What is the difference btwn a "snap shot" and an artistic photograph?

Question

plz provide as much detail as possible

Answer 1

A snapshot is a picture that was taken with little to no thought before hand. An artistic photograph is one that was thought out and planned first. A snapshot has little to no composition. An artistic photography has eye-catching composition, lighting, contrast, etc.

Examples: Snapshot at a beach http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1390526-...

Artistic photograph at a beach http://digital-photography-school.com/bl...

Answer 2

The differences lie not in forethought, planning or composition, but rather in intention, message, and most importantly, vision.

Consider Henry Cartier Bresson http://www.henricartierbresson.org/ one of the most well respected photographers in history. Many of his photos, primarily of life's little moments, are spontaneous. Sure, there was some planning and thought, but in a more generalized way rather than focused on a single image. He planned to look, to see, but not exactly how to photograph each particular image.

Same with photographers whose specialty is a more photojournalistic or documentary approach. Overall planning is important in order to be in the right place, have the right access, but individual photos come without control of the photographer and are often little more than quickly acquired shots in the moment. http://www.nytimes.com/specials/salgado/...

Many consider talent to be a factor in the difference, but even the most talented photographers take snapshots, as we all do. Family vacations, Christmas morning, birthdays, etc. So, while talent certainly plays a role, it's minor in comparison to vision and intention.

Don't get me wrong, there are thousands of successful fine art photographs that are planned and executed over a period of days, weeks or even longer. However, there are millions that are unsuccessful. Therefore planning and forethought are, while perhaps important in some situations, not really a deciding factor.

A snapshot's primary purpose is to show what something looked like in order to spark a remembrance. They look backwards. A fine art photograph is meant to convey a message, a meaning, often only decipherable to the viewer. They are images not meant to invoke simple memories, but rather to elicit emotions and feelings.

Here's a fairly decent discussion of this same topic, but I do not wholeheartedly agree with the conclusions. Still, it's a good read:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays...