Today, kodachrome officially died.

This makes me terribly sad but, of course, its really been gone for years. As much as I love the look of a kodachrome print, I never used the film and apparently very few (or at least not enough) people have for many many years. Too bad…

Kodachrome color slide film was introduced by Kodak Eastman in 1935, and became the standard film for both amateur and professional photographers by the mid-fifties. As printing color photography became more common, the look of these images began to define a 50s aesthetic.

Kodachrome photographs were exceptionally bright and vibrant, thanks to Kodachrome’s unique three color developing process, and the now outdated printing methods. Because black wasn’t included in the three color developing process, the black tones in Kodachrome prints often appeared dull, while the reds, blues and yellows were over saturated. Despite the brightness that this process allowed, it also created a slight separation between the colors. The effect is a subtle look of flatness, which feels distinctively unlike any photographs which are developed or printed today.

As much as I love the way these photos look, they also fulfill an important role in my work. When I appropriate images from the 1950s, I depend on this flatness to clue to viewers in on my intent. Not everyone will know the original context or source of a lifted image, but the colors act as a simple cue that the image was curated. The image’s differentness from a contemporary photograph informs the viewer to not just accept it for face value; but rather to stop and consider why it was chosen; to consider what lies behind the surface.

RIP kodachrome, thank you for producing so many incredibly gorgeous, vibrant photos. I’m grateful that there are still so many hiding in the books that I find at antique stores and garage sales. I’ll appreciate them even more now…