Is it possible to develop a photographic memory?

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No pun intended.

But, I ask because over the last two days I studied more than I ever had in my life. I was studying mostly calculus but after about 4 straight hours of that I remembered that I also had a test in 2 different subjects coming up the next day as well. It was late at this point so I just took out the textbooks and kind of glazed over the pages. I remembered most of it word for word the next day to my shock.

To my knowledge I have never had a photographic memory but it seemed like I did when I did that. I didn't think that was supposed to be possible.

Anyone with some knowledge to shed some light on this topic is appreciated.

It's definitely possible to improve your memory. I noticed that after a summer of studying Japanese, my visual memory had improved significantly. But, my memory was already very good. I doubt that it's possible to go from average/below after to having a "photographic memory" (to me that means something like, able to memorize a string of 50 numbers in just a few seconds).

It's possible to improve your memory but I'm not sure why it would be relevant to calculus.

It's best to just feel that you understand what is happening, how to do it and why.

I believe it is. When I was 8 years old, I was drawing Harley Davidsons component by component from memory. I don't have that skill anymore, but it is slowly coming back.

Sometimes when I lay in bed for a few hours with my eyes closed, not sleeping, but just imagining things, my clarity of being able to imagine things can become picture perfect, even if only for a few seconds at a time. Almost as if I were dreaming, only I'm wide awake. To be able to do that for minutes or even hours with a sketch pad in front of me and my eyes open is where that skill will have a use.

I do that with words, when remembering how they are spelled. I can see the word, written in 3-D.

It didn't have to do with calculus. I'd just studied calculus very hard for a long time. I had a bit of a headache at this point. Then when I switched to another topic, (1 of which was memorizing Japanese characters) the other was from a psychology textbook, I didn't even really read it but I opened the book and somehow the picture stayed in my head and info in those pages of text just stayed in my head. I'd never had it happen to me before so I thought it was pretty strange.

I've been studying string theory, and suddenly my memory has improved. I think it's just using certain parts of your brain repetitiously, like exercise. Great feeling.

I have a photographic memory, and trust me on this one: You don't want one!
There are techniques to sharpen your memory sure, but a photographic memory is something you are born with.

Why wouldn't someone want one?

I keep forgetting to load the film...

when I study, I go 'mmm...yeah...that makes sense," then can't remember when the test comes up...

My memory is extremely selective. I can remember everything one day, and close to nothing the next. Or next minute, depending on my general mood.

I've noticed retention and recall tend to be better when I'm relaxed. Often, I'll attempt to remember something and won't be able to until during sleep.

I have the same problem, yet I use this emoticon:

It's a serious problem. My memory is so bad, especially short term. Long term is better, but after a while it too is terrible... at best it becomes a vague recollection of past knowledge... nothing like real retention.

Actually, you bring up calculus, and it is one of my favorite subjects because I don't have to memorize much. I just intuitively understand nearly the whole subject.

An example of a bad subject: music. I've been studying music theory for going on 2 years now, and I still don't have all the key signatures memorized.

Your memory/learning seems to work exactly like mine does. Your probably good at mechanics, as well. That's pretty cool.

id say that you wont change into a photographic memory, because at least to me, this implies what is the basic modus operandi of your brain.

but what is certainly possible is to improve your ability to memorize and even note the presence of visual things. i read that at sniper schools, thes start playing this game where you put a random assortment of things on a table, let people look at it, put a blanket over the items and let peolpe recollect what they saw after a time.
over the course of the years, they progress to insane numbers of items for just a few seconds - seeing them before classes start, recollecting after classes stop hours later O_o

When I was in college, I often did that -- I would procrastinate and not begin to study for a test until the night before the test. While studying, I would essentially skim through the pages of the textbook. And wouldn't you know it...the next day I'd remember most of what I read. But, I don't think it was necessarily a photographic memory type of thing that caused me to remember what I read. Instead, I think it was just due to the pressure of knowing that I had to remember what I read, otherwise I would fail the test.

I think it's possible for a photographic memory to get worse over time.
Seriously, that's what happened to me. When I was child, I had a photographic memory. But nowadays, my memory is still a relatively good memory but hardly photographic.