Thoughts On Snapshooting

 I am a snapshooter. I shoot snapshots because they are fun. I shoot them for myself and for my own pleasure, so they are usually personal moments in my world although sometimes they are not. That makes them even more fun.

I have been snapshooting for a long time. My first snapshots were made with my family’s Baby Brownie. It used #127 roll film, was made of black plastic and had 2 controls: a shutter button and a film winding knob. It had no case or accessories or batteries and was pretty indestructable.  By contrast, my current ‘professional’ camera has 28 control buttons and knobs. Many open windows on the camera’s screen that in turn allow for other controls. That camera is subject to damage from moisture, vibration and impact; it is also heavy and it eats expensive batteries. The instruction manual is over 300 pages long. This is called progress.

Anyway, as a neophyte snapshooter, I carried my Baby Brownie to school and on adventures in Bronx Park across the street from our apartment building. It came with me the summer I turned 9 and my parents sent me to Camp Pontiac. I was not happy about their decision. But it turned out better than I expected. Seems “Photography” was a camp activity I could sign up for. I did and a counselor named Larry showed me how to develop film. I brought this skill home. I also brought a wallet and a pair of bookends I made in "Arts & Crafts."  I now look back on that as one of my better summers.


This is my current snapshooting camera. I have owned a few of these over the years. They stopped making this model a while back. I got this one on eBay for about $25.00. I covered it with black masking tape which makes it look even cheaper (and less attractive to bad guys).   For serious snapshooting, I sometimes pack along an old Sunpac strobe that cost another $7.00.  Everything usually travels in this bag with enough room for a tunafish salad sandwich, a book, my lucky set of olive picks and my cousin Sidney's ID.

This camera is with me most of the time. I carry it around town for city snapshots. I carry it when I travel. It usually doesn’t scare people. Most times, it is hardly noticed. And I have probably been able to come away with shots that I never would have gotten if I had aimed a ‘professional’ looking camera at the same folks.

Despite its homely appearance, it is a great little machine. I have printed 16”x20” display prints shot with this camera and several of the shots on my web site were also shot with it.

Go ahead, check out www.mauryenglander.com and see if you can find ‘em.

An added snapshooting perk: shots of me! I can hand this camera to someone - with relatively little worry - in order to get them to shoot a tourist souvenir photo. I particularly like coming home with shots of me in the company of ladies who carry impressive weapons:



Ever wonder who you really talk to when
you call 'customer service'?

Some More Snapshots

On pilgramage with the Good Sisters of St. Harley

A festive moment at my cousin's Bar Mitzva.

"Acid Trip Revisited" Astoria, Queens.  America.

It turns out that Jake is absolutely no help when it comes to prepairing taxes.

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts;
therefore guard accordingly."    -Marcus Aurelius