From Polaroid to modern instant cameras, the art of instant film is undergoing a nostalgic resurgence. In the mid-20th century, instant photography was peaking among the casual user as well as the professional photographer. Not instant as in the digital photography of the social media internet age but instant in the form of film that would develop like magic right before the users’ eyes.
The Polaroid camera introduced by Edwin Land in 1947 was a photographic revolution. It allowed photographers of all skill sets to snap a picture, print, and develop it in minutes. It may be hard to understand the fascination if born and raised in the instant age of the internet, however, Polaroid cameras became a rage, a status symbol, and a cultural phenomenon.
Edwin Land first showed Polaroid’s instant photography to the public in 1947 (photo credit: American Chemical Society)
Artistic icons Andy Warhol and David Hockney embraced the Polaroid picture as an art in itself. Beloved for its near-instantaneous feedback, Warhol and Hockney experimented with the uniqueness of the Polaroid picture. Unlike developed film, the Polaroid offered the user a unique perspective of colors, composition, and form. The imperfections of color leaks, faded edges, and bad exposures all became embraced as part of the new art of instant photos.
A Quick Decline and Steady Revival of Instant Photos
Polaroid grabbed a majority of the market share with photographic stalwarts Kodak, and Fuji failing to dent it. The camera offerings of the big three quickly declined with the introduction of affordable digital cameras in the early 2000s. The fascination with photos exposed in minutes was replaced by the new instant photo of digital cameras. The fight for market share among all film companies and camera manufacturers quickly became a struggle for survival.
Polaroid, Kodak, and Fuji eventually saw the writing on the wall and began to make headway into the digital camera era. It was quickly squashed when the cellular phone manufacturers offered built-in cameras that exceeded the capabilities of stand-alone digital apparatus.
Everything Old is Born Again
The physicality of the instant photo is looked at as the reason for its revival. Digital photography with cameras, and cellular devices produces a different form of photography. It is missing the tangible object that is touched, hung on walls, taped to refrigerators, and passed around at gatherings.
Manufacturers noticed the growing demand for instant pictures and combined the two technologies to satisfy a new consumer. Polaroid and Fuji maintained their innovation in instant cameras and today in the instant social media digital age married two technologies, the digital camera and the instant camera.
The Polaroid Now+ and Fujifilm Instax are paving the way in hybrid cameras that satisfy the desire of two markets, the digital and instant tangible photo. These hybrid introductions that are being chased by other manufacturers offer the user the ability of on-demand editing before the photo is printed.
Fujifilm Instax Wide 300
This hybrid concept of photography that gives birth to the old in a new and exciting form is a powerful medium for professional photographers along with amateurs, hobbyists, and influencers. Professional photographers are using hybrid cameras to plot mood boards, take test shots, and like Warhol and Hockney, discover the intricacies of new creative artistic photographic nuances.
From Polaroid to modern instant cameras, the art of instant film is undergoing a nostalgic resurgence. In the mid-20th century, instant photography was peaking among the casual user as well as the professional photographer. Not instant as in the digital photography of the social media internet age but instant in the form of film that would develop like magic right before the users’ eyes.
The Polaroid camera introduced by Edwin Land in 1947 was a photographic revolution. It allowed photographers of all skill sets to snap a picture, print, and develop it in minutes. It may be hard to understand the fascination if born and raised in the instant age of the internet, however, Polaroid cameras became a rage, a status symbol, and a cultural phenomenon.
Edwin Land first showed Polaroid’s instant photography to the public in 1947 (photo credit: American Chemical Society)
Artistic icons Andy Warhol and David Hockney embraced the Polaroid picture as an art in itself. Beloved for its near-instantaneous feedback, Warhol and Hockney experimented with the uniqueness of the Polaroid picture. Unlike developed film, the Polaroid offered the user a unique perspective of colors, composition, and form. The imperfections of color leaks, faded edges, and bad exposures all became embraced as part of the new art of instant photos.
A Quick Decline and Steady Revival of Instant Photos
Polaroid grabbed a majority of the market share with photographic stalwarts Kodak, and Fuji failing to dent it. The camera offerings of the big three quickly declined with the introduction of affordable digital cameras in the early 2000s. The fascination with photos exposed in minutes was replaced by the new instant photo of digital cameras. The fight for market share among all film companies and camera manufacturers quickly became a struggle for survival.
Polaroid, Kodak, and Fuji eventually saw the writing on the wall and began to make headway into the digital camera era. It was quickly squashed when the cellular phone manufacturers offered built-in cameras that exceeded the capabilities of stand-alone digital apparatus.
Everything Old is Born Again
The physicality of the instant photo is looked at as the reason for its revival. Digital photography with cameras, and cellular devices produces a different form of photography. It is missing the tangible object that is touched, hung on walls, taped to refrigerators, and passed around at gatherings.
Manufacturers noticed the growing demand for instant pictures and combined the two technologies to satisfy a new consumer. Polaroid and Fuji maintained their innovation in instant cameras and today in the instant social media digital age married two technologies, the digital camera and the instant camera.
The Polaroid Now+ and Fujifilm Instax are paving the way in hybrid cameras that satisfy the desire of two markets, the digital and instant tangible photo. These hybrid introductions that are being chased by other manufacturers offer the user the ability of on-demand editing before the photo is printed.
Fujifilm Instax Wide 300
This hybrid concept of photography that gives birth to the old in a new and exciting form is a powerful medium for professional photographers along with amateurs, hobbyists, and influencers. Professional photographers are using hybrid cameras to plot mood boards, take test shots, and like Warhol and Hockney, discover the intricacies of new creative artistic photographic nuances.