The kanji 撮 primarily means "to photograph," "to take a picture," or "to film." It implies capturing an image or a moment in time, using a camera or similar equipment. It can also extend to the action of "taking" or "gathering" something, like taking a sample or collecting data, though the photographic sense is most common.

・On-yomi (音読み): サツ ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): と（る）

⚫︎写真を撮る Translation: To take a picture. ⚫︎映画を撮る Translation: To film a movie. ⚫︎サンプルを撮る Translation: To take a sample (e.g., of a food item).

The kanji 撮 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字; けいせいもじ). It combines the phonetic component 最 (さい - sa'i, meaning "most," originally related to "picking up") with the hand radical 手 (て - te), which indicates the action of hands. Therefore, the character suggests the act of "taking" or "gathering" something with the hands, with the extended meaning of taking a photograph later evolving from that original concept. The inclusion of 最 suggests the action of carefully taking or capturing something valuable, a concept that aligns well with the meticulous nature of photography.