Snapshot vs Photograph

[AgentDrex]

What's the difference?

How can one tell the difference between a snapshot and a good photo?

 

[AdrianC]

I guess a snapshot is when you just point the camera and shoot, with no thought to the composition of the picture. This often results in a low quality picture.

 

[squee]

I guess a snapshot is when you just point the camera and shoot, with no thought to the composition of the picture. This often results in a low quality picture.

Sometimes you get lucky with snapshots and sometimes you're trained so well you look for composition intuitively. I think a snapshot is just a photo that can't be 'saved' with PPing and there's just nothing artistic (technically or creatively) about it.

 

[ann]

this is my definition.

a snapshot apeals to only the people in the photo or to someone who knows them or the photographer.

a photograph will make a strange take a second look and perhaps even a wow.

it is so hard as we all bring our "luggage " to the table which influences our preceptions.

 

[gsgary]

Someone in another post said sports shots are snapshots so i shoot 90% snapshots

 

[Derrel]

Every snapshot is a photograph. But not every photograph is a snapshot.

 

[Polyphony]

Someone in another post said sports shots are snapshots so i shoot 90% snapshots

That was me and I still hold that opinion.

For me, a snapshot is a shot that is taken quickly without thought. It doesn't mean the shot is bad, it just means it was a quick shot (a "snap"shot). In sports photography, you often take many pictures in hopes of catching that perfect moment.

If you take a picture of something that you put any level of thought into, then it's not a snapshot. In other words, if you planned the shot, it's not a snapshot. You don't plan the moment a receiver catches a touchdown pass, so it's a snapshot. (Again, this is not a bad thing.)

A snapshot could be in National Geographic and so could a "photograph". To me, the two terms don't differentiate between quality, they differentiate between method of shooting.

 

[gsgary]

Someone in another post said sports shots are snapshots so i shoot 90% snapshots

That was me and I still hold that opinion.

For me, a snapshot is a shot that is taken quickly without thought. It doesn't mean the shot is bad, it just means it was a quick shot (a "snap"shot). In sports photography, you often take many pictures in hopes of catching that perfect moment.

If you take a picture of something that you put any level of thought into, then it's not a snapshot. In other words, if you planned the shot, it's not a snapshot. You don't plan the moment a receiver catches a touchdown pass, so it's a snapshot. (Again, this is not a bad thing.)

A snapshot could be in National Geographic and so could a "photograph". To me, the two terms don't differentiate between quality, they differentiate between method of shooting.

I'm sorry to piss on your fireworks but i put a lot of thought into my sport shots, where the light is coming from, best angle to shoot from and best settings, no good sport shot is a snapshot
Here's a few of my snapshots

 

[squee]

To me, the two terms don't differentiate between quality, they differentiate between method of shooting.

:thumbup: I agree. I don't think it's anything to take offense to, either.

 

[Polyphony]

Someone in another post said sports shots are snapshots so i shoot 90% snapshots

That was me and I still hold that opinion.

For me, a snapshot is a shot that is taken quickly without thought. It doesn't mean the shot is bad, it just means it was a quick shot (a "snap"shot). In sports photography, you often take many pictures in hopes of catching that perfect moment.

If you take a picture of something that you put any level of thought into, then it's not a snapshot. In other words, if you planned the shot, it's not a snapshot. You don't plan the moment a receiver catches a touchdown pass, so it's a snapshot. (Again, this is not a bad thing.)

A snapshot could be in National Geographic and so could a "photograph". To me, the two terms don't differentiate between quality, they differentiate between method of shooting.

I'm sorry to piss on your fireworks but i put a lot of thought into my sport shots, where the light is coming from, best angle to shoot from and best settings, no good sport shot is a snapshot
Here's a few of my snapshots

I think you misunderstood me or I was not clear enough. You may have planned where you shoot from and where the light is coming from but you did not plan where the bicycle rider would be as he came around that bend. You did not plan where the ball would be after it was deflected (or missed) by the goalie. You just snapped the picture when something interesting happened (or might happen). You didn't plan the expression on the goalie's face when he realized he missed the save. It's just a photo that you took in a snap. Hence, a snapshot. It's a great photograph, but it is described as a snapshot.

Like Derrel said, all snapshots are photographs, but not all photographs are snapshots.

 

[white]

What's the difference?

How can one tell the difference between a snapshot and a good photo?

Intent.

 

[gsgary]

That was me and I still hold that opinion.

For me, a snapshot is a shot that is taken quickly without thought. It doesn't mean the shot is bad, it just means it was a quick shot (a "snap"shot). In sports photography, you often take many pictures in hopes of catching that perfect moment.

If you take a picture of something that you put any level of thought into, then it's not a snapshot. In other words, if you planned the shot, it's not a snapshot. You don't plan the moment a receiver catches a touchdown pass, so it's a snapshot. (Again, this is not a bad thing.)

A snapshot could be in National Geographic and so could a "photograph". To me, the two terms don't differentiate between quality, they differentiate between method of shooting.

I'm sorry to piss on your fireworks but i put a lot of thought into my sport shots, where the light is coming from, best angle to shoot from and best settings, no good sport shot is a snapshot
Here's a few of my snapshots

I think you misunderstood me or I was not clear enough. You may have planned where you shoot from and where the light is coming from but you did not plan where the bicycle rider would be as he came around that bend. You did not plan where the ball would be after it was deflected (or missed) by the goalie. You just snapped the picture when something interesting happened (or might happen). You didn't plan the expression on the goalie's face when he realized he missed the save. It's just a photo that you took in a snap. Hence, a snapshot. It's a great photograph, but it is described as a snapshot.

Like Derrel said, all snapshots are photographs, but not all photographs are snapshots.

I still disagree if you know the sport you have a good idea what is going to happen, but you are saying it is guess work which is wrong, this shot was planned because the owner of the nearest horse asked if i could get one with its legs at full stretch

 

[Polyphony]

I'm sorry to piss on your fireworks but i put a lot of thought into my sport shots, where the light is coming from, best angle to shoot from and best settings, no good sport shot is a snapshot
Here's a few of my snapshots

I think you misunderstood me or I was not clear enough. You may have planned where you shoot from and where the light is coming from but you did not plan where the bicycle rider would be as he came around that bend. You did not plan where the ball would be after it was deflected (or missed) by the goalie. You just snapped the picture when something interesting happened (or might happen). You didn't plan the expression on the goalie's face when he realized he missed the save. It's just a photo that you took in a snap. Hence, a snapshot. It's a great photograph, but it is described as a snapshot.

Like Derrel said, all snapshots are photographs, but not all photographs are snapshots.

I still disagree if you know the sport you have a good idea what is going to happen, but you are saying it is guess work which is wrong, this shot was planned because the owner of the nearest horse asked if i could get one with its legs at full stretch

Still a snapshot. You waited for the moment that you "thought" the legs would be at full stride. Regardless of how much you "knew" when that was going to happen. That is only due to your experience watching the sport. You were still guessing though. You could have pressed the shutter half a second too early or late. Just the fact that the shot is constrained by so little time indicates to me that it is a snapshot. If an image can be made or ruined in fractions of a second, it is a snapshot. You can not argue that you knew EXACTLY when the goalie would look at the ball, or EXACTLY when the horses legs would be in the perfect position. Whichever way you look at it, you guessed.

Edit: And if you shot in burst mode, that speaks "snapshot" even more.

I think you're getting defensive because you think that I'm saying all snapshots are bad. That is not what I'm saying. Re-read my posts if you have to.

The question of whether to use "photograph" or "snapshot" is dependent on time, not thought.

 

[gsgary]

I think you misunderstood me or I was not clear enough. You may have planned where you shoot from and where the light is coming from but you did not plan where the bicycle rider would be as he came around that bend. You did not plan where the ball would be after it was deflected (or missed) by the goalie. You just snapped the picture when something interesting happened (or might happen). You didn't plan the expression on the goalie's face when he realized he missed the save. It's just a photo that you took in a snap. Hence, a snapshot. It's a great photograph, but it is described as a snapshot.

Like Derrel said, all snapshots are photographs, but not all photographs are snapshots.

I still disagree if you know the sport you have a good idea what is going to happen, but you are saying it is guess work which is wrong, this shot was planned because the owner of the nearest horse asked if i could get one with its legs at full stretch

Still a snapshot. You waited for the moment that you "thought" the legs would be at full stride. Regardless of how much you "knew" when that was going to happen. That is only due to your experience watching the sport. You were still guessing though. You could have pressed the shutter half a second too early or late. Just the fact that the shot is constrained by so little time indicates to me that it is a snapshot. If an image can be made or ruined in fractions of a second, it is a snapshot. You can not argue that you knew EXACTLY when the goalie would look at the ball, or EXACTLY when the horses legs would be in the perfect position. Whichever way you look at it, you guessed.

Edit: And if you shot in burst mode, that speaks "snapshot" even more.

I think you're getting defensive because you think that I'm saying all snapshots are bad. That is not what I'm saying. Re-read my posts if you have to.

I'm off to the pub before i get angry are you saying any newb could get the shot, not going by some shots i see on here

 

[Polyphony]

I still disagree if you know the sport you have a good idea what is going to happen, but you are saying it is guess work which is wrong, this shot was planned because the owner of the nearest horse asked if i could get one with its legs at full stretch

Still a snapshot. You waited for the moment that you "thought" the legs would be at full stride. Regardless of how much you "knew" when that was going to happen. That is only due to your experience watching the sport. You were still guessing though. You could have pressed the shutter half a second too early or late. Just the fact that the shot is constrained by so little time indicates to me that it is a snapshot. If an image can be made or ruined in fractions of a second, it is a snapshot. You can not argue that you knew EXACTLY when the goalie would look at the ball, or EXACTLY when the horses legs would be in the perfect position. Whichever way you look at it, you guessed.

Edit: And if you shot in burst mode, that speaks "snapshot" even more.

I think you're getting defensive because you think that I'm saying all snapshots are bad. That is not what I'm saying. Re-read my posts if you have to.

I'm off to the pub before i get angry are you saying any newb could get the shot, not going by some shots i see on here

I'm not saying any newb could get the shot. Like you said, the shots you showed require you to scope out a good location and angle from which you will be able to take advantage of light and movement of the players. You still need to think and know about composition, lighting etc.

On the other hand, if you set up your camera in that position, adjusted all the settings to your liking, and then picked a 13 year old from the crowd to press the shutter button when he saw the ball go passed the goalie, the shot would be the same. It's still a snapshot. This example removes the photographer from the image and focuses (no pun intended) on the variable that determines "snapshot" or "photograph" (in MY opinion), which is time.

Also remember, we are both allowed to have our opinions. Just keep in mind that I am NOT saying your photos are bad by calling them "snapshots".