One Hour Photo

As I discussed yesterday, I do not subscribe to the "Film is Dead" doomsayers. I think that for the professional, artistic photographer and certain other specialties, such as some kinds of photo-journalism, film is still alive and kicking. But there are certain areas where I think that film will and is being replaced by digital. One area is commercial portrait photography (think yearbook photos and school portraits). Lower production costs, the ability to retouch those teenage skin problems quickly on the computer, and the immediate feedback make it highly suited. Another area is the newspaper stringer who can wifi their images to the bureau.

I also have a hard time seeing the advantage of film for the consumer. Most "snapshotters" (an unfortunate formulation that I am not guilty of coining) are not going to blow up beyond 5x7, and the vast majority are just looking to get 3x5s. A 2 to 3 megapixel camera will give them prints of acceptable quality in those sizes and are even overkill for on-screen and email uses.

This article caught my eye this morning. On the one hand I think the concept of single use digital cameras were inevitable and will be the thing that is the last nail in the coffin of consumer film. However, I do think that without the immediate feedback of an LCD screen and the ability to save the images yourself, this is not yet the film killer. This camera will still require a visit to the 1-hour Photo kiosk. But it is a definite step in that direction.