I’ve been a member of a local photography club for almost ten years and if I’ve seen one I’ve seen a hundred when it comes to the snap-shot. We love to hate this in-bread cousin to ‘real’ photographs. For full disclosure I take snap-shots, I take them often and I’m not ashamed (well maybe a little).

Background

According to Wikipedia:

“A snapshot is popularly defined as a photograph that is “shot” spontaneously and quickly, most often without artistic or journalistic intent. Snapshots are commonly considered to be technically “imperfect” or amateurish—out of focus or poorly framed or composed. Common snapshot subjects include the events of everyday life, such as birthday parties and other celebrations, sunsets, children playing, group photos, pets, tourist attractions and the like.”

It turns out the term ‘snapshot’ was in popular use even before the advent of photography. According to ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Twentieth Century History’

“Before 1900 the word “snapshot” was a hunting term that meant a quick shot without careful aim.  After the introduction of the Brownie, however, the word was universally applied to photographs casually taken with a  handheld camera and its original meaning was forgotten”

Prior to the introduction of the Kodak ‘Brownie’ camera you needed a very expensive setup in order to take a photograph. When the inexpensive Brownie camera was introduced it was actually marketed to children. That marketing introduced the term ‘snapshot’ applied to taking photographs to document everyday life. Snapshot became the antithesis of professional.

Quick and Unplanned

The beauty of the snapshot is the thing that makes is so common is the same thing that makes is so great. It can capture a very emotional and personal moment in the life of the person taking the snapshot and the subject. The key image in this post is such a moment. My wife Tracy and I were about to take a one-year hiatus from everyday life and travel around the world. To do that we needed to get rid of a lot of the stuff we have accumulated but didn’t need or want to put into storage. When I say storage I mean put our boxes into the basements of our friends and families houses. This ‘snapshot’ was taken by a close friend just after we finished having an ‘apartment sale’. Its like a yard sale for people who live in an apartment.

Here you see the apartment sale in all its glory.

So this poorly composed and cluttered snapshot does something that the casual viewer can’t understand, it show two people about to embark on a life-changing adventure. It floods my mind with all the feelings of excitement and nervous energy that carried me through the next few weeks as we packed and planned. There are probably a dozen stories that go along with these two snapshots that can only be brought to mind when looking at these photos.

Powerful

That is the power of the snapshot. That is what makes is so great. It helps document a life. Because life is always great light, beautiful smiles and nice composition. Sometimes its just a snapshot.