“Why can’t I see them now?” Jennifer asked her father, Edwin Land.
This simple question spawned the creation of the Polaroid Company and the development of instant photography. Prior to Edwin Land’s creation of the first commercial instant camera in 1947, photography had been a hobby reserved solely for photographers. For the everyday person, photography was expensive and time consuming, but that would change drastically.
If Edwin Land were still alive today chances are he would be thrilled to see the lengths his concept of “instant photography” has reached. Digital cameras, especially the Digital SLR's like Nikon’s D40 have made even the most photography inept person into a professional. It’s never been easier to take awe-inspiring shots. It’s even possible to delete the ones that don’t come out too well, without having to spend a penny for development. Yes, life has certainly changed.
Back in 1947, Land released the Land Camera in order to make photography accessible for everyone. The Land Camera provided its user with instant pictures and cut out the time consuming and expensive trip to the development center. In a flash, North America became photographers. The Polaroid craze spread throughout the continent. These portable and user-friendly devices captured smiling faces at birthday parties, family vacations and holiday get-togethers. By the mid-eighties most families in North America owned at least one camera and a pile of photo albums marking all the important highlights of a person’s life were commonplace in every home.
If Edwin Land were still alive today chances are he would be thrilled to see the lengths his concept of “instant photography” has reached. Digital cameras, especially the Digital SLR's like Nikon’s D40 have made even the most photography inept person into a professional. It’s never been easier to take awe-inspiring shots. It’s even possible to delete the ones that don’t come out too well, without having to spend a penny for development. Yes, life has certainly changed.
Back in 1947, Land released the Land Camera in order to make photography accessible for everyone. The Land Camera provided its user with instant pictures and cut out the time consuming and expensive trip to the development center. In a flash, North America became photographers. The Polaroid craze spread throughout the continent. These portable and user-friendly devices captured smiling faces at birthday parties, family vacations and holiday get-togethers. By the mid-eighties most families in North America owned at least one camera and a pile of photo albums marking all the important highlights of a person’s life were commonplace in every home.
These days it’s even easier to take great pictures. With digital camera prices becoming more and more reasonable, it’s no surprise that North Americans are going photo crazy. Although Polaroid cameras offered the simplicity of having tangible prints of your photos almost immediately after you click the button, digital photos can be manipulated, used online and even printed either at the local Wal-mart photo center or at home on a personal photo printer. The options are truly endless. I’d like to think that Edwin Land would be proud of the strides we’ve made in making photography cost-efficient, easy and a whole lot of fun. He could finally say, “You can see them right now, Jennifer.”
While SLR digital cameras like the Nikon 40 range in cost from $600.00-$1000.00, more basic digital cameras can be purchased for as little as $99.00 and most are even small enough to fit in your pocket.
Unfortunately the Land Camera is a thing of the past, but with prices continuing to drop and quality on the rise, right now is a perfect time to find the best digital camera for your needs and get those professional quality photos you’ll love for a lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment