Snapshot photography

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For 1909 an unusual snapshot of the racetrack disaster in Berlin

The concept of snapshot photography refers to the photograph to a wide range of works that deal with the presentation of motives without separate prior arrangement and with apparent spontaneity.
The opposite of snapshot photography is photographic staging .

Roots in amateur photography

With the introduction of simpler cameras and the emergence of industrial film production and development at the end of the 19th century (see Kodak and Kodak No. 1 ), large sections of the population were able to take photographs without any special training. Since then, a large number of pictures have been created that document everyday life, at home and on vacation (see also travel photography ). This trend is reinforced by digital photography and its penetration as a permanent companion in everyday life (e.g. by the miniaturization of cameras and their integration into the mobile phones / cell phone cameras that are always carried with them ). The majority of these recordings are made for personal use only.

Photography of the public space

In the English-speaking world, the genre of photography of public space was ( street photography , English: street photography) known. The photographer uses it to show his view of the world (compare also photojournalism ). The photographer often makes use of the aesthetics of the snapshot.

Lomography and digital techniques

At the end of the 20th century , the snapshot also became the driving force behind Lomography . The extensive renouncement of the burden of technical perfection made it possible to react spontaneously. The techniques that have become modern and accepted with Lomography are increasingly being taken up with digital cameras and combined with videos and sound recordings.

Legal framework

This article or paragraph presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

The personal rights of the photographed and the copyright must be protected. The provisions in Sections 1 to 72 of the law relating to copyright in works of the visual arts and photography , Sections 22 to 50 of the law relating to copyright in works of the visual arts and photography and Section 201a of the Criminal Code ( infringement of the very personal sphere of life) must be observed by taking pictures ).

Well-known snapshot photographers