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Digital Photo Technology and the One-Hour Shop


"For years, the one-hour photo shop was at the cutting edge of photo developing and printing technology. But that gradually changed with the advent of digital cameras and printers. As prices for digital cameras and equipment have come down, consumers chucked their old film cameras for the new technology. And that in turn has meant a sharp decline in business for many traditional photo developing shops."

I remember the days of paying a font shop to do typesetting for camera ready copy...good grief, am I a dinosaur, or what?

'just thinking about businesses that have not been able to evolve into something else and wondering how that might apply to education. Any thoughts??


Posted by Paul Chenoweth on February 22, 2006 05:00 AM |

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Many thoughts. First, I have taught school, either full time or as an adjunct instructor, for about 10 years. I have been in business for about 38 years, that last 8 with my own company. I am in the dinosaur category, but fortunately my business, software training and consulting, has kept me fairly up-to-date. However, this is my very first posting to a blog!

Rather than focus on individual businesses (like photo labs) that are suffering from the lack of flexibility versus changing technology, I have been thinking about the explosion in the volume of business the business world in general is transacting online. Even my wife, who is fairly techno-phobic, ordered the vast majority of her Christmas presents online (through me) or via the phone. I think that virtually EVERY business that does not ramp up for significant, easy, smooth business online will suffer greatly.

It just seems apparent to me that it is so much more efficient (both time and money-wise) to shop online and have FedEx, UPS, or the like do the running around. (The UPS truck is absolutely a daily occurrence on my block in Chicago.)

My thought is that, if a school purports itself as preparing students to take their place in the business world or even in society, that school must spend a great deal of focus on the Internet, with all its facets (web sites, blogs, etc) and the impact that the 'net and these features are having on that business world and society.

I am personally convinced that the Internet is having the greatest impact on society since the printing press and that its impact will exceed that of the printing press (if, indeed, it hasn't already).

I would be very interested in reactions to these thoughts. I am specifically interested in the use of blogs to enhance one's business (marketing, communication, etc). I am investigating the creation of a blog and want to do research and try to get it fairly right from the get-go. But I have gone off topic and that is probably a no-no. I apologize, for I am as green as grass here.

Posted by: Bill Costello | February 23, 2006 03:54 PM

Paul - I started an answer here and it just got longer and longer so I took it to my blog:

" . . well, we are of the “old school” also. And, while all of the modern conveniences are really neat, cool, awesome (and all those other 60’s type words - for I am a dinosaur, too) I think we are losing a lot, too. Youngsters today (those under 40) have an “I want it NOW” mentality and that is what is fueling bigger, better, faster technology. Again - that is not all bad. But - look at what we are losing in order to gain all those things. . . . . . . "


Posted by: barbara | February 25, 2006 04:23 PM

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