Beginners Word Of Advice :)

[Annerotica]

The best thing we beginners can do in this forum is learn the difference between
snapshots and photography.

You are not a photographer if all you ever do is snapshots. Period. Maybe those that do snapshots should be termed Snapograpers

Photography is an art, just like drawing. It takes skill and practice. It takes a decent DLSR. It takes an eye for detail. It takes a lot of knowledge. It takes true grit!!

Realize right off the bat that if we are here in the beginners forum asking for opinions, of our photos, that we will be told how we suck, and we should!!! Otherwise we would not waste our time in a beginners forum, correct?

Point and shoots for the most part will always produce snapshots unless you are a Master with a DLSR, exceptionally lucky, or you have taken hours and hours of your time to make the most out of a small sensor camera (which all point and shoots are).

Snapshots posted here for critique will be critiqued as such. Perhaps a better place for sharing snapshots is Facebook.

There are true masters of the art in these forums, listen to them, learn from them, thank them.

I am here, I used to be a "snapographer". I now know from these forums what a true subject is, what composition is, how important depth of field is and exposure time. Did you know that it can take shooting a single subject over and over at different settings for an hour or more before you get it right? For me it's the only way to learn.

I will post more photos when I feel I have them right. Then I will take that criticism and make them better!!

No excuses, no holding back, is my theme. I want to be the best I can be!

Before posting photos to the forum, ask yourself, is this a snapshot or was i really trying to make this photography. If your answer is snapshot, then don't post it. If you say it's photography, maybe only post a few of those photos, accept your punishment, go back and try again! Go back and shoot the exact same subject again and incorporate suggested improvements. Post the new photos, Repeat cycle over till you "get it".

In the end, you will be glad you are here if you take the suggestions of the wonderful people we have access to here

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

What if I have a photo that I think is just AWESOME, and to everyone else its just a snapshot?

 

[Annerotica]

Then it is an awesome snapshot! I frame those too! As a general rule I do tons more great snapshots then anything else at this point, but did you know with a little editing and cropping it could turn into an artful photo?

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

How can I tell if it's a photograph or merely a snapshot? If I post something I don't want to waste people's time with a snapshot.

 

[Annerotica]

I looked back on your threads, you do pretty well!

 

[jaicatalano]

Snapographers... Great term. I sometimes do shoots where 1 person likes a particular set of photos and the other likes the another set and they work together. I just did a photo session with an actor (Teddy Garces) and he and I were on the same page. Why? Because he knew that we are capturing moments. I am directing him and he is eating it up. Or, hamming it up. Not every shoot is like that but when it is it is a great feeling no matter what the worldwide critics say.

 

[Annerotica]

Here is how I will define for me the difference:

A snapshot: No thought to settings in the camera, no attempt to set or frame the scene, no thought as to interest etc.

Basically, is this something where I just picked up the camera and point and shoot? Sometimes you get a great photo from that but not often .

Photography: did I put thought into the photo, did I use appropriate settings for the photo? Do I have a main focus? Is the photograph sharp or full of Bokah if I wanted it? Is it interesting? Does it tell a story? On and on, bottom line I put some thought into it.

Even when you put great thought into it, it still sometimes is a snapshot when it gets loaded for review. The gurus in here will tell you that and how to improve!

I put up snapshots yesterday (thinking they were photography hehe) and already learned a few things

 

[cgipson1]

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

Thank you, but flattering will get you nowhere... Now answer my question!

Snapshots or photos the most common problem is that people want to be spoon fed everything and return with the same results with little or no effort on their part. Most don't realize, no matter what they shoot with, the effort to achieve knowledge is 90% them and 10% this site. This is obvious by most of the questions that get asked that could be easily answered by a google search or the camera's manual. If one need clarification, then create a post.

I don't have an artistic bone in my body. Hell, I'm not even creative enough to title my photos. I don't produce anything original, I just enjoy the technical challenge.



Edit: Saw that you answered it! I'm just slow....

 

[pgriz]

This is an old thread, but we have touched upon snapshots/photos before... http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...27575-deliberate-act-taking-photograph-2.html

 

[Annerotica]

Haha, snuck that in on you!

I agree, I am doing a ton of reading on my own now . If you look on the Internet it literally says do this, do this, do this, shoot! Isn't that nifty! .

Reviews from here can help with a lot, especially training of the eye, assuming the eye is trainable lol.

 

[TwoTwoLeft]

This is an old thread, but we have touched upon snapshots/photos before... http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...27575-deliberate-act-taking-photograph-2.html

...and I'm sure it wont be the last one either! That's a great thread to add to the discussion.

 

[Annerotica]

This is an old thread, but we have touched upon snapshots/photos before... http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photography-beginners-forum-photo-gallery/227575-deliberate-act-taking-photograph-2.html

That is a great example! Thanks!

 

[rexbobcat]

I'm confused a little bit. You say that great thought put into a photo makes it worthy of being deemed a photograph in an artistic sense.

But then you say that regardless of great thought, sometimes the photo comes out as a snapshot?

Doesn't that mean that a photo is a snapshot whenever it is not aesthetically pleasing/intriguing? So, you could put little thought into a photo, but if it something that appeals to the human sense of what looks good....then it can still be a photograph.

I just think that snapshots are those shots that don't give the viewer anything, regardless of the amount of work put into it. They merely present, instead of communicate. I've taken some really good snapshots with my P&S without knowing anything about DSLRs, or the formal rules of photography. I just looked at the photo at the scene and asked myself "would I want this framed on my wall?"

 

[pgriz]

I think that part of the issue is that "good" photography tries to isolate the subject, simplify the composition and make it clear to the viewer what the point of the photo is. Snapshots are excellent as a record of a time and place, but from an artistic point of view often have distracting elements, encroaching foregrounds, multiple points of visual attraction, etc. So to transform the snapshot into a photograph requires some thought as to what is to be included, and what is to be excluded. Of the material to be included, which is to be placed in a "strong" position, and which is to play a supporting role?