There's little doubt that digital photos are one of the best things to happen in the world of photography. Having the ability to retake photos without worrying about how much film you've used has empowered millions to take more pictures. However, there's still something nostalgic about the old disposable cameras taking real physical pictures without any possibility for a retake that has a nostalgic feel to it.
One company recognized this nostalgic trend and is trying to replicate that feel on the iPhone. WhiteAlbum is an iOS-only app that does its best to copy that experience. WhiteAlbum (download here for free) lets users snap just 24 pictures before the digital "film roll" is finished. Users cannot view what the photos look like after they take them or before the roll is empty.
If someone wants to see the pics, they'll have to pay $20 to WhiteAlbum, which will print the pictures and mail them to your home.
But who would pay for pictures like this? And why?
WhiteAlbum founder Greg Beck told the Daily Dot that a trip to Korea inspired the idea. "The idea came from time spent over in Korea visiting my now fiancéé's family. While I was there, I was taking hundreds of photos, and we also went through some of her old family photos. I realized that despite my taking so many digital photos, the likelihood of me actually printing any of them was super slim.'
Beck says that requiring someone to print pictures in order to view them makes it far more likely that an individual will print and use a set of photos. Beck also says that the physical quality causes people to be more careful about what pictures they choose to take.
WhiteAlbum isn't the first attempt at bringing the physical photo back in our digital age. The Polaroid Socialmatic lets users take pictures with a 3-D version of the Instagram logo, and then print the results out immediately.
