фоткать

English translation: to snap (photographs)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:фоткать
English translation:to snap (photographs)
Entered by: Susan Welsh

12:07 Dec 15, 2013
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts) / slang
Russian term or phrase: фоткать
This is a museum curator complaining about people taking millions of photos with digital cameras rather than actually looking at the works of art in the museum.

"Пока что он научился фоткать…
Фоткать? Что за мерзкий глагол! Уже одним своим видом он вызывает массу отрицательных эмоций. Фоткать — это не то что фотографировать. Фотографировать — значит служить высокому искусству. Фоткать — механически и почти бездумно «щёлкать». Глагол «фотографировать» изначально предполагает, что у человека есть хотя бы элементарное представление о построении кадра. Для того чтобы фоткать, никакими искусствоведческими знаниями обладать не надо. Если фотканье — это процесс, то он противоположен смотрению и созерцанию."

After combing through the Internet, I came up with "spray and pray" -- http://digital-photography-school.com/deciphering-photo-jarg... -- which I thought conveyed what the author was trying to say. But the editor (Russian native speaker, good English) didn't like it, and wrote back:
"It's nice but too complicated. "Фоткать" in Russian doesn't mean anything special. It's just a shortened form of "фотографировать" widely used in Internet, especially by women, who like diminutive suffixes :). It's just quicker to write. And there's absolutely no negative emotions connected with it (generally speaking), the author speaks only about himself.
Is this term you suggest popular?"

Indeed, it is complicated, and the phrase is not widely used (at least I never heard of it before). Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!
Susan Welsh
United States
Local time: 12:44
to snap (photographs)
Explanation:
could that possibly work for you?
Selected response from:

Evgenia Windstein
Russian Federation
Local time: 19:44
Grading comment
Many thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +12to snap (photographs)
Evgenia Windstein
4he's picked up shooting so far
Nadezhda Golubeva
4click away (with their digital cameras)
Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +12
to snap (photographs)


Explanation:
could that possibly work for you?

Evgenia Windstein
Russian Federation
Local time: 19:44
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexandra Schneeuhr: to snapsho(o)t vs. to photograph sounds about right, IMHO
13 mins
  -> Thank you, Sasha))) Спасибо!

agree  Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.: works for me
45 mins
  -> Thank you, MacroJanus

agree  Rachel Douglas: How about "to snap pix"? Then "What a vile expression!" rather than "verb".
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Rachel. Yeah, I think you are right. Your version sounds more relaxed and, thus, less formal))). Txs.

agree  Paul Hirsh: or taken up happy snapping
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Paul!

agree  MariyaN (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Mariya

agree  Sarah McDowell
6 hrs
  -> Thank you, Sarah!

agree  Jack Doughty
10 hrs
  -> Thank you, Jack!

agree  cyhul
14 hrs
  -> Thank you, Cyhul!

agree  Maria Mizguireva
19 hrs
  -> Thank you, Maria!

agree  interprivate
20 hrs
  -> Thank you, Interprivate)!

agree  Oleksiy Markunin
1 day 5 hrs

agree  Andrew Vdovin
1 day 14 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
he's picked up shooting so far


Explanation:
Just as a variant.

Nadezhda Golubeva
Russian Federation
Local time: 19:44
Native speaker of: Russian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Rachel Douglas: Sorry, but a "variant" of what? As a noun, "variant" means something that varies from a norm. With respect to normally fluent English, that may be the case for this suggestion, but I don't think it's what you meant. "Another option"? "An alternative"?
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
click away (with their digital cameras)


Explanation:
This makes it sound even more mindless.

Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
United States
Local time: 12:44
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search