What are instant cameras? An instant camera (Polaroid) is a wonderful tool, with the help of finely tuned chemistry and physics, a moment in life instantly becomes a moment that lasts. As the title clearly indicates, the instant camera became the springboard for a generation of photographers who valued having photos available for viewing just four minutes after pressing a button. During development, some confused this phenomenon with magic, as is often the case when science is involved in everyday life. However, the process is simple to say the least. The process of taking a photo and capturing the image is no different on an instant camera than it is on a normal “roll” camera. The factor of viewing an instant through the lens, allowing the aperture to detect light surrounding the image, project the image onto a strip of film, and store the image until developed, all remains constant between the two cameras. To truly understand the difference and the “magic” behind the instant camera, one must first understand how general film works. The generic film is made of a thin plastic base; on this base is a layer of a chemically coated silver compound. When the aperture is opened, light rays are emitted into the camera and the film quickly captures the desired image using the silver compound as a magnet. A key aspect of this compound is the use of a substance called silver halide. Silver halides are the key substance in all forms of film as they play a crucial role on both the exposed film and the printed image. The process begins with a layer of gelatin-infused silver halides on the base layer (as shown in Figure 1) just below the first degree of dye developer (cyan). In order to avoid a fuse ...... middle of paper ...... by opacifiers in order to make the spread reagent opaque. When light is captured in the process, the pigments shine above the image dispersing the opacifiers towards the edge of the film where they are not visible (this is why instant films require a white frame) . This also happens at this point, the opacifiers have been targeted by the acid layer causing (delayed) transparency of the non-opaque reagent layer (which is why the film takes four minutes to develop), causing the image to from the bottom to the front of the sheet of film. Throughout this process, the timing layer regulated the rate at which the reactant passes through the film. This is done to ensure non-premature development. While you wait for your four minutes, you visualize the entire process in progress, once completed; you have a tangible record of a specific moment that will last forever.