Snapshot Photography

A snapshot is basically a quick photo taken on the fly, usually without any fancy artistic or journalistic goals in mind. They're typically captured with a simple, budget-friendly camera. (Film/analog cameras, in this case) You’ll often find snapshots featuring everyday moments, like family gatherings, friends hanging out, pets being cute, kids at play, birthday bashes, sunsets, and popular tourist spots.

These photos might not always be technically perfect; they can be a bit off in terms of framing, focus, or lighting, especially if flash is involved. But thanks to automatic settings on consumer cameras, snapshots can still come out looking pretty decent. However, relying on these settings can sometimes show a lack of skill, as they don’t allow for more creative choices like focusing on a specific subject while blurring the background.

Snapshot photography is often seen as the most genuine form of photography because it captures images that highlight what makes photography unique—its accessibility, immediacy, variety, and realism.

Snapshot Aesthetic

The snapshot aesthetic is a trend in fine art photography that emerged in the USA around 1963. This style usually showcases seemingly mundane everyday scenes and often features off-center framing. The images often lack a clear connection from one to the next, relying instead on the contrasts and disconnections between individual photos. Robert Frank is credited with starting this aesthetic through his 1958 book, The Americans. John Szarkowski, who led the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art from 1962 to 1991, helped popularize the snapshot style, especially from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.

Some well-known photographers associated with this movement include Garry Winogrand, Nan Goldin, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, William Eggleston, and Terry Richardson. Unlike photographers like W. Eugene Smith and Gordon Parks, these artists aimed to capture life as it is rather than trying to change it. Frank expressed his desire to show things as he saw them, stating he was "tired of romanticism." Szarkowski highlighted the works of Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, and Garry Winogrand in his influential 1967 exhibition “New Documents,” which showcased a new trend in photography that embraced a casual, snapshot-like quality with ordinary subjects. Winogrand noted that when he photographs, he simply sees life and doesn’t pre-plan how the picture will turn out; he believes anyone can create a pretty picture.

Later photographers like Daidō Moriyama, Hiromix, Ryan McGinley, Miko Lim, and Arnis Balcus gained fame through the snapshot aesthetic. By the early 1990s, this style became the go-to approach in fashion photography, particularly in youth-oriented magazines like The Face.