What is snapshot? Is it street photography? From the very start I learned about street photography, this question keep coming from many people out there and somehow I start question myself, what make me think that what I am doing now is street photography instead of snapshot?
Why sometimes people call “bad quality street photo” as snapshot? What is the different? Is it even matter to think about it?
For me, to do street photography I need to have a vision about what I will shoot before I jump to street and photograph things. Let’s say, for example, my friend asked me to “photo hunting” in local traditional market, my mind automatically think like “oh great, now let’s see if i can get unique gesture, facial expression, human interactions, and if Sun is being nice, perhaps I will get some silhouette/shadow shots too”.
I believe that every great street photos out there, if we look deeper then we can feel the photographer really gave his careful thought how to freeze moments from reality, how to create relation between subject and object, and always have strong point/reason why they capture their photos in that way. To conclude, street photography is kind of photograph that need a certain concept before shoot, just like any other type of photographs like landscape, modelling, food, flat lay, etc.
So how about snapshot? When I searched in google try to looking deeper meaning about snapshot word, I conclude that snapshot itself means:
- An informal photograph
- A quick shot taken without deliberate aim
Kind of shot that we shot without full of consideration, without having vision before action. We just act because we like it, because these objects attract our eyes, mind, or feeling. I feel there is always a joy inside if I can capture something that attract me, without me need to even thinking about it, yet, I like the photo without any particular reasons.
These shots could be taken anywhere and anytime, without any limitations, because there is no concept behind it. It could be there is people nor without people inside frame. Anything that we please.
Snapshot is a type of shot that just free yourself from everything, and start shot what you “really” like, with any camera you have in your hand, without worry about noise quality, colour accuracy, dynamic composition, or any other technical stuff. Not even from other people’s opinions nor your own judgement. Actually, it is about we capture things that make us embrace the beauty of this world.
Though could be there are not many technical aspects inside the photo (geometry, layer, emotion, clear subject, strong story line, etc), usually snapshot is more honest. It is a kind of shot that reflects how we see this world through our eyes, mind and feeling. Snapshot knows no genres, it is just pure shot to delicate our senses, therefore snapshot can exist in all type of photography. There is always a snapshot version from all of photography genres.
So, the ultimate question is: Is snapshot also a street photography?
My final answer: Snapshot can exist in all genres. At the right moment, snapshot could be considered as a street photo. At the other moments, snapshot also can become other type of photography like travel, landscape, human interest, minimalism, architecture, black and white, or any other genres as long as this shot has created purely and spontaneously by instinct of our senses. Not because we think or make concept before clicking camera shutter. Snapshot is simply the most general genre in photography.
That is all about my thought about snapshot in photography. Start shooting and enjoy your snapshot time. See you!
Keep shooting and stay inspired,
Nico Harold