For centuries, humanity has obsessed over the preservation of the present. We have progressed from charcoal sketches on cave walls to elaborate oil paintings, and eventually to the chemical sorcery of film photography. In the 2020s, and especially as we navigate 2026, the digital image has become ubiquitous. We take thousands of photos on our smartphones, yet most of them remain trapped behind glass screens, destined to be scrolled past or lost in the vastness of the cloud. The 3D photo crystal