Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[christina_nguyen]

Hello,

Could you please explain the difference between "picture" and "photo"? Are they interchangeable?

Thank you!

[pugachevV]

A photograph is a picture taken with a camera.
A picture is done by hand, or by means other than a camera.
Over time they have become interchangeable in some cases.
Take a picture of me!
Take a photo of me!
Mean the same thing, for instance.
A photograph is often referred to as a picture.
"That's a nice picture of you."
But an artist's hand drawn picture is not referred to as a photo.