they
arch through a serve.
>Stop motion photography
uses a short exposure combined with a flash
to FREEZE images of machinery for troubleshooting. (stroboscopic tachiometry)
A similar technique is used for motion pictures
(only slower syncronised shutter speeds are used)

A skilled photographer (Ansel Adams, for example) can
> Dodge <(block out light) while making a print,
to make a very bold item in a scene
fade or even disappear.
(scars,warts,telephone poles,etc.) Oppositely, he can
> Burn - In<(concentrate extra light) to make something that you could barely see,very prominent
(backgrounds can be faded due to {Depth of Field [front to rear area of focus] or Field of Coverage [a lens ability to collect light evenly from center to edge] issues}).

Papparazzi and Newspaper Photographers are the
closest to taking snapshots,
but they still need to do some planning;
Where and When to get to best picture.
Many times it's just a matter of opportunity!
>car wrecks & Brittany Spears<
*are'nt they the same thing?*

At the other end of the scale is
Product, Portrait and Wedding Photographers.
They usually have extensive set - ups
in order to get consistant and profitable results.

Landscape and Architectural Photographers
are in the middle as they must produce top quality
results, but are at the mercy of mother nature for
composition, lighting, and weather.
(outdoor weddings are included here!)

A snapshot is a photograph but
a photograph is usually not a snapshot.

Some snapshots can be great,
and even pro photographers
take bad pictures sometimes.
The pros just take a lot longer to do it.
It's just how you practice the art!

Answer 2

Anyone can take a snapshot, they usually do it on auto where the picture is taken without any thought on composure, lighting, depth of field or even the subject. I have seen many snapshots where the subject was a couple at the end of a park and I could hardly even notice them in the picture let alone that they were the main subject. A photograph on the other hand is taken with great thought to the above points. Nothing is in the photo to distract and if it is, the photographer made sure it was blured out or moved out of the frame. The lighting is just how the person wanted it, and the shadows are where they are to be. Often done with artificial means, but can also be with patience such as nature photographers who get up at 4:00am and wait for the light of the sun to be "Just right" I hope this help clears it up, if not ask a ant or uncle to take a picture of a mountain then type in Ansel Adams and look at some of his. You will know all you need to in a half a second.

Answer 3

Someone else just asked this question within 2-3 days, so you might search for those answers. My opinion was (more or less)...

A snapshot is something that you saw and decided to capture in an image. Although it may be technically below par, it still preserves a memory for you.

Photography consists of images that someone who has no connection with your cat would still enjoy and admire.

This may not be the best example, but it's a HINT of what I'm talking about. These are two shots made by my daghter shortly after she got a Canon Rebel something-or-other (35 mm film) with a self-timer. She and her sister (aka: my other daughter) were playing around. One is definitely a snapshot. The other might qualify as photography. It's not "great" photgraphy by any means, but someone somewhere might like to have a print of this, even if they didn't know the girl in the picture.

Snapshot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1331683478/
Photography?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1330820209/

Snapshot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/2040634039/
Photography?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/441244832/ (Same subject, same place, one hour earlier)

Snapshot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13606906@N04/1779548714/
Photography: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13606906@N04/2064608418/

Snapshot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1959869071/
Photography!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16949082@N07/2065172098/

Answer 4

A snapshot is a picture that was taken with very little to no forethought, purely for the purpose of capturing a moment, and is technically photography. If ur wondering if you can call yourself a photographer, the only thing that really matters is the thought you put in it. Some will tell you it's the equipment you use, the schooling you have, or the income you make, but I've seen some crappy pictures come from people who have all three. So luck to you.

Answer 5

Annafur, yes your images are photography and you have the makings of a fine photographer. You are way past the snapshot phase, if you ever went through it. I have my doubts about that.

I know some fairly good photographers that have discussed your work and enjoy watching your development.

Vance

Answer 6

The term "snapshot" conjures up visions of pictures with:

Heads partially missing
Feet cut off
Harsh shadows from on-camera flash
Redeye from on-camera flash
Tilted horizons
Poorly focused
Poorly exposed
Marginally recognizable subjects due to low quality camera

A photograph has none of the above

Answer 7

A snapshot is just a random picture taken that anybody can take. It doesn't take a lot of thought, organizing, brainstorming, etc. for a snapshot.

Now a photography style picture is one with an artistic touch. One with a sense of structure and taste. One that does take time to put together. It is more of a premeditated form of a picture.

Answer 8

Is this like a knock knock joke?

What suggest that they aren't the same?

I know... answering a question with a question.

Lets Define each:
Snapshot: A photograph taken without preparation to capture a split second of opportunity.

Photography: A captured image.

Conclusion: snapshot is a type of photography. Therefore, all snapshots are considered photography -- Not all photography is considered a snapshot. It's all about what inspired the shot.

Edit: Why does everyone believe that a snapshot requires no thought, technique, or skill? Doesn't anyone consider Photography to be something that you would alter the light/composition/etc. to achieve a desired goal while a snapshot would be capturing something in the moment and worrying more about content than everything else? Why does good content not equal good photography? Is photojournalism not photography?

There needs to be another word for snapshots that aren't photography. Crapshot?

Answer 9

Well... I'd say from what you have on flickr, what you do is much more artistic than a typical snapshot. Wow! Some of them are absolutely breathtaking.

Thanks for sharing.

If you don't mind my asking, what are you shooting with?

Answer 10

For me, photography, is the whole pie, anything to do with using light to create an image.

Some subsets of photography:
Videography, of which there are more subsets.

Photo-graphy, of which there are more subsets, like snapshots, technical shots, artistic shots, etc...

all of which have their own subsets, and maybe even some intermingling...

There was a time today, this answer would have made more sense. Hope it helps.