Pictures taken with a Kodak Digital Camera Optical Zoom Lens Feature

Introduced to the awaiting universe in 1982, the "CD" or "Compact Disc" was the first major change to the way we hear and listen to music in decades. A lighter, sleeker design that streamlined and "compacted" music storage and thereby increased our capacity to buy more recordings from our favorite groups, performers, and solo artists. Prior to the near miraculous invention of this saucer shaped sound preserver, we were all relegated to audio pleasures via the larger, clumsily put together, non-reflective "LP" or "VINYL" record. As we all know, playing the "Album" was certainly an eye opening, and sometimes frustrating experience in itself. An indelible test of patience by carefully removing the record from its comfortable cocoon, handling it gingerly with extreme care while expressing eager inner anticipation, then trying mightily to avoid applying finger prints or accidentally subjecting it to the ever looming scratch which could ultimately render the molded plastic masterpiece impotent or in extreme cases, useless. Another casualty destined to be summoned forever into the abyss of hiccupping hymns. Once we successfully removed an LP from the decorative sleeve however, we carefully rotated the awkward 33 in a random circular motion to try to line up the tiny hole in the middle with a small protrusion on the turntable, and once they were aligned, it was like magic. The LP descended a quarter inch and came to rest on a soft, velvety cushion, to await a precipitous introduction to the phonograph needle.

The record was now primed for decibel emission. So you reached over to grasp the tiny handle on the arm with your thumb and index finger, removed the safety latch, and performed one more essential delicate task before the symphony began. Lint inspection, heavy breath blowing, and careful removal. You then placed the opposite index finger gently onto the needle point and slowly removed any additional entrapped fuzz or other debris which could indeed cause a major catastrophic event, the "Running of the Grooves". This occurred randomly and unexpectedly when the stereo needle had accumulated a substantial dusty buildup and the end result could have been a malfunctioning, inaudible, unattractive playback situation. An eerily sounding scenario when the needle could not recognize or cling to the microscopic vinyl grooves, and therefore, instead of listening to a rock n' roll spectacular, the fine point simply slid from the beginning of song number one all the way through the entire play list without even the slightest vocal chirp. A wasted audio event resulting in an amplified rapid swoosh across the entire LP which could be heard for blocks.

But alas, those days are gone forever, or are they? There seems to be a re-emergence and renewed interest in the old vinyl LP's. The apparent longing for a non-perfect, crackling enhanced fidelic audio experience is evident everywhere. Recently, I was watching one of my favorite cable music channels when the host introduced a guest and prefaced it by saying "And this incredible rock legend has a new "ALBUM" out. So it's still unclear as to whether or not this newly found yearning is for fleeting, nostalgic reasons, or a more permanent trend. I guess we'll have to just wait and see how it plays out over the coming years.

Regardless of the past, present, and future, the CD without a hitch, has become seamlessly integrated as our essential music storage disc and the standard by which all future enhancements will be measured. How will it be tweaked and improved upon? Smaller with more music storage capacity? Thinner with more music storage capacity? Smaller and thinner with more music capacity? I think it's probably safe to wager on all of the above. There is however only one enormous favor I shall ask of all my fellow technology geeks scattered throughout the reachable universe. Apply whatever changes are required in the future to provide an enhanced audio experience, but please for the sake of creative expression, do not change the perfectly reflective plastic material makeup, for upon the surface of this shiny, polished synthetic surface, lies a photographer's blank canvas from which to conjure and contrive incredible works of brilliantly lighted artistry. I keep a few shiny saucers within the steel confines of a secluded vault just in case the geeks do not comply with my wishes.

We need to preserve the fine art of "CD Photography" -

<> Tribute to all the surfers who are an integral part of the California fabric & lifestyle -

<> Tribute to my favorite Sultry Pop Rock Dynamo "Pink" -

<> Tribute to all my Family, Friends & Acquaintances -

<> Tribute to NASA and the Space Shuttle Missions that spanned many decades which have produced a wealth of new scientific knowledge -

<> Last but certainly not least - A tribute to the "Hub Pages" Community -

• All of the above photos were taken with a Kodak M580 Digital Camera equipped with an Optical Zoom Lens. Simplistically user friendly and relatively affordable for such a sophisticated devise, complete with standard features you would find incorporated within the body of a more expensive model. Price Point when in production was $100 - $150 and In my opinion, for the cost, the picture quality is very good to excellent depending of course upon the skill level and experience of the photographer. A complete review will be published in a future article for camera collectors of vintage electronics.

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed my mini "Art Gallery". Created with the assistance of a limited in quantity, discontinued collectors model Kodak M580 Digital Camera -

^{<> The images that appear on this page have not been edited, altered, or studio enhanced in any way <> The visuals were digitally captured then uploaded directly from my camera to this site <>}