Today the last roll of Kodachrome came off the processor at Dwayne's Photo Lab in Kansas, and with it the iconic look that defined America for most of the 20th Century is gone...another victim of the digital age.
There was no color film as good as Kodachrome. I inherited my love of photography from my Grandfather, and still have Kodachromes he made in the early 50's that are as rich and colorful as if they were taken just yesterday.
Yes, that's me sitting on top of the family Oldsmobile. Kodachrome made me a better photographer because of the workflow. Waiting a week or more to see the processed results was one of the best things about this wonderful film. It made each frame that much more precious, forcing me to learn the nuances of my equipment and how the film responded to certain lighting situations. Kodachrome taught me how to translate the beauty I saw in the world and record it accurately on film.
Two decades after my Grandfather made our family picture I travelled through and photographed the British Isles, with Kodachrome. Again, still as crisp and sharp as the day they were made. Today even with all the latest digital gear, I don't have the same level of connection with the photographic process that I enjoyed then. Kodachrome, it was good to know you!
