Kodachrome… Dead at 74.An untimely Death ?
In 1973, Paul Simon sang…Don’t take my Kodachrome away…Well Paul, sorry to tell you but Kodak is taking your favourite film away from all of us.
Rapid obsolescence is the norm in today’s digital world. Even if you knew this day was coming, you probably weren’t prepared for it to happen right now. The writing for most film based film has been on the wall for years. Most film has disappeared already except for the old standby Kodachrome. Many thought it should go on forever! At least that is what some of the film shooters thought.
With the annoncement this month, that Kodak will cease production of its storied Kodachrome film after 74 years in production, provoked sadness and nostalgia to many from the film shooting era.
Kodachrome was unveiled in 1936, and dominated the pages Life, Time, Vogue, Macleans and National Geographic. Inventors Leopold Godowsky Jr., and Leopold Mannes created a film to have intense and vibrant colour, tonal smoothness, be exceedingly sharp and was the only true stable colour film.
Mary Jane Hellyar, outgoing President of Kodak’s Film, Photofinishing and Entertainment Group, said “it has been particularly difficult to retire Kodachrome film because of its Icon status”. Kodachrome sales are just a fraction of one percent of the company total sales of still films, and only one lab in the world can still processes it. Kodachrome, because of its one-of-a-kind formula was only made once a year.
Kodachrome had a complicated chemical process. Kodachromes stability devives from the fact that it is first developed in the same manner as black and white films. Unlike any other colour films, Kodachrome is purely black and white when exposed. The three primary colours that mix to form the spectrum (Red, Green, Blue) are added to the transparency in three development steps rather than built into its own layers on the film.
Due to the complexity of the chemical process, Dwayne’s Photo, in Parsons Kan., is the only lab that will process Kodachrome and will do so until 2010, as a Kodak spokesperson has said.
Indeed Kodachrome was favoured by still and motion picture photographers world wide for its realistic tones, vibrant colours and durability. For one thing to be sure, Kodachrome definitely set the standard for a generation of shooter by which all colour film to follow would be measured.
Kodachrome will be missed by many.
But we must now continue…continue upwards and forwards…digitally that is…
