Snapshot Or Photograph? What's The Difference?

Every War Has an End. (click to enlarge)
From my Graffiti series

I've often thought about the difference between a snapshot and a photograph.  I still haven't fully clarified in my mind what is the difference, but I've been thinking about it lately.  Here are some of my thoughts.

I think there can be a crossover between the two as sometimes a casual snapshot can turn into a photograph through the acquisition of unintended meaning.  In other words, a person takes a casual photo but ends up making an image of a subject in such a way as it gains significance.  Certainly, there are a lot of "photographs" that were made by serious photographers that aren't really more than a snapshot.  We've all seen them and said to ourselves, "You are kidding?  That is important? That is worth $XXX?"

So what is the difference?  In my mind, and these are my thoughts only and a definition that is beginning to work for me—A snapshot is an image taken without much thought, casual in intent, that typically only has meaning to the photographer and those who have a relationship to the photographer or are the recipient of the image–i.e., the image was made to show to them.  For others who don't know the subject (people or place) of a snapshot, the image has little or no meaning.  The image doesn't transcend beyond the photographer and a few others at best.  It then becomes somewhat forgotten.

A photograph will transcend having meaning only to a few and provide meaning to most. It is taken with purpose, thought and care, capturing a universal theme.  A photograph says something to a wide audience and may have value across generations, geographic regions and time.

Again, the two can be interchangeable.  Sometimes a simple snapshot can go viral, gain great fame and become valuable as an unintended consequence of happenstance.  The snapshooter just happened to hit on something that strikes a chord with everyone.  On the other hand, how many of us have seen "valuable photographs" that are nothing more than marketing hype as a meaningful photograph that we should admire and derive great meaning?  It is a photograph because someone told you it was and you must believe it!

I'm still working my way through this little train of thoughts.  But I thought I would share what I have so far just to get it in writing and out there to anyone who may be toying with the same subject.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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