Lytro cameras and its innovative technology won't be a news for our avid readers or for those who keep a close watch on the latest technology in the photography world. Rumor has it, that it is the next generation of photography; a camera that lets you click the picture first and worry about the focus adjustment later.

A while ago, we featured Lytro, explaining about the intricacies of this revolutionizing invention and enlightening you with its exclusive features. It is the only camera that lets you adjust the focus long time after the pictures are taken. It uses light field technology and is set to release later this year. Today we have with us Ren Ng, the founder of the brilliant invention 'Lytro' to share some information about Lytro and his journey throughout. Catch it below:


Though you're a famous guy now and need no introduction but let's have a brief intro from you.

I am the CEO of Lytro.  Before starting Lytro, I was on the fast path to fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a professor. The entrepreneurial spark came when I purchased my first DSLR camera and saw the potential to apply light field technology (an area I avidly studied at Stanford) to capture pictures in addition to image generation. As a result, instead of continuing on a purely academic path, I decided to apply and extend my theoretical work by making light field cameras that everyone can use. I hold a Ph.D. in computer science and a B.S. in mathematical and computational science from Stanford University and also an avid rock climber.


It is proposed that "Lytro" will revolutionize the photography industry. What do you have to say about it? 

We definitely believe that to be true.  Lytro is the first company to take the technology out of the lab and bring it to everyday consumers – creating an entirely new camera category that will forever change how people take and experience pictures.















I am keen to know that how did the idea of 'capture first and focus later' strike you? Do you have any story to share?

When using my DSLR to take photos of a friend’s five-year-old daughter, I quickly became acutely aware of the pain points of today’s cameras – a shutter that’s too slow to capture a moment, a lens that focuses on the wrong point in a scene, etc. I decided to apply what I knew about the light field to attempt to miniaturize light field photography technology into something that would no longer require 100 computers in a room tethered to a supercomputer but rather a camera that could fit into your pocket and was fast, simple and magical to use.






































What was the biggest challenge in transforming the idea into reality?

The hardest part was pulling together the diverse resources required to build the original prototype camera.  I recruited a professor in EE to the project, an ME professional, raised $25K in research capital, developed a relatively complex set of supply chain partners to fabricate the light field sensor and build the custom camera, and developed all the software to render images.  It was a very complex set of technical and operational activities over a six month period, and so satisfying when I glued the prototype together on my kitchen table and it worked!


What do you think are your main competitors? How do you plan to penetrate in the market? 

We are the first company to take the technology out of the lab and bring it to everyday consumers.


You along with your team members have spent several years working on this technology. How has it been? Would you like to take us through that?

Greylock Partners seeded the company in 2007, and we spent the first few years really working through the technology and the business model. In 2010, NEA lead a Series  B round as we decided to focus on bringing a branded camera to the consumer electronics market. We were four people back then, and, now at over 45 employees, we look forward to bringing the Lytro cameras to everyone this year.


Share your fondest memory with 'Lytro'.

My fondest memory is launching the company two weeks ago and seeing the team grow.


What message do you have for our readers?

We’d love to hear from you! Join the conversation on our social channels Twitter: @lytro; Facebook.com/Lytro and if they are interested in getting information on the camera, they can sign up to reserve one (no purchase commitment required) at www.lytro.com.

Ren, thanks for such a wonderful interview. We are eagerly waiting for Lytro Camera to be released and I am sure it will rock the photography industry! Good luck!!!


To read more exclusive interviews of innovative and inspiring entrepreneurs like Ren, you can subscribe to our RSS feeds. You can also choose to receive updates via email. 


Join us on Facebook: