The first ever permanent color photograph was taken in 1861 using an imperfect technique known as the three-color method. The earlier methods of color photographs were limited in the range of colors they could produce. The photo of Alim Khan was taken using a more advanced version of this method.
It was a challenge to find a method of color photography that worked well. The first commercially successful color process was called “autochrome,” and was introduced in 1907, but this was still limited. Kodak introduced “kodachrome” in 1935. It was an effective method, but one that required a lot of work to develop the photos.
It wasn’t until 1963 that Polaroid introduced instant color film. Unlike previous methods, cameras that used instant color film could develop a color photograph in just one-to-two minutes after exposure. Nine years later the company introduced integral film, which developed and fixed the photo without any intervention from the photographer.
Today most people use digital cameras which uses an electronic image sensor to record the image as a set of electronic data rather than as chemical changes on film. Digital cameras are much more convenient and have comparable image qualities to film cameras. There’s still a small market for film cameras, however, due to the potentially superior image quality and distinctive look.
