Taking the KodaChrome out of Kodak

As some of you may have heard today, Kodak is stopping production of their Kodachrome film. Considering the difficult developing process (only one lab in the world processes it), the expense of manufacturing the film, and that it makes up some miniscule portion of their product market, Kodak has made the economically sound decision to stop production.

Economically sound it may be, but I think it also signals something all of us who are into photography or other types of print media or art are constantly aware of - the end of an era. Don’t get me wrong, I am a digital photographer and a fan of digital art work, but there is something to be said for the beauty of a photograph taken on a roll of film and processed in a dark room.

There are definite bonuses on either side of the print vs. digital argument, and my friends can spin very heated circles around the issue, so I don’t really feel like getting into it here. However, having recently purchased a Lomo Fisheye, I’ve rediscovered the joy of getting back my film, the time it takes to get through a roll, and making every shot count. It reminds me of growing up and using the first camera that I could call my very own, or borrowing my Mom’s SLR to take to Alaska.

Nowadays I use digital cameras, so I make sure I increase my chances of getting a good shot (incredibly useful when your subjects are critters, as mine often are), but I am trying hard now to apply the film paradigm of shooting to my digital photo taking. Except of course, as some will tell you, when I travel ;)