Seeing the world with eInk

eink.cam is a lo-fi digital camera with a tiny energy footprint that makes charming dithered pictures. I like to describe it as a “digital polaroid.”

A photo of eink.cam standing on top of a green wooden bench

eInk (or ePaper) is an alternative display technology that uses physical ink particles to produce images. eInk displays are much more power efficient and legible in sunlight in comparison to LCD screens, but suffer from slow refresh times and limited color reproduction. While these limitations will be overcome as the tech develops, they also give it an undeniable charm. The images on eink.cam look futuristic and retro at the same time.

Using an eInk display for photography has made me think about imagemaking in a new way. Since the photos I take with eink.cam remain on the screen even after I turn off the power, I’ve started to seek out subjects and compositions that would look nicely when displayed on my desk (where I keep the camera when I’m not using it). Color eInk displays are still very slow — each photo takes 30 seconds to fully show up on the screen after I press the shutter. While this can get annoying if I’m trying to catch a particular moment, it also gives me a very satisfying sense of delayed gratification.

I started eink.cam last year as my Computer Science thesis at Yale. My original pitch was that eInk could get you the charm and imperfections of film without the cost and environmental consequences, and the convenience of digital without overwhelming you with the ability to take 100s of photos at once. And while eink.cam is certainly in conversation with those two mediums, it’s also become its own thing – the more I use it, the more I feel it changing the way I take photos and engage with my environment.