No more Kodak moments

The saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

And for many, the word "Kodak" tends to evoke somber black-and-whites of yesteryear instead of sharp, vibrant digital photos of today.

So when Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Jan 19, it wasn't all that surprising. It doesn't take a business major to understand that from this specific type of bankruptcy means the company is slowly and painfully failing.

It seems that Kodak, the corporation responsible for making photography accessible to the masses and for ushering in the digital era, has been unable to stop admiring old photo albums in order to focus on creating crisper images of the here-and-now.  

"They [are] a company stuck in time," said Robert Burley, an associate professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, in an interview with Bloomberg Magazine.

Indeed they are. Although it is foolish to refuse to say good-bye to the days when people captured moments on film and printed hard copies of those memories, one can hardly blame Kodak for remaining mired in the past.

George Eastman founded Kodak in 1880; by 1900, the innovative company had branded itself as the public's memory-keeper of choice and was introducing its $1 Brownie camera to the masses. The Brownie, a cheap, portable novelty, was an instant success.

Americans eager to explore the unknown on new trains and steamships were able to document their adventures. Newspapers were able to illustrate their stories with real still images instead of illustrations. Even the poorest folks could take snapshots of their daily lives.

In its glory days, Kodak changed with the times. In the early 1960s, the company launched the Instamatic, a small, portable camera that was cheap and easy to load film into.

In the turbulent 1970s, Kodak gave a rebellious public the first digital camera. In the early 1990s, Kodak patented much of the technology used in today's digital cameras and cell phone cameras.

Although its EasyShare did very well when it was first introduced, other companies, including Nikon, quickly borrowed and perfected the easy-to-use digital technologies that EasyShare pioneered. Kodak  seems to have clung to its reputation as a film camera company and, because of its inability to assimilate into the digital age, struggled to create any truly great digital cameras for the market.

So, what can we learn from the rise and fall of Kodak?

Although once ahead of its time, Kodak failed to change with the times. Yes, it made photography a staple of everyday life, and yes, it brought digital cameras to life, but Kodak was a pioneer and nothing more. It paved the way for companies willing to adapt to a rapidly changing world, but itself was unable to leave behind the comforts of old glories.

Kodak teaches us that success depends not only on great ideas, but also on turning our fantastical dreams into realities. We should never be afraid to try new things. We should never forget past glories, but should focus more energy on making today and tomorrow better.

And we should probably make more hard copies of those memories we found dear enough to freeze in time forever, in case we're soon not able to.