Instant photos and memory machines: Bringing back picture albums

Memory is a powerful emotion that makes you nostalgic. It can evoke hidden sentiments in you. A decade ago the world was busy converting negative reels into pictures and setting them up in photo albums. In a way, we were making our own photo journal filled with memories in a tangible form.

When it comes to pictures in tangible form, one can stumble upon print photos years down the line and still feel the rush of emotions as if the event happened yesterday. The physicality of pictures induces a sense of warmth that one had felt years ago. But, rapid evolution in technology has paved the way for digital photos, forcing photo albums to be left in the cabinets.

Keeping in mind the ever-changing trends, people are tracing back to print pictures with the help of instant cameras and printers. Its ability to capture and print out a photo instantly has generated a sense of curiosity in the minds of the consumer. 

While cameras help capture the moment of truth but pictures act as a memoir that can be preserved for years. From pasting them in books to hanging them on walls, you create a souvenir that navigates you through the map of memories.

In today’s world, a millennial is entitled to be stuck in the digital world, where the only escape would be these pictures. The gap between yesterday and tomorrow will increase with each passing day, but what will keep them together will be technology. Innovations will be made that not only keep up with time but also keep up with the essence of yesteryears. Just how Instant cameras not only allow us to view a picture immediately, they also allow you to print and preserve them.

To put it simply, the process of printing is the liberation of a photograph. On one hand, instant cameras can be a fabulous aid for photographers putting together shoot mood boards for clients, even a great tool for deciding what photographs to show at an exhibition of your work. But it is the tangibility of the printed form that has the ability to tap into our emotions.

The pictures we want to retain in print play a significant role in the story we want to pass on to future generations. They are a physical manifestation of what we love, of what gives us joy, what moves us, what connects and unites us. Gifting print pictures is the new way of spreading love and happiness. Hence, one must NEVER STOP freezing the moments.

This article has been written by Masaki Zenko, Head of Instax division and Senior Manager of Photo Imaging division, Fujifilm India