1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to photography, and in particular to a technique which makes use of a camera loaded with film whose successive frames are partially pre-exposed to contain latent images thereon of figurative characters whereby when individuals are then photographed, the individuals are seen in the resultant pictures in juxtaposition to the characters so as to establish an apparent relationship therebetween.
2. Status of Prior Art:
A camera consists essentially of a light-proof container housing a light-sensitive film and provided with a lens to admit light and focus it on the film. In a standard commercial camera, an adjustable diaphragm is included as well as a shutter and a view-finder. The diaphragm can be adjusted to vary the diameter of the lens aperture and hence the amount of admitted light. The shutter controls the length of time the film is exposed to light.
Low-cost, disposable cameras are now available which contain a film cartridge whose successive frames are advanced relative to a fixed focus lens after each picture is taken. When all frames have been exposed, the cartridge is then removed from the body of the camera which is discarded.
Such disposable cameras are particularly popular with young children; for to operate the camera no training or skill is required, and all the child need do is to compose a picture through the viewfinder and then snap it.
In the contemporary world, characters such as MICKEY MOUSE hold great fascination for children. The term "character" ordinarily refers to a person in the cast of a drama or novel. But as the term is now popularly employed in the field of toys and playthings, it applies to a humanoid or animal-like figure that originated in a comic strip, a motion picture or a TV program and has since acquired the status of a recognized personality. Thus DONALD DUCK and MICKEY MOUSE are internationally known characters, as are the figures who populate the SESAME STREET TV series for children.
Perhaps the most acclaimed tourist attraction in the United States is Disney World in Orlando, Florida. One reason why cameras are omni-present at this resort is that actors disguised and dressed up as DISNEY characters roam the grounds and play with the children. These characters also pose with the children so that pictures can be taken of, say, a man-sized MICKEY MOUSE embracing a 6-year old child. Such pictures are treasured by children, for they establish a special relationship between the child and the character.
The line of demarcation between reality and imagination is not sharply drawn in a typical child. Some children look upon characters who people their imagination not as cardboard or synthetic figures but as living creatures. Hence a child may shower as much affection on a Minnie Mouse soft doll as on a dog or cat. But what children cannot presently do, unless at Disney World, is to take pictures in which they appear together with their favorite character.