snaps vs photographs

J

justlooking

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just wondering ...

I sometime see comments to the affect that the image posted is "just a snap" the implication seems to be that it is not worthy of comment.

So what makes an image an image worthy of comment rather than being "just a snap" ?
 
A Snap imho is being a record of something, usually personal, with no consideration of Correct exposure, composition,subject matter,etc.

A Photograph, well i think i'll leave that to someone else to define, I've got splinters on my a**e:lol:
 
think a snap is like just random pictures, like for instance when i went to the zoo today i just took `snaps` in jpeg of things i thought looked nice, rather than thinking about compositions, using raw, meterings etc etc.
 
i tend to describe it as a snap if ive just rattled it off without much thought.
a photograph when i'm paying attention or looking for a specific "shot".
doesnt mean a snap cant be a good photograph.
if you feel like commenting on a shot, do it.
even if its just "i like that".
 
I think often when someone refers to anothers pic as a snap it's a bit derogarory, usually said deliberately.
 
'tis very subjective
I guess if you put some thought into it, composition, exposure then it's more likely to be a photograph
of course, there are some who just snap away and produce "photographs" every time
us mortals, however...
 
BRASH said:
I think often when someone refers to anothers pic as a snap it's a bit derogarory, usually said deliberately.
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Of course it is. They type it with one hand cos the other is thumbing their nose when they do it.
 
I suppose I'd say a snap is a spur-of-the-moment shot that, as Twentyten said, you don't bother 'fixing' in any way; whereas a photograph is one where you give it some thought before and after you've taken it to see how it could be improved.
 
I tend to think of a 'snap' of being more of an observation, and a photograph being more of a study ... eg if I see something I like the look of, or want to remember, or amuses me etc., I'll take a snap, whereas if I see something and think it'd potentialy make a great photo, I'll take more time over it, and I'd class that as a photograph.

I find that it's the quick snaps that are the most surprising though, especially when you take a picture without much thought and it turns out to be the best of the day.
 
Volume was clear though... :lol:


I think of a snap as a candid, or a spontaneous shot, not previously planned or conceived.
Doesn't the word 'snap' come from an early shutter description... the sound of the shutter snapping action, perhaps this was just the cheaper cameras and this lead to the apparent snobbery.

To me all snaps are photographs and all photographs are snaps.
 
BRASH said:
I think often when someone refers to anothers pic as a snap it's a bit derogarory, usually said deliberately.
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I would agree with you. This forum seems to have a convention where "snap" is a comment people make with the intention of being insulting. References to the "family album" are equally insulting.
 
I think snaps are more personal , a quick snapshot of somthing that catches your eye, a photograph, as others have said, has more thought put into it
 
rh1944 said:
I would agree with you. This forum seems to have a convention where "snap" is a comment people make with the intention of being insulting. References to the "family album" are equally insulting.
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rh1944 said:
More for the family album than the wall is my conclusion.
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Ha Ha! Brilliant.
 
I'd define a snap as being a quick photo that some people may find interesting - nothing necessarily artistic, but interesting none-the-less.

I am confused by your comments though rh, didn't you comment on someone's image with:
"More for the family album than the wall is my conclusion"
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only the other day?

Then today you say:
References to the "family album" are equally insulting.
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Anyway, nothing wrong with "family album" shots, as they hold a lot of memories for some people, and often it's the "snaps" that will find their way in to an album as they're often a more realistic memory of the day rather than any posed photos.
 
OMG dare we really answer this ? it will be quoted back at us for ever.

I think of snaps as what I used to take up till about 3 years ago. I saw something I liked, with little thought or knowledge took a picture. Then I think I started to take photographs, more thought about what I want in it and what I don't go away people cars etc slowly I am in my own iopinion getting better at it.
 
Isn't this more Snap v good photo?
Perhaps:
A snap is a record of that moment in time. A good photo has added wow factor.
 
To me snaps are images taken of a subject with little or no thought for composition. Ie the picture looks like it was pointed at the subject and the picture was taken. The sort of picture your none photographer friends take with there P+S :)
 
Have any of you seen Richard Billingham's 'Ray's a Laugh' work? I posted this in another thread but feel it's relevant here too. Billingham's work has often been described as 'snaps' but is presented as high end Art. I can never make up my mind whether I admire his work. Whilst I like the images he produced as part of 'Ray's a Laugh' I question whether he deserves the full admiration poured upon him for a by product of his day-to-day life. What I mean is that the quality of the images are terrible and were originally taken by him as reference material for paintings (he was a fine art student), so they were just 'snaps' of his family and not intended as documentary images. One day someone saw the images and suggested he show them instead and things snowballed from there.
 
Here's my take on it.

When I call something a snap I mean it doesn't wow me, thats not to say the owner doesn't love it. I take more 'snaps' than decent photographs.
 
One of my workmates, who was formerly a pro, (well still is I suppose, just doesn't do it for a living any more) says some of my stuff is "very picture postcard" which is about the same as "more for the family album than the wall" I think.
He's good enough to point out the problems with the shots and explain how to improve them though.
Yes, mine are most certainly snaps. If there are any photos, it is accidental.
 
There's nothing wrong wth "very picture postcard" after all it sells......well....postcards.
 
I believe the difference between a snap and a photograph is all in the viewers perception of the image.
Some viewers are misled by the equipment used and plenty photographers also.
 
I love a good snap, I wish the word snap had no negative connotation attached. Although I only find this on the internet.

Long live a variety in our photography
 
Garry79 said:
Have any of you seen Richard Billingham's 'Ray's a Laugh' work? I posted this in another thread but feel it's relevant here too. Billingham's work has often been described as 'snaps' but is presented as high end Art. I can never make up my mind whether I admire his work. Whilst I like the images he produced as part of 'Ray's a Laugh' I question whether he deserves the full admiration poured upon him for a by product of his day-to-day life. What I mean is that the quality of the images are terrible and were originally taken by him as reference material for paintings (he was a fine art student), so they were just 'snaps' of his family and not intended as documentary images. One day someone saw the images and suggested he show them instead and things snowballed from there.
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I don't think his Photographs would have worked nearly as well had they not been such poor quality. They are great because they don't seem planned or thought out- there's not been massive amounts of time spent in the darkroom perfecting them or careful planning of focal lengths.

They're ordinary scenes of his life, yeah, but by capturing them and presenting them as art he's making us look at them in a different way, elevating their status; much more than snapshots. Context makes the photograph.
 
iammartin said:
I don't think his Photographs would have worked nearly as well had they not been such poor quality. They are great because they don't seem planned or thought out- there's not been massive amounts of time spent in the darkroom perfecting them or careful planning of focal lengths.

They're ordinary scenes of his life, yeah, but by capturing them and presenting them as art he's making us look at them in a different way, elevating their status; much more than snapshots. Context makes the photograph.
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i think your right context does have alot to do with it. "snaps" of your family will be great to you but will hold little meaning to other people. Portraits of your family with fantastic lighting etc may hold more intrest for a photographer but be less apealing to you as a picture of your family member. Both have their palce and there is nothing wrong with either espically regarding photos of people. With regard to photo of other things i think a snap is a picture of something intresting not necessarily photographed to display it at its best.
 
iammartin said:
They are great because they don't seem planned or thought out- there's not been massive amounts of time spent in the darkroom perfecting them or careful planning of focal lengths.
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Which will have taken alot of effort in itself thus making them not snaps in my opinion!
 
a1ex2001 said:
Which will have taken alot of effort in itself thus making them not snaps in my opinion!
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I'd be surprised if there was that much effort involved in Billingham's shots.
 
justlooking said:
just wondering ...

I sometime see comments to the affect that the image posted is "just a snap" the implication seems to be that it is not worthy of comment.

So what makes an image an image worthy of comment rather than being "just a snap" ?
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If we think of this scientifically then they are one in the same thing... as they are both images produced on a media as a result of a shutter opening and recording light, producing an exposure...

The question of how good a photograph is is a personal one... what some people love... others hate... what some people class as a snap might be what someone who does not have an interest in photography classes as a good picture... There is to many variables on the reasons why people take photos... the equipment used etc etc.

At the end of the day people who post photos on the forum are interested in photography and there can be only two reasons why they post on the topic forums... one is that they are new and require basic advice... so for someone who considers themself good enough at photography to offer that advice to call anyones photo anything derogitory is simply unjust and means they probably wallow in their own self gratification... they would be better being encouraging and saying something like... that effect never worked as you did this wrong but hey dont give up and try this! And to me the same people who post such It's just a snap coments are the same ones who post a perfect picture... they know its good but for some self pleasuring reason they need others to tell them it's a good pic!

Now before im shot down in flames for saying that... it is true...
 
My 2p then...

'Snaps' can be good shots - but often look more like they could have been better shots with a little more thought, effort, skill, repositioning, light, etc.

A great holiday snap would be getting off of the coach with 10 mins to fire off a few shots of a fab scenic view

A 'Photograph' of he same viewpoint would be where the tog has had time to consider composition more, they have climbed something or dropped to the ground to check out angles. They may have changed lenses and certainly considered what combination of shutter/aperture was the better option. If things just weren't right, they may have not even taken that shot at all knowing it'll only be binned later and instead planned to come back another day/time/season


What causes a problem... is that a good tog can create a great photograph as fast as any novice can a snap if all elements on the day are right

So of course all snaps are photos, but for me, not all photos are snaps

DD
 
matty said:
:|

Indeed.

:police:
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It's a pity that no one spotted such an obvious insult earlier. There is a happy band of brothers who don't apologise when they are wrong and don't retract when they cannot substantiate their comments. I'd have thought that one of them who had have been happy to chime in.
 
rh1944 said:
It's a pity that no one spotted such an obvious insult earlier. There is a happy band of brothers who don't apologise when they are wrong and don't retract when they cannot substantiate their comments. I'd have thought that one of them who had have been happy to chime in.
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Well I for one am lost on this post Russ :thinking:

Any chance of a rewording? A link to an example? Or am I just having a thicky moment (again) :shrug:

DD
 
pass.
 
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