Difference Between Picture and Photo

Main Difference – Picture vs. Photo

The two words, Picture and photo refer to a visual representation of a scene. Though we use the two words picture and photo interchangeably in everyday speech, there is a distinct difference between these two words. Picture can refer to a painting, drawing, photograph, or another image while photo specifically refers to an image taken with a camera. Thus, all photos are pictures but not all pictures are photos. This is the main difference between picture and photo.

What is a Picture

A picture can be defined as a visual representation or image of a person, scene, or a thing that is drawn, painted, or photographed. So, the term picture can refer to a drawing, painting or photograph.

The word picture comes from Latin word “pictura” meaning painting. It was first recorded in the English language during the 15th century.

Picture can also refer to the cinema or a film. For example,

His film won the award for the best picture.

She was going to the pictures with her friends.

Picture can also mean an impression formed from a description. Here, this meaning is somewhat similar to a mental picture or image.

As a verb, picture means to be represented in a photograph or picture. The following examples will help you to understand the above meanings more clearly.

The little girl wanted to draw a picture of her cat.

She tried to picture his reaction.

He painted a picture of her and hung it in their living room.

In this painting, the duchess is pictured with her two pet dogs.

What is a Photo

Photo is an image taken with a camera. It is the shortened form of the word photograph. The Oxford dictionary defines it as a picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused on to light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment, or stored digitally. It was in 1839 that the word photograph first appeared in the English language. Sir John Herschel coined this word by joining the two words photo and graph. Photo appeared in the English language much later.

Photo is also used an informal verb. The verb photo means to take a photograph. Here are some examples to explain this word better.

He wanted to take a photo with his favourite actor.

He liked to collect photos of sports cars.

I edited that photo using Photoshop.

She loves to post her photos in facebook.