Sql Server - Database Backup Time I've been doing a lot of database backups and restores of late, and I've been wondering how if the backup takes 10-15 minutes to capture, how it can still show a snapshot of the database at a split second in time? 

How does Sql Server accomplish this?
You are asking how Database Snapshots work - there is a good article on this on MS TechNet

The short answer: it is so fast because when you do a snapshot you do not backup or copy any data. All that is done - is an empty file created.