Even though I own a nice camera, I’m guilty of taking of-the-moment, memorable photos – or, let’s be honest, food pics – with my smartphone camera that end up being stuck on my phone or on Instagram, as much as I mean to make physical printouts.
To make the digital to physical process easier, Polaroid has introduced a new concept where users can print photos from phones and social network sites at a traditional brick-and-mortar store.
The first store in Delray Beach, Florida will open in February, with 10 other Polaroid Fotobars set up to open this year around the country.
“There are currently around 1.5 billion pictures taken every single day, and that number continues to grow in tandem with the popularity and quality of camera phones,” said Warren Struhl, founder and CEO of Fotobar in a press release.
At the Fotobar, “Experienced ‘Phototenders,” similar to Apple’s “Geniuses,” will assist customers through the process from start to finish, where photos can be edited for red eye, contrast or brightness.
Polaroid says its technology will let in-store customers choose the photos they want from their phones or from Facebook, Instagram, Picasa and other photo-sharing sites, wirelessly send them to one of the store’s workstations “for quick and hassle-free ordering within seconds.”
The storewill also give customers the option of matted photos and frames that range from metal to bamboo.
Fotobar is already available online. You can check it out here to see how it works.
