Open Mike: I Get to Meet Mick Jagger (Steve Sasson)

Yr. Hmbl. Ed. and Steve Sasson, inventor of the digital camera.
Photo by Robyn Rime.

Okay, not Mick Jagger exactly. Many years ago, when I was in my LEAP (Learn Everything About Photography) period, I took a course in optics at the University of Maryland so I could learn more about how lenses worked (well worth it, by the way—great course, great fun). The physics professor mentioned once that he didn't care about the celebrities most other people cared about—all his celebrities, he said, were physicists. His face brightened up as he described a physics conference he had recently attended. He ran through a partial list of all the physicists in attendance and why they were famous, and said he was so excited to be in the same room with all of them that he could barely sit still in his seat. "It was like other people would feel sitting in a room full of rock stars," he said.

So when I met Steve Sasson yesterday, I told him that, for me, meeting him was like meeting Mick Jagger! He gave me a somewhat bemused look at that.

Steve struck me as one of those "young old people," a down-to-earth guy with a lively mind who, in the space of a very short conversation, had a lot to say about things like innovation in the context of institutions and creative disruptions in technology. He told me he now works as an independent consultant, and, like any good rock star, goes out on tour (okay, I'm stretching my metaphor—he gives lectures around the country).

An honor to meet him. A real celebrity, in our universe. Seemed like a very nice guy, too.

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Henning Wulff: "I got to meet Steve Sasson in Rochester in 2007 when he gave a presentation to the LHSA (Leica Historical Society of America) about the development of the first digital camera. A great speaker and true innovator. Too bad the Kodak behemoth didn't listen to him more, but then, he was quite junior at the time. All in all, a memorable experience. And yes, my first six years in university were in physics which came in good stead in all later endeavors."

Mike Kukulski: "I briefly met Mr. Sasson in Sept 2014, at the George Eastman House in Rochester where I was attending an ambrotype workshop. I had recently written a history of photography article for my local camera club newsletter about the development of digital photography, and based on my research for that I recognized him sitting in the cafeteria at lunch. I politely interrupted his discussion with his colleagues to thank him for his contribution to the field of photography. He was very gracious and I was pleased to have gotten the chance to meet him. FYI, my digital photo history article can be seen here."

Mike replies: Nicely done on the article—a good brief overview of digital imaging history. I enjoyed that.

Comments

[Ranjit Grover]

Ah, lucky you!
Most of us do not get to see or meet real great people.

[Ordinarily I don't either. It was an honor. --Mike]

[Michael Perini]

I understand completely,--the human capacity for, and the amazing power of a really new Ides is quite humbling, but also exciting.

Now, you must have asked a couple of questions, what were they and what were his answers ???

[DavidB]

Two of the greatest people I've had the honor to meet were both Nobel scientists. I also had an opportunity as a grad student to meet the scientist who coined the term "butterfly effect" (i.e., chaos theory).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect

Who needs rock stars?

[John Willard]

To be the metaphorical flap of a butterfly wing has got to be kind of unsettling.

[Hugh Smith]

Since I quite nearly flunked physics (got out with an "A" which is very long story) I want to know if he sings "Sympathy for the Devil?"
Otherwise, physics is still a mystery to me.

Mi dos pesos

[Herman]

A celebrity from another era-


"To Herman who wasted a flashbulb on me".

[That's very cool Herman! --Mike]

[Steve G, Mendocino]

Gosh, I hope that you managed to get out of 'starstruck' mode and into 'savvy publisher' long enough to drop a hint that a guest column or two might not go amiss.

I'd love to read his thoughts "about things like innovation in the context of institutions and creative disruptions in technology"

PS - I know the feeling. With me it was hearing a lecture by and meeting Doug Engelbart. That was twenty-some years ago and he was talking about wearable devices like the Apple Watch.

[Joe B]

Born 1950- a young looking 65 yrs old.
Our heroes ought to be more like Steve and much less like the popular media "heroes" of today.

jb

[Henning Wulff]

I got to meet Steve Sasson in Rochester in 2007 when he gave a presentation to the LHSA (Leica Historical Society of America) about the development of the first digital camera. A great speaker and true innovator. Too bad the Kodak behemoth didn't listen to him more, but then, he was quite junior at the time.

All in all, a memorable experience. And yes, my first 6 years in university were in physics which came in good stead in all later endeavors.

[Bill Mitchell]

Do you use his shampoo and conditioner?

[Hmm. Are you related to a Mitchell named Paul?]