How Kodak invented the “snapshot”
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- The original Kodak camera changed photography forever.
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In 1888, Eastman Kodak patented roll film, and the company's business model of selling film, and then processing and printing the photos taken on that film for their consumers, made photography available to the masses for the first time. Before the Kodak No. 1 box camera debuted, photography was a complicated process involving chemistry and expertise on big, bulky equipment.
When Kodak introduced the Brownie and sold it for a dollar in 1900, photography went fully mainstream. The company dominated the film sales and development market during the 20th century and successfully marketed its automatic cameras as crucial to capturing fleeting moments - at home and on vacation.
But digital camera sales began to outpace film camera sales in the early 2000s, and Kodak failed to keep up. They filed for bankruptcy in 2012 but do still exist and sell film, albeit to a much smaller market.
Further reading:
Kodak and the Rise of Amateur Photography, by Mia Fineman
www.metmuseum....
George Eastman's Modern Stone-Age Family: Snapshot Photography and the Brownie, by Marc Olivier
www.jstor.org/...
“The Brownie Camera” in History of Photography, by Eaton S. Lothrop Jr.
www.tandfonlin...
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Can we talk about how "You press the button, we do the rest" is freaking brilliant marketing?!? In 1888?!?!
The backbone of marketing back then was clever solgans
Olden days had such good, clever and catchy marketing slogans. Love it
Can you? Go on.
Let's talk about how you used bots to upvote this super-generic comment to promote your own channel.
i literally came here to say this! That was a brilliant slogan that'd fit right in today!
1992: Kodak is 18th on the Fortune 500. 2002: Kodak isn't even on the list. 2012: Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sadge
2016: They have the worst verse of the XXL Freshman Class Cypher
@@CantBanDaSnoManvery funny
You can thank phone cameras and increasing competition for that
Growing up in the Philippines, the word Kodak is actually a verb meaning 'to take a photograph':
"Mag pa-Kodak ta!"
Meaning, "Let's take a photograph!"
I was looking for this. My grandmother uses it all the time even for smartphones.
that's why they called photographers why back as "Kodaker"
Kodak moment is a term that worked its way into my personal lexicon
Kodak had a genius in 1975 who literally gave them the biggest ticket to everlasting wealth and another genius who wrote a report in 1979 (Larry Matteson) who expected that there would be a complete shift to digital cameras by 2010 (which happened, the only thing that they couldn't possibly predict was the rise of iPhone and other smartphones). And the executives were still stubborn like a rock. Like are we serious? Sometimes I feel like executives shouldn't hold any power for this reason, they most of the time don't know anything they are talking about except seeing money numbers go up and lick investors buttholes.
This is one of the reasons that Apple is so successful, not being afraid to cannibalise their own sales. The iPhone killed iPod sales, but the iPhone reigns supreme as the number 1 smartphone in several markets. They ultimately went from the brink of bankruptcy in the 90s to worlds most valuable company just over a decade later. Kodak could've done the same
Kodak did try to move to digital. There were the first and only maker of professional digital cameras in the 90's. The tech was too new, and the market too small, so Kodak bet on compact digital point and shoots, which themseleves were killed by camera phones.
@JonasHamill
Microsoft saved them by loaning them $$$
@@Jsoberon Exactly! Kodak did focus on digital but in the wrong areas which was what ultimately led to their downfall.
@@JonasHamill
Apple is protecting their Macbook 13 inch though from the iPad by limiting iPad capabilities, so its definitely NOT true that Apple cannibalises their sales, in fact Apple kept selling the iPod for long as possible and tried reviving it multiple times, what ultimately took it down was the fact other phone manufacturers like Samsung and HTC included headphone jacks, expandable storage and good DAC's in their phone.
I have a Kodak No 1A camera on my bookshelf I found at a thrift store. It’s so cool to see that technology. Now we all have cameras on our phones.
I come across so many stills 8mm vhs thrown away at the recycling center I work at on the weekend. Thank you for a great history lesson
"stills 8mm vhs"?
@@TinLeadHammerMaybe they meant to say “stills, 8mm’ and vhs”. that’s the only thing that would make sense to me at least.
@@bluekai9577
He might be talking about the Video8 which was a VHS tape for camcorders, and it had ability to record images as well as video.
It's sad. An historical center should look at them first.
Really cool video as always, but it felt really short this time...
I would watch hours and hours about this subject!
I felt the same! I am left with wanting more 😄
Good point. Maybe he'll read your comment and do a followup. I started wondering about Rochester NY and Polaroid.
I have no idea how anyone could stumble on how to go about making color film and how they figured out all the different chemical processes in order to develop photos is absolutely mind boggling
At the beginning of 21st century where everything is going digital, everyone thought that having your photos in digital format is easier to share and preserve, as it turned out how easily data can be permanently lost on a harddrive failure, a carefully preserved analog photograph in an album is probably going to have longer lifespan, and the sentimentality created by holding a piece of decades old piece of history simply hits different.
Comparing a hard drive and "a carefully preserved analog photograph" is not a fair comparison. A properly backup up and maintained hard drive will outlast any physical media, it just takes more effort to keep things maintained and up to date.
I remember reading my public museum's website about 20 years ago. They were practically begging people to bring in their digital cameras to let them have copies of their pictures. The museum has a lot of old pictures, and their favorites are the snapshots of everyday life. They didn't want to lose our pictures because they never came off a digital camera that eventually dies.
With smartphones, social media and the cloud, not as many pictures are being left behind on a device and lost anymore.
The thumbnail photo depicts someone with an 8mm movie camera, not a still camera. Not sure what bothers me about that, but...
This is why I love photography for the people, it does not have to be artistically perfect, it just has to tell a story. And ordinary people are frankly, naturally talented in doing just that, taking picture, of a moment.
My name is Kodak but you know that already
You left out the whole history of instant photographs popularized by Polaroid. Kodak tried making an instant film camera line, but got sued by Polaroid. This suit was a major factor in Kodak's fall in the 1970s and 80s, before digital cameras came on the market.
interesting
Oh yeah they didn't talk about Polaroid! Which is still going strong today, with the new instax that doesn't require shaking lol
@brokenglassshimmerlikestar3407 Shaking a Polaroid photo was never a required step of development. It didn't make it go faster and it could lead to worse results as it disrupted the even distribution of the chemistry.
@@SeanLamb-I-Am So... why did people do that back then 🤔
Kodak is from Rochester, and even though its incorporated in NJ, its still headquartered there. They never left, which I love, even if they've faded more into obscurity.
That's kinda 🔥
Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan Camera that you take photo in the game is inspiration from kodak snapshot camera and model looks identically same but with slight adjustment 0:04
oh look, a bot. do not like this comment. the original is down below
I thought I heard they could have also released a digital camera too, but didn't. They probably would have been a monopoly back then.
An Engineer at Kodak developed the first portable digital camera in the 70s but management didn't want to pursue it because they thought a consumer product would cannibalise their film sales.
They tried to build a digital camera brand in the early 2000s with EasyShare but it was way too late by then. Sony, Nikon, Canon and even Fuji had massive head starts.
Nah, it's mostly a myth that Kodak stuck their heads in the sand and refused to accept digital, but it keeps getting repeated so it's taken as fact. Kodak was actually one of first producers of consumer digital cameras with their DC/DCS line and by 2005 were the #1 seller of digital cameras. What really did them in was an influx of Chinese and Japanese competitors as well as camera phones killing the profitably of consumer-level cameras.
Last time I was this early I ended up with my son
Best comment ever!
Wonderful show. It’s incredible how much information can be transmitted in six minutes. Excellent writing and editing.
I've been a hobbyist since the 80's but until today didn't know about the No.1, No. 2 and Brownie. Thanks Vox!
Today, there is a Kodak branded 35mm film camera called the Ektar H35 that’s only like $50 and takes awesome pictures! I highly recommend it for anyone who’s interested in taking pictures on film!!
how do you get film for it? And how do you develop them?
@@Game_Hero There are a whole bunch of places online where you can get film... and a whole lot of mail-in film developers... I personally use a place called "Reformed Film Lab" to do both; they sell cameras, film, and accessories AND you can send them your film rolls to have them developed! They have an app to make ordering pretty easy, and they always offer deals!
@@Game_Hero When it comes to 35mm film recommendations, I usually use Kodak's Porta 400. I'll sometimes throw in CineStill 800T if I know I'll be taking pictures in low-light conditions or at nighttime
Let's have a KODAK moment! Sigh, I miss those days of disposable cameras 😁
In the 80s and 90s my Mom would only buy Kodak film for our cameras. There was a photo processing shop next to my school, and so we would go get our travel album after she picked me up from school. And then digital came and advanced so quickly, when I travelled to the UK as a teen in 2004 I already had my first digital camera with me. It took pretty great pictures (had macro, night mode etc too). These days I have a DSLR and several old film cameras. I develop films in my bathroom with no window, it's a hassle. So I mostly use my phone like everyone else.
I got a 1970s Kodak passed down by my grandpa, hopefully can earn a lot from it.
Kodak did not focus on Printing services. Just like Canon, Nikon, Zeiss, Leica etc. Kodak's main source of revenue is catering to the medical industry. Kodak has always dominated the roll film industry and now that Fuji Film seems to be exiting in favor of it's in-camera recipes, will be the only major producer of color film left. Kodak also makes far more revenue from Hollywood, who's studios are increasingly using film to shoot movies again, than selling products to the general public.
He’s such a versatile artist , I enjoy skrt skrt
Vox Rocks, and Dude with the Tats does too. 😮
I have a No. 2 Brownie and use it all the time. The film is still made by Kodak and others.
*That Must Be Where The Saying, Kodaks Moment Comes From.* 📸
Let's settle it, people weren't allowed to smile in photos until Kodak came along!
People often say that kodak did nothing to adapt to digital photography, that isn't entirely true though, they did make a lot of digital cameras through the 2000s and honestly have some fairly good point and shoot cameras. The thing is, kodak didn't compete much in the professional and high end camera market. Also they did still sell media like SD cards, even if not nearly at the same scale as film. The advent of the smart phone camera however, really killed their cheap point and shoot cameras. They even made a lot of professional digital backs for film cameras of the 90s.
Snapshot - I had never associated the term with hunting but of course that's exactly what it is. A quick shot without aim st a moving target. 🤯
Kodak was so influential that in our local language, Bisaya, kodak is a verb that means take a photo
I live in Warsaw, Poland and we have a place that offers development of film and the digital scan of the frames in a really short period of time, even in an hour. Analog photography is really popular again in my opinion and it’s not that hard to find a place to develop film, even in small cities.
Kodak makes some of the best film I have ever worked with. As far as I know they still make film.
They do! I still shoot film every once in a while when. When I feel that it’s financially acceptable of course lol.
@@bluekai9577is it ever financially acceptable? 🥲 I’ve only shot film for 4 years and ultramax and gold prices have gone up at least 50%
Nice video! Vox is also dying like Kodak. It no longer has that great team which consistently delivered such high quality content over the last 10 years.
Vox please bring back Joss Fong, Ranjani Chakroborty, Estelle Caswell, Johnny Harris, Phil Edwards and all the other names that I'm unable to think from the top of my head
They ain’t got that cash anymore
geez, harsh.
Digging that Ernest Tubb print
"You press the button, we do the rest"
That sound like what AI do nowday 🤣🤣
Nathan Lyons is also credited with the idea of “snapshot aesthetics” to define the particular style and characteristics of photography after Kodak.
I wish we still have one hour photo places. Id take soooo many more film pictures if I didnt have to mail out my rolls
I worked for a Company that has more History than most alive.The pictures on the Wall alone.😉💯✌️
Great story keep us bringing us content like this 🤟😁❤❤
I wonder if the marketing idea with the Brownie was to show that it was so easy that a child could do it.
A wise gentleman once said “Me not working hard? Yeah, right picture that with a Kodak. And better yet, go to Times Square, Take a picture of me with a Kodak”
Vox
Please make Map animation vid, esp on recent topics. Ur map animation vid r the best especially with your amazing researchers.
Kodak Black invented photography?
I do photography on my channel... and for the past 20 years.
Nice nostalgic moment watching this clip. I still have my darkroom gear stored in the atic. Just can't seem to part with it.
Love it❤❤❤. Excellent content
KODAK is the best always. 🎉.
Alhazen, known as Ibn al-Haytham, was a pioneering Arab scientist and mathematician from the 10th century. He is most famous for his work in optics, particularly for explaining how vision works and for discovering the principle of the camera. Ibn al-Haytham invented the "camera obscura," a dark room or box with a small hole that allows light to pass through, projecting an inverted image on the opposite wall. This groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern cameras and significantly advanced the study of light and vision. His contributions have earned him recognition as one of the fathers of optics.
Circular photos are very cool..
And, no vintage pictures of a plate of food were found 😂😂😂
Nice, short summary but characterizing film as being used only by hobbyists is simply incorrect. There are plenty of pros, from portraiture to fashion to landscape photography who use from today for is unmatched rendering of images and for the medium and large format options that simply don't exist in social. Not too mention directors like Tarantino, Spielberg, Nolan, Anderson, Scorsese, just to mention a few, who use exclusively film for their movies.
Why I think of Kodak Black 😂
Film prices have risen in recent years but from unsustainable lows. They’re now where they were in the 90s when more film was sold than at any other time. Only that film isn’t the only medium to capture images anymore.
2:40 What was faux leather made of before plastic was invented?
Paper. Well, pulp that becomes paper. Think like paper money. It probably had cotton (aka linen) or flax fibers mixed in as well. To this day, there's a faux suede made of just cotton fabric that has been treated in a special way.
So interesting!!!
So, you are telling me that modern "quickscoping" is the equivalant to "snapshot"?! Alright, cool.
I guess we've come a bit full circle then with digital being like the snapshot camera of old?
I still shoot film myself and am forced to drop it off at the nearest camera shop to be mailed out. Development labs aren't dead yet but there are much fewer now for sure.
IN 1888 *"You press the button, we do the rest"* Apple in 2024 *"YOU CAN EASILY ACCESS YOUR CAMERA WITH A BUTTON"* WOW INNOVATION!! 🤣🤣
I think that how such cameras spread is like how smartphones do.
RIP Kodak
i’m feeling pretty advanced with my Voigtländer Brilliant 😏
Fun fact: along with not moving with the times and beginning arrogant they fell behind in the tech world, one of Kodak's downfall in Rochester was racism and nepotism within the company 😄
Great 👍🏻
Interesting
Yes this is true but definitely were true.Kind of like being in a dark room to develop.💯✌️
Gen Z watching this be like: "What's film?"
Please do a video on phone codes
How technology evolved.
nice one
Didn't Polaroid do this before Kodak? And called it a "Polaroid?"
7240 Stark Inlet
📸
The back half of this video feels like a bit of a copout and misses the nuance around Kodak's demise - Kodak actually made big moves in digital photography in the late 90s and 2000s as well, but lost out to the other camera manufacturers and rapidly decreasing margins in consumer photography when the 2008 crisis hit.
The 'rising prices of film' stories that are shown were also down to a specific set of market conditions at that time, film has actually decreased in price since then.
Film Photo are Best as my choice
anyone from Mount Dennis?
Meanwhile that fruit company introduced camera button on their phone and they call it innovation.
@Vox How much for the Enerst Tubb art on your wall??? 😂😂
❤❤
Trenton Station
Bg music is so loud
i tought this video was about kodak black
Why do some Americans pronounce niche with a T? I know we all have accents and different ways we say certain words, but this pronunciation doesn't take into account the letters of the word. It would need to be spelled nitch to sound like that.
nice
Thanks for no support 😅
96th comment! This documentary is sooo good
isn't this just vignetting?
Yay! not a political video 👍
Gotta love when vox hires a guy with finger tattoos to read me wikipedia articles and archived web news articles , and then requests that viewers pay money for a volunteer membership to help find their "research " . So capitalistic that quite frankly it's brilliant . And when I say capitalistic I mean in a derogatory way.
Cam
First
Ok
Me
First
You're second.
Free Palestiiiine
Free Willy too.
What does it have to do with Kodak?
Skibidi toilet
Hi! Great video - but 5:24 is incorrect. Major cities now have at least one photo lab, which will do "same day" processing. Some might still do "1 hour".
This misstatement makes for a punchier ending to the video -- but it is factually incorrect (and therefore the video has a gap in its research). :(
Also film, adjusted for inflation, isn't much more expensive than it was in the 90s.
5:14 niche is pronounced "neesh"
Skibidi
Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan Camera that you take photo in the game is inspiration from kodak snapshot camera and model looks identically same but with slight adjustment 0:04
First
No you're not 😂