by Editor Peter Davdison
Published by Yvette Depaepe the 1st of July 2022

The members here on 1x don't do snapshots. Their images are, usually I would say, carefully considered, appraised and created over time rather than simply quickly snapped images. Even the term itself, “snapshot”, is generally held to be a derogatory one. But is that unfair?
When you stop to think about it,  the snapshot in essence, is fundamentally what photography is all about.

'Homeless' by Peter Davidson

'Old Guard' by Peter Davidson

Capturing that moment in time. Would you label Robert Capa or HCB a snap shooter for instance? Or any photographer covering an event where they have to capture the moment in a split second without much time for thought or preparation? Taking a snap shot in other words. The trick, I guess, is all about anticipation and observation and being prepared for that 'decisive moment' that transforms a snapshot into something of enduring worth. However, 'enduring worth' often also comes with the passage of time. Mundane images, can in due time, become just as valuable as any decisive moment.

With the camera phone revolution, everyone is a snap-shooter today. The best camera is the one you have with you and the humble camera in your phone is now probably that camera. And the images they take are becoming increasingly acceptable as regards quality. Certainly if all you do is view them on a phone. Which is probably what 90% of people do.

'Mobile phones and loneliness' by The Jar – Geir Jartveit

So, taking all of this on board, I decided that I would ditch my main camera and use only a phone camera to snap some shots of the recent celebrations that were held in the UK to celebrate the Queens reign. In true snapshot style, I would simply wander around and snap whatever came along and see what resulted.

Well, the first thing I noticed was the freedom. I was no longer concerned with technical problems, or in choosing the right lens, or the problems that come from carrying a bulky or expensive camera. No, all I had to do was observe and snap away. And I wasn't alone.

Everyone was doing the same thing. In fact, during the whole time, I only saw three other people using a 'real' camera. One was an official female photographer jumping about being very professional with a big zoom, and the other two were rather elderly gentlemen with heavy DSLR cameras drooping limply around their necks and otherwise not doing anything much at all. The demographical change in photography use was there to see. Big cameras suddenly looked very anachronistic indeed.

The other lasting impression to me was that people were relaxed with phone cameras in a way they are not with big and intimidating cameras. (or perhaps that suspicion is linked with the popular idea of the people who use them?) Either way, I enjoyed the ease and freedom and lack of 'push back' or suspicion, from all the people I snapped.

Did I capture anything of enduring worth? Nope. Not even close. You certainly won't be seeing them published here in 1x. But maybe in time they could be valued as historical, who knows? What was captured, in a very small and humble way, is simply the story of those days in images from my perspective. Snapshots of a time and place. Which as I mentioned at the beginning of this tale, is perhaps the fundamental essence of photography. So yes, I'm quite happy for these images to be called snapshots, because that's what they are.

Let me know your thoughts. Apart from the two images at the beginning of this article, all the images are intentionally straight out of camera with no manipulations. The phone did all the work... Happy snapping!