Sunday, November 29, 2009

QOTD

On the fredmiranda.com forum, the question was asked: what is the difference between a candid shot from a snapshot.

As one participant put it : "To me, a snapshot is a picture that looks as though the photographer didn't spend much time composing or worrying about their camera's parameters."

The quote of the day is:

I would think there is a difference and its important that we take more "snapshots" as they are part of the collective memory of our planet.

As a photographer I take shots as requested by paying clients or what I want for my personal work. What I don't do enough of is take snaps of family and friends which just record a moment in time.

Just an other take on the place of the snap shot in our world.
John

A response by shootr was:
Thats a very interesting idea John.

I have begun to find it odd that virtually every one of my friends who doesn't shoot professionally has literally thousands of images documenting and capturing the various moments of their lives.

I am lucky if I have a handful.

The tales and stories that their images tell live many years past them. I was reminded of this recently by a few deaths of people I knew. Two separate and distinct twenty something girls I hung out with. At their memorials, and online were gathered a massive collection of visual reminders of who they were, their vibrance and life.

It really stopped me dead in my tracks when it struck me that if I would so tragically end, how little of who I was could be shared beyond the sequestered groups of friends I maintain.

At those memorial services, I relived happy memories, as well as developed some new ones from images where I had not been a participant. I left the memorial knowing that they were incredibly diverse and wonderful people who impacted so many people's lives in so many positive ways.

So I fully agree with your notion of improving the collective memory of the planet.