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instant photography

American  

noun

  1. photography using an instant camera.


Etymology

Origin of instant photography

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Samaras discovered instant photography in 1969, but it wasn’t until 1973 that he could begin what he called his “Photo-transformations”—physically distorted Polaroids.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

According to Polaroid President and CEO Scott W. Hardy, while instant photography may have left the limelight, it never really disappeared.

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2017

But Impossible Project CEO Oskar Smolokowski, 26, says there is a small but dedicated group of instant photography fans who, like vinyl buyers, appreciate the tangibility and feel of film.

From Time • May 10, 2016

He credited the saying to Mark Twain, though evidence points to Edwin H. Land, the inventor of Polaroid instant photography.

From New York Times • Apr. 17, 2011

The Polaroid camera was the invention of Edwin H. Land, whose revolutionary 1948 technology for instant photography was not matched until the arrival of the digital camera almost 40 years later.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 12, 2010

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