Candid or Snapshot?
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What is a candid photo?
Being a photographer, I always wonder if the shot that I just took was a candid or a snapshot. How would you define candid and how does it different from a snapshot? Is one better than the other? This lens will hopefully amass some answers.
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What is a Snapshot?
When I started photographing weddings, I knew that my shooting preference was photojournalistic. In my mind, my style is similar that of a photographer covering a news beat. But for some reason, once prospective clients realize what I just explained to them, they would go for what they know it and blurt out , " Oh, candid shots!". Then all of a sudden, my great 'photojournalist' skills is reduced to that of Uncle Fred who goes around the table and shout "cheese!" to the guests at the reception and then click!For some reason, I feel that candid and snapshot are one and the same. I never mention 'C' word in my website because I think it's derogatory. But maybe I am just uneducated about the definition and difference in between the two.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that a snapshot is a photo that illicits the photographer's emotions alone. For example, Uncle Fred takes a photo of his daughter scarfing down the wedding cake with her hand and gets a kick out of it then that's a snapshot. As far as Fred is concerned, what he just took was a snapshot.
A candid photo is one that not only illicits the photographer's emotion but also the emotion of anybody who views the photos. Princess Diana with Prince Charles inside a horse drawn carriage is an example of a
So, now that I have said all the above - what do you think is the difference in between a snapshot and a candid photo?
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Readers' Responses
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mahimattphoto
Mar 10, 2011 @ 7:47 pm | delete
- Interesting question. My thoughts are the following and may be a bit reversed from your thoughts. To me a snap shot is unplanned on the part of the photog but often posed by the subject. A candid is planned by the photog and unplanned or unaware by the subject.
Candid: http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/bgfDL73A/1/4899366
http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/bgfDL73A/1/4899366#imageID=114851966
Snapshot: http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/b529GWfy/1/4985627#imageID=120047104
That is just my take on it. Thanks for making me think about it!
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by ramyphotography
My pen is a Canon 5D. I have written about 150 weddings since 2004. Each and one of them have been a unique and really fun experience. I foresee doing... more »
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