I’d have to go with ‘I don’t see what the big deal is’ on this one since I use both. For me, the language used doesn’t have much effect on the final product.

But if pressed, I’d have to say that, for me at least, ‘shooting’ has to do more with the physical process and ‘photographing’ (an awkward term) encompasses more the mental/artistic aspects involved with capturing a photo. I often say, ‘I’m going out to shoot’ – referring to the act that leads to ‘photographing’ a subject. And I’ve gone out to shoot several times where no ‘photographing’ actually took place.

I don’t think there is anything wrong, or demeaning about a particular term. Sometimes shoot or shot is more appropriate, especially in an informal setting. I doubt I would get together with friends and say ‘Hey, lets go photographing today.’ I use both terms depending on the situation.

The dictionary has a couple definitions of ‘shooting’ one is ‘to spend’ like as in spending exposures. or it also mentions ‘taking pictures’…so I don’t have any problems with that term. Strangely though…I used it 4 times in the span of trying to post this comment. To me it’s not different than someone saying, ‘I’m going to play hoops, or shoot baskets, or ballin’ or whatever…

I think when you put yourself into using a specific term like that…you kind of put yourself in an elitist mindset. “What I do is PHOTOGRAPHY….not taking pictures”

if you really want to start a fire, talk about the word…”talent” that word drives me NUTS…when people talk about how “talented” someone is.

I use the term “shoot”, though, often it seems odd. My bachelor’s degree at college was in Visual Communication, where we were made adequately aware of the semantics of the term “shoot” and its broader implications.

I prefer to explain the term as my job being partly a combination of “capturing” (another ‘violent’ term?), “making” and “taking” photographs; depending on the situation.

Ben, Ron and Brian have adequately covered the “ease of use” aspect, and that’s a major reason for my using the term too…

Also…if you think about it…shooting a gun, or taking a picture require very similar actionss.

huntin out the subject…finding the best angle through a view finder, then pressing a firing mechanism…which does something.

If you’re photographing a bear, or shooting a bear with a gun…you’re pretty much doing the same procedure.

I guess it’s all how you see the term shoot. If you take it as firing something with intent to injure…then yes…but the dictionary definition has multiple uses…and being as I’m not really a gun user…I don’t associate shooting with guns as a primary relation…when I think “shoot” I thik basketball first, camera second, gun third.

I don’t think my gun/camera analogy came out quite right…I know the END is different…but the I would still argue the process is the same.

1. Find subject. Both usually require early starts, and hiking.

2. Set up shot.

3. Aim

4. Shoot.

I would also argue that even though you’re not dealing with a safety issue using a camera, you’re probably just as aware of other people. I know for me personally I feel safer with a gun, than with a camera…from a threat standpoint.

Maybe this is also just something has affected you more…I’ve never had my use of the word “shooting” be associated with a gun…

I’ve also never associated “taking” a picture as being negative…because in a sense, you’re taking away a memory.

If I really break down what I do…I like, ‘recording a moment in time,’ but I’d never say that, except in writing…

I think, also in response to my earlier comment about elitism…I know part of it is a bias I developed in college art and photo classes. I just personally have been very simple in my approach to “creating art” To me everything was easily broken down into. Drawing. Painting. Taking a Picture. The results were paintings, Drawings, and pictures. We spent HOURS analyzing things…where people would talk about the inner-emotional feelings of one-ness they felt while in the creative process. The people referred to paintings as “canvases” and drawings as “illustrations.” And Pictures as “Images” I guess it kind of just eventually broke me down…or maybe I’m just the Luke Duke of Photography…and keep it too simple. While I would say there is always a definite emotional level in which all art is created, I just don’t spend a lot of time on the terminology associated with it.

I’m going to also suggesst that this is a geographic thing too. I’ve found that the Bay Area has more highly educated people, and they tend to use vocabulary that demonstrates that factor. I was in Berkely at a BBQ awhile back, and a friend from school introduced me to a couple photographers…

I was involved in the conversation, but I felt like each of the other parties was trying to out vocabulary the other. I honestly think they disregarded anything I had to add to the conversatin because I didn’t use the word “image”

I guess I’ve just developed a view that people like this appear to be taking themselves too seriously. I know it’s not true of everyone for sure, and I use the art jargon as much as the next person at times…

I think that if I had been raised in an area that was more diverse, and closer to more avenues of artistic expression (there’s the vocab) I would probably use “photographing” or “Creating images” more because I would be talking with other people who referred to things that way…and had more artistic conversations.

Also teaching art/photography to continuation school students requires my verbage to be such that kids can understand it. I can’t flower anything up…they’d A) laugh, and B) not care.

I corrected a kid today…just for an experiment.

When they said, “I want to got shoot with the cameras.”

I said, “you mean you want to go photograph with a camera?”

The response, “Whatever…can I use it or not?”

Sorry for writing so much Jim…you kind of hit upon a weird topic.

I’d say “take pictures” except in the case of photographing people… in which case I’d say “stealing souls.”

@Brian I agree… However, sometimes you do get strange looks from clients and other people who are not used to the term “shoot” as a synonym for “photograph”.

During these “shoots” I always try to use words like “Photo”, “picture” and “photograph”. And then lead them on to use simpler terminology such as “shoot”, even then, leading them on first, with terms like “photo shoot”. Once they’re used to the term, it makes no difference!

I’m starting to think really how you look at the term has more to do with your relationship with guns. If you have more interaction with firearms, then shootig will automatically relate to a gun for you…

Great thread extremely thought provoking.

I’ve no idea if being English makes a difference but analysing how I talk about things I’ve found the following…

1 – My language changed (past tense..) depending on what I thought was the level of understanding of the person I was talking to. If I felt they had an understanding of the artistic aspect of photography I would quickly settle into ‘image’ and ‘shoot’. Having thought about it I feel the reason I use those words is because if feel that somehow they value and appreciate just how much effort of every kind goes into taking something.

2 – If I’m talking to someone who, I feel, either doesn’t appreciate or understand the work that has gone into what they are looking at then I kind of reduce th elevel of my descriptive language to somewhere I feel they would be more comfortable.

At first I though I was being empathetic by changing but when I look honestly in the mirror I find its more about me… Basically I want to feel like what I am showing someone will be appreciated so temper my language to get best feedback.

Oh my god, just how shallow and pretentious is all of that! The experience of analysing it however has led to to conclude that in future whatever I put in front of people has to speak for itself. Differing people require differing stimulation so it’s really up to me to show the right person the right picture (that is after all what it is…)

Thanks. An interesting journey…

As an experiment, I’ve been trying to use terms other than “shoot” over the last week – I use it more than I thought I did. It was rather timely, too, as I ended an email the other day (luckily to a fellow photography hobbyist) with “See, ya, I’m off to shoot something!”

I make photographs.
I find what separates a photographer from a person with a camera is that a true photographer makes a photograph.

You put your everything in that one picture. Well at least I know I do every time I shoot with my medium or large format film camera. I look at each and every thing going on in that view finder and compose that image from point A (the idea) to the end.

Since the main focus of my photography is whales, I use the term “photograph”. I used to use “shoot”, but when one is dealing with a subject that is alive, I think photograph is more appropriate.

i use “shoot”. It makes me sound more technical!