snapshot
SNAP-shot
/ˈsnæpʃɒt/
An informal, quick photograph taken without elaborate setup; a brief summary or impression of a situation.
Implies a casual souvenir picture, though metaphorically means a quick representative cross-section.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from 19th-century hunting terminology, where a 'snap shot' was a hasty gun shot taken without careful aim. Kodak camera marketers adopted the term around 1890 to describe point-and-shoot consumer photography.
Word relationships
- photo: Photo is a general term, whereas snapshot specifies a casual, fast, unstudied image.
- snap: Snap is an informal synonym, highly colloquial.
- portrait: A portrait is a formal, deliberately composed study of a person.
Commonly confused with
- screenshot: A screenshot captures a digital screen display, while a snapshot is a physical world photograph.
Word family
- snap (verb): To take a fast picture.
Collocations
- quick snapshot
- holiday snapshot
- statistical snapshot
Example sentences
- "She flipped through the photo album, admiring quick snapshots taken during their summer road trip." Family travel album
Memory hook
SNAP-SHOT: Taking a photo in the SNAP of a finger, like firing a quick SHOT. A quick, casual photo.
When not to use
Avoid when describing carefully composed, studio-quality artistic portraits.
Fun facts
- George Eastman's marketing campaign for Kodak in 1888 ('You press the button, we do the rest') turned snapshot photography into a global social trend.
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