anthonysemone wrote:
well, whatever they are called, I think you've done one helluva good job with these takes. #5 is compelling, as is #3. I sure look forward to the day when I can capture as much feeling in a photo as you have in these. Damn fine work, sir.
In my view, a "candid" is first and foremost a portrait, with a defined and focused subject, that is taken in its circumstances, as it happens, unposed by the photographer. The photographer may anticipate the moment (hopefully he or she does), and prepare for it to occur. The subject may or may not know he or she is about to be photographed, but it's definitely not posed or directed by the photographer. If it's posed, it's not really "candid", right?
A snapshot, on the other hand, is simply a record of what happened at a particular moment in front of the lens. It may be good, or bad, depending on the visual and technical skill of the photographer. It is characterized by opportunity, rather than planning.
If you look at the masterful work of Jay Maisel, there are excellent examples of both candids and snapshots. In this vein, a "snapshot" is certainly not perjorative.
bob parrish wrote:
Are they candids? Or snapshots?
Bob
to me these are all candids, hence the question I posed to see how others interpreted them. In some cases the subject saw me taking their photo and in some they didn't.
None were posed and some were grabbed as I saw someone on the street (#4) or a location which I thought would work if as a background (#3), this shot was of a group of people who were walking in a line and just cropped out the girl later.
a lot of what I do I call "grab shots" which is similar to "snap shots" but there is a certain amount of though involved.
john
forrest5000 wrote:
I take 100's of candids but have never sold one so I would disagree.
A candid is usually seen as a shot of a person when they are unaware that a shot is been taken.
A snap shot can be anything and does not even have to have people in it. I think that the question may requrie rephrasing as it is currently comparing apples and oranges to some extent.
John
John I am really trying to understand where the boundary is between snapshot and candid as it relates to this forum. I agree a snapshot could have no people, but my question was meant to be specific to the people forum. BTW I would say that your grabs were candids. mike
Lots of good thoughts here. Personally I see a huge difference between snapshots & candids / photojournalism.
To me, a snapshot is an image kept only because the image taker has an emotional attachment to the moment or the subject. It appeals to those who know the people in the image, but is rather boring to everyone else.
A candid, OTOH is a planned but not directed image, technically sound, and interesting enough that people who do not know anyone in the image still want to look at it.
Technical soundness plays a part too . . . snapshots can elicit an emotional appeal from a wide variety of viewers, although one has to work harder to "see the moment" in snapshot - blow outs, poor comp, all that work against the viewer. In a candid, the moment hits you square between the eyes.
I also believe a candid can stand on it's own, tell a complete story from beginning to end in that single image . . . it doesn't need any text or other images to support it.
Agilehound I like your explanation and rationale, thanks for taking the time. Sometimes a fleeting moment is all we have as a photographer, but our self-editing of which images we chose to share here is probably as important. You have given me some direction re the notion of a complete stand alone story. Thanks mike
jeremy_clay wrote:
A candid is a thought out photograph that the subject is not aware is being taken.
A snapshot is a random, quickly taken, poorly thoughtout capture of anyone/thing, without thought to exposure/composition/etc.
To say they're the same is incorrect.
Agreed.
Scenario 1: My mom wants to take a picture of my kid with her P&S. She stands wherever she happened to be standing, calls for him to turn his head toward her, then presses the button. Snapshot
Scenario 2: I want to take a picture of my kid with my mom's P&S. I walk to the other side of the room for a better angle, move through the shooting menu to increase exposure and decrease the flash, I get down on his level, change the comp while looking at the LCD, and press the button. Candid.
On rare occasions tho, you look thru the viewfinder and comp/light/exposure is perfect already (or at least good enough). In this instance a snapshot and candid are almost the same. Only the photographer knows for sure.
jeremy_clay wrote:
A candid is a thought out photograph that the subject is not aware is being taken. It's also of a person or something living, pretty much exclusively.
A snapshot is a random, quickly taken, poorly thought out capture of anyone/thing, without thought to exposure/composition/etc.
To say they're the same is incorrect.
I agree - but a lucky snapshot can end up looking like a good candid.
