Photoessayist the Blog

Category: Kodachrome

Which Do You Prefer?

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By John, January 19, 2011 6:00 AM

Architecture, Kodachrome | Contax G1, Los Angeles

L.A. Their Way

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By John, January 10, 2011 6:00 AM

Kodachrome, Photography, Street | Contax G1

The Eastern Building

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By John, January 7, 2011 7:00 AM

Architecture, Kodachrome | Contax G1

Orpheum

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By John, January 6, 2011 11:22 AM

Architecture, Kodachrome | Contax G1, Orpheum

Metrolink

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By John, January 3, 2011 1:41 PM

Kodachrome | Contax G1, Metrolink

I’m Going To Miss You Kodachrome

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By John, January 2, 2011 6:00 AM

Never thought I would say that about any color film, especially Kodachrome, but it’s true.

I stopped using Kodachrome before most of you were born, 1964. Why? Because it was slow. It’s speed was 25 at that time. It was expensive. Lastly I didn’t have a camera good enough. Mine was a Kodak Pony 135.

That little Kodak Pony 135 was a great camera for learning photography but because it was all manual and my little, cheap, hand-held meter just wasn’t accurate enough for a film like Kodachrome.

Once just after I got the camera in 1958 I went to Disneyland and took a picture at every Kodak recommended shooting location. Remember those yellow Kodak signs that said something about standing right here and shoot the exact same scene you see on the sign? Something like that. I did it with Kodachrome 25. Because my dad, who was a good photographer himself, used Kodachrome 25. Like father, like son.

Don’t ask me to show you any of those Disneyland photos. Lost them in the late 60′s.

I think the last time I used Kodachrome was at the 1964 Rose Parade. Lost those photos too.

The next time I used Kodachrome was at the 2010 Rose Parade. 46 years. Long time.

When Kodak announced it was ceasing production of Kodachrome 64 I was able to get 8 rolls of the film. That was in late 2009.

After I used half a roll shooting the Rose Parade I had planned to fine one location that would show Kodachrome at it’s best but weather, money, and other commitments delayed me doing anything until early fall 2010.

By August 2010 it was now or never. I really like urban environments and downtown L.A was just a $10 round-trip from where I lived so it became my choice by default.

Even then I didn’t get started until September 2010 and then the heat wave struck Southern California. I was in L.A. the day before the hottest day ever and the day after. HOT. I think it shows in some of the photos.

Kodachrome held up like the champ it is or was.

I didn’t make any special decision on what the last picture on the last roll would be. I felt it was more important to work as I always do except that I just kept shooting until it was over.

So what is it about Kodachrome that makes it the best color film ever. It’s also better that any digital image maker. Why?

Well first it is the most accurate color film ever? Even better than digital. You take a Kodachrome photo and just print it.

Second and most important it is the most sensual film of all time. There is a emotional element to Kodachrome you’ll never get with digital. I didn’t realize that until I got my 8 rolls back from Dwaynes. Then it really was to late.

A. G. Sulzberger in his NY Times story on the end of Kodachrome stated:

Demanding both to shoot and process, Kodachrome rewarded generations of skilled users with a richness of color and a unique treatment of light that many photographers described as incomparable even as they shifted to digital cameras.

On last Sunday’s CBS Sunday Morning program photographer Kent Miller said:

“It just reproduces colors in a way that most other films never did, and it lasts forever,” Miller said. “It’s something that is difficult to do with just shooting digital until you bring it in to Photoshop and resaturate and do all your work in there. But just straight out the camera it doesn’t have that density and dynamic ranges as the Kodachrome does just naturally.”

Now it’s all over. But remember that Kodachrome lasts forever and ever. The Kodachrome photos we all took over the years will be just as good 100 years form now if you can find them.

Kodachrome, Photography, POV, Street | Amtrak, Contax G1, Irvine Transportation Center, Opinion

Happy New Year

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By John, January 1, 2011 6:00 AM

The photo was taken on January 1, 2010. You can see a digital version, taken with a Nikon D40X, on an earlier post. Go here to see it: http://www.photoessayist.com/blog/?p=168.