Image by Cheryl Holt
If there is one phrase guaranteed to grind the gears of most photographers, it’s “nice snapshot”. We simply don’t do snaps, we shoot photographs, create images, make art, but never take snapshots. Snaps is one of those terms that is accepted by the English speaking world as a photo or the action of taking a photo.
Yet for the English speaking photographic world, it is a nasty four letter “s” word that denigrates our chosen pastime or profession, it sends shivers down our spine just to hear the word even if it is not directed at us.
Remember part of taking snap shots is about capturing moments, especially at friends and family gatherings. Therefore, Learning How To Photography Kids Naturally could a great place to start building your confidence and knowledge before heading to those events.
Today, however, I am going to put the case forward that we should all be taking snaps, spending at least some of our time as snappers and not serious photographers.
1. The first reason is quite simple. It takes us back to our photographic roots. Think back to a time where photography was not such an important part of your life.
Your camera was maybe a cheap compact, or even a smartphone, you knew nothing about f. stops and ISO, you simply raised the camera to your eye and took a snap. Remember how great it felt when you looked at that image on the screen or for those old enough received the prints back from the developers.
There was no deep analysis of why the image was slightly blurry or too light. You simply enjoyed the images for what they were, snaps.
Taking photography too seriously can lead to you losing those precious moments. By Brett Samuel
Fast forward to now and think about what happens when a family member or friend hands you a camera and asks you to take a picture. You politely refuse to use their camera, instead insisting on taking the shot on your own.
You spend the next 30 minutes hunting down batteries for your flashguns, blowing the dust off your reflectors and metering the available light. To everyone else, just wasting precious time.
By which time your friend has gone to the pub. In years to come instead of sitting in your rocking chair, a grandchild to each side, flipping through hundreds of great family snapshots, you are sat rigid at a computer pondering over the technical aspects of some fine if slightly staid looking portraits of your family and friends. All of whom have gone to the pub without you.
My point? In other words, we can lose sight of one of the greatest aspects that photography can bring us, creating and preserving memories. And that is a very sad thing.
By the time you have prepared the shot, she may have gone to play with friends. By Jonathan Thomsen Photography
2. The second reason for taking snapshots is also simple. It can make us a better photographer. By re-introducing some spontaneity to our photography instead of trying to analyze every scene before pressing the shutter, we start to learn more not only about the capabilities of our cameras but also our own capabilities.
Because we are now armed with a wealth of knowledge about all things photographic, we can look at our images in post production and see where things have worked well and where we should have done something a little different.
By taking snapshots, over a period of time we are, in fact, training ourselves to be instinctive photographers. We are learning things from our snapshot, mistakes that allow us to think quickly and incisively when shooting.
We learn to compose quicker, change exposure quicker, in short get that shot quicker. That means we have more time to take more shots.
Taking snapshots can make us a more instinctive photographer. By Steven Roberge
3. The last reason for taking snapshots is twofold. Firstly it’s fun, secondly, it makes us more fun. Let’s be honest here, how many times have you been out on a day trip with the family to find that you spend so much time taking serious, artistic images that you entirely neglect not only your family but also any enjoyment that you might get from the place you are visiting.
Pack away the DSLR, pull out a compact or smartphone and start snapping away. Shoot silly shots of your friends and family, point and shoot at anything interesting and engaging, take snaps.
Not only will you become more fun to your friends but you will enjoy yourself so much more. If it’s a once in a lifetime location, devote an hour or so to snap shooting and the rest to serious photography.
Having fun when taking snaps relaxes you and a relaxed photographer is a creative one.
Remember part of taking snap shots is about capturing moments, especially at friends and family gatherings. Therefore, Learning How To Photography Kids Naturally could a great place to start building your confidence and knowledge before heading to those events.
Summary
Snap might sound a feel like an ugly word especially with it’s connotations to the photographic world. Get past the word though and the concept of shooting snaps is a good one. Your create memories, learn spontaneity and have fun. Surely that’s actually why we all started photography in the first place.
Further Resources
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