What if instant photography was possible

Off topic discourse and banter encouraged.
Post Reply
User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

What if instant photography was possible

Post by neufer » Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:10 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Land wrote: <<Edwin Herbert Land, (May 7, 1909 – March 1, 1991) was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Among other things, he invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography, and his retinex theory of color vision. His Polaroid instant camera, which went on sale in late 1948, made it possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds or less. After developing a polarizing film, Edwin Land returned to Harvard University. However, he still did not finish his studies or receive a degree. Once Land could see the solution to a problem in his head, he lost all motivation to write it down or prove his vision to others. Often his wife, at the prodding of his instructor, would extract from him the answers to homework problems. She would then write up the homework and hand it in so he could receive credit and not fail the course.

In 1932 Land established the Land-Wheelwright Laboratories together with his Harvard physics instructor to commercialize his polarizing technology. Wheelwright, his instructor, came from a family of financial means and agreed to fund the company. The company was renamed the Polaroid Corporation in 1937.

Land further developed and produced the sheet polarizers under the Polaroid trademark. Although the initial major application was for sunglasses and scientific work, it quickly found many additional applications: for color animation in the Wurlitzer 850 Peacock jukebox of 1942, for glasses in full-color stereoscopic (3-D) movies, to control brightness of light through a window, a necessary component of all LCDs, and many more. During World War II, he worked on military tasks, which included developing dark-adaptation goggles, target finders, the first passively guided smart bombs, and a special stereoscopic viewing system called the Vectograph which revealed camouflaged enemy positions in aerial photography.

A little more than three years later, on February 21, 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated an instant camera and associated film. Called the Land Camera, it was in commercial sale less than two years later. Polaroid originally manufactured sixty units of this first camera. Fifty-seven were put up for sale at the Jordan Marsh department store in Boston before the 1948 Christmas holiday. Polaroid marketers incorrectly guessed that the camera and film would remain in stock long enough to manufacture a second run based on customer demand. All fifty-seven cameras and all of the film were sold on the first day of demonstrations.

During his time at Polaroid, Land was notorious for his marathon research sessions. When Land conceived of an idea, he would experiment and brainstorm until the problem was solved with no breaks of any kind. He needed to have food brought to him and to be reminded to eat. He once wore the same clothes for eighteen consecutive days while solving problems with the commercial production of polarizing film. As the Polaroid company grew, Land had teams of assistants working in shifts at his side. As one team wore out, the next team was brought in to continue the work.>>
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
Moonlady
Selenian
Posts: 666
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:06 pm

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by Moonlady » Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:23 am

I dont think that instant photography will be possible, ever, what a hokum!
We all know that taken pictures are send to Taiwan, painted there by millions of workers and send back to the photographic labs. :derp:

User avatar
bystander
Apathetic Retiree
Posts: 21593
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:06 pm
Location: Oklahoma

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by bystander » Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:34 am

Moonlady wrote:I dont think that instant photography will be possible, ever, what a hokum!
We all know that taken pictures are send to Taiwan, painted there by millions of workers and send back to the photographic labs. :derp:
Digital photography is pretty close to instantaneous. It depends on a large number of pixels (smaller relatives of pixies) to do the processing. The more of them you have in your camera, the better the quality of the image. Of course, they are just digital images. You still have to send a copy to Taiwan if you want it painted.
Know the quiet place within your heart and touch the rainbow of possibility; be
alive to the gentle breeze of communication, and please stop being such a jerk.
— Garrison Keillor

User avatar
Beyond
500 Gigaderps
Posts: 6889
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am
Location: BEYONDER LAND

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by Beyond » Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:02 am

bystander wrote:
Moonlady wrote:I dont think that instant photography will be possible, ever, what a hokum!
We all know that taken pictures are send to Taiwan, painted there by millions of workers and send back to the photographic labs. :derp:
Digital photography is pretty close to instantaneous. It depends on a large number of pixels (smaller relatives of pixies) to do the processing. The more of them you have in your camera, the better the quality of the image. Of course, they are just digital images. You still have to send a copy to Taiwan if you want it painted.
emo30-1.gif
emo30-1.gif (11.09 KiB) Viewed 971 times
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by orin stepanek » Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:18 pm

I have a small digital camera that does what I want it to! The neat thing is I don't have to drop the film off for processing! Just plug my camera into my computer and let Photosmart do the work! 8-) :D Besides my eyes can't tell if the picture is full of it (pixels) or not. :mrgreen:
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
BMAONE23
Commentator Model 1.23
Posts: 4076
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:55 pm
Location: California

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by BMAONE23 » Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:06 pm

orin stepanek wrote:I have a small digital camera that does what I want it to! The neat thing is I don't have to drop the film off for processing! Just plug my camera into my computer and let Photosmart do the work! 8-) :D Besides my eyes can't tell if the picture is full of it (pixels) or not. :mrgreen:
Sounds like you might take a lot of Pixtures :wink:

saturno2
Commander
Posts: 763
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:05 pm

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by saturno2 » Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:55 pm

When I was in high school, I wanted to make a machine that instantly copied a
picture of a book.
But my instruments were very artisanal.
Years later invented the photocopier.
I think if is possible to make a high-resolution instant photography.
A small machine, without help of Tawian or computer.
Indeed!!

User avatar
Beyond
500 Gigaderps
Posts: 6889
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am
Location: BEYONDER LAND

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by Beyond » Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:50 am

saturno2 wrote:When I was in high school, I wanted to make a machine that instantly copied a
picture of a book.
But my instruments were very artisanal.
Years later invented the photocopier.
I think if is possible to make a high-resolution instant photography.
A small machine, without help of Tawian or computer.
Indeed!!
But it's just a bit hard to aim a photo-copier at something, and there's no adjustable focus. :mrgreen:
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18601
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA
Contact:

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by Chris Peterson » Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:04 pm

Beyond wrote: But it's just a bit hard to aim a photo-copier at something, and there's no adjustable focus. :mrgreen:
5926965642_copycat_tabby_cat_sitting_on_a_copier_xlarge.jpg
5926965642_copycat_tabby_cat_sitting_on_a_copier_xlarge.jpg (15.19 KiB) Viewed 917 times
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
geckzilla
Ocular Digitator
Posts: 9180
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:42 pm
Location: Modesto, CA
Contact:

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by geckzilla » Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:43 pm

There was a website over ten years ago at cat-scan.com run by a guy named cliffyb. Those were the best... I sent in a couple of cat scans of my own two kitties! Too bad it's gone.

Also, I completely blame Photoshop for mutilating that poor cat's left forepaw.
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.

User avatar
BMAONE23
Commentator Model 1.23
Posts: 4076
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:55 pm
Location: California

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by BMAONE23 » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:23 pm

While truely instantaneous (0 time differential) transmission of data (photography etc.) is likely not possible, it is possible to FAX a 3 dimentional object to almost anywhere
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
[youtube][/youtube]
Some things that have been made with 3D Printing
Click to play embedded YouTube video.

User avatar
Beyond
500 Gigaderps
Posts: 6889
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am
Location: BEYONDER LAND

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by Beyond » Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:52 pm

Chris Peterson wrote:
Beyond wrote: But it's just a bit hard to aim a photo-copier at something, and there's no adjustable focus. :mrgreen:
5926965642_copycat_tabby_cat_sitting_on_a_copier_xlarge.jpg
I see i was wrong.That copier managed to take a picture of the black hole in the cat nebula :!:
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

User avatar
BMAONE23
Commentator Model 1.23
Posts: 4076
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:55 pm
Location: California

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by BMAONE23 » Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:20 pm

Beyond wrote:
Chris Peterson wrote:
Beyond wrote: But it's just a bit hard to aim a photo-copier at something, and there's no adjustable focus. :mrgreen:
5926965642_copycat_tabby_cat_sitting_on_a_copier_xlarge.jpg
I see i was wrong.That copier managed to take a picture of the black hole in the cat nebula :!:
And possibly a couple of Cling-ons

saturno2
Commander
Posts: 763
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:05 pm

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by saturno2 » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:56 am

I see commentators are out the topic.
But have made me laugh a lot.
Very good sense of humor :)

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by neufer » Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:14 am

geckzilla wrote:
I completely blame Photoshop for mutilating that poor cat's left forepaw.
But Curiosity killed the cat:
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
Beyond
500 Gigaderps
Posts: 6889
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am
Location: BEYONDER LAND

Re: What if instant photography was possible

Post by Beyond » Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:30 am

Wow neufer. That video has a Dalak in it. I haven't seen one of those since Who knows when.
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

Post Reply