I think "well it's just a snap anyway" pretty well reflects my feelings towards what a snapshot is. When I DON'T feel a need to include that disclaimer, I believe I've taken a real photograph.
Very well put statements Jostein. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Jostein [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:28 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: What is snapshot? (seriously) > > > > > I think, Boris, that "snapshot" refers to the state of mind of the > photographer at the moment of exposure. It could mean to Shoot On > Impulse as in situations that arise so quickly that you don't have > time to think if you want to capture it. However, I think it's more > common to think of it as Shooting Without Involving Your Brain Too > Much. > > I also think it has different meanings in different contexts. > > In the context of describing one's own images, it is used as an excuse > for eventual weaknesses in the picture. It is like saying "don't go > harsh on me, because I didn't really put my soul in this one", or > maybe "this happened so fast I really had no time to think what I was > doing". It is also very convenient to resort to if a photo receives > harsh critique; "well it's just a snap anyway". > > I would never have dared to classify another photograper's image as a > snapshot, though. In the context of commenting someone's pictures, I > think it is a very derogatory term. It's like saying "yeah, I can see > you didn't really think before shooting this". > > In a "third person" context, the term becomes more general and > abstract. The things that comes to my mind are "family albums" as in > recording Who Dined With Your Family At The Last Grill Party At Your > Summer House, or maybe as randomly collecting images because you're > outside airing the dog anyway. > > I would also argue that Lomography is not snapshooting. Simply because > a Lomographer is basically very mentally aware of the kind of pictures > that is recorded. :-) > > Jostein>
