Kodachrome in English Suburbia

[Lilserenity]

As part of my impression:mk project I have decided to shoot using Kodachrome 64, for various reasons. The attached is such an example with a Leica M2 and Voigtlander Ultron 35mm. If anything I hope this inspires people to use Kodachrome at least once before Kodak inevitably discontinues it at some point in the future.

The larger version is on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilserenity/3523342666/sizes/l/

 

[chris00nj]

Nice photo. The clouds look painted.

I'm already inspired. I'm bringing 12 rolls with me to Alaska

 

[maddoc]

Kodachrome colors can't be beaten ! 🙂 Beautiful image !

I also use KR-64 from time to time, actually just waiting for 6 rolls coming back from Dwayne's Photo.

 

[marke]

Wow, that's gorgeous. Wait 'till Dan sees this.

 

[35mmdelux]

Your Flickr -- stunning work. Congrats.

 

[Lilserenity]

Nice photo. The clouds look painted.

I'm already inspired. I'm bringing 12 rolls with me to Alaska

They do have that look, I've given some great thought as to how this project would work. It's actually been something I have always wanted to do so unlike much of my stuff which is 'see what happens and it might work' -- I did think carefully about what to use, the name etc.

The project's name impression:mk is in part a nod to impressionism as a definition but the artists' movement of which many of my favourite painters could be described as. Whilst magnificent films like Ektachromes (E100G or VS/EBX) or Astia/Provia would provider a finer grain image, they don't quite have that painterly feel that can be achieved with Kodachrome. The other aspect that inspired me is it would appear that much of the Development Corportion's publicity photos used Kodachrome, I'm pretty certain of it. A local author Lee Scrivens put together a book, 3 Curly Wurlies and 106 Roundabouts : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLyLL9xWus - some of those shots just scream Kodachrome.

That and I love the stuff, which is a good reason 🙂 😀

 

[Lilserenity]

Kodachrome colors can't be beaten ! 🙂 Beautiful image !

I also use KR-64 from time to time, actually just waiting for 6 rolls coming back from Dwayne's Photo.

Thank you!

Exciting stuff isn't it! I just love it when those little packets from Kodak are waiting on the door mat! Hoping to have 3 more to arrive any time now.

 

[Lilserenity]

Wow, that's gorgeous. Wait 'till Dan sees this.

Dan? 🙂 Thank you!

 

[Lilserenity]

Your Flickr -- stunning work. Congrats.

Wow, thank you! And thanks for all the feedback, it is encouraging on what is a fairly odd-ball project! Still, you just gotta do what you gotta do!

 

[agricola]

Lil - very emotive picture - quintessential England - how did you scan it, and where is K64 processed these days?

 

[Lilserenity]

Lil - very emotive picture - quintessential England - how did you scan it, and where is K64 processed these days?

I used a Nikon Coolscan III / LS30. It's not the best scanner these days as dedicated ones go, but for printing up to 10x8 / 11x14 it produces an approximate 4000x3000 pixel file (I'm not sure of the exact size) which with some gentle dust removal removes the odd fleck on the slide. Sometimes the normal/high dust (ICE) removal does weird things with the colour.

All Kodachrome is now processed by Dwayne's in Parsons, Kansas (USA.) In the UK at least, you buy the K64 process paid, currently at around £8.50 a roll cheapest. When done, pop it in the mailer to Kodak in Lausanne, Switzerland and that's securely forwarded to Dwayne's and back again to Lausanne and on to you. Takes about 2 or 3 weeks which is not bad. For me it works out just as economical as E6. Postage from the UK to Switzerland for 1 roll is about £1.20 so not bad at all really.

 

[agricola]

thanks Lil - wow, what a trip! I had some 10yr old slides processed a little while ago - still with the pre paid mailers - and they said that the rolls had to go to Switzerland. They probably went via Dwaynes! Came out ok too.

 

[Austerby]

I'm part of the Kodachrome revival too - photographs such as these have persuaded me to give it a go and I've recently taken delivery of my first 10 rolls. I've recently been virtually exclusively b&w as I love home processing but am v.much looking forward to using this extraordinary film.

 

[Michael Markey]

That is nice. Following your earlier post on K64 I hot footed it down to Boots ,as you suggested ,and got three rolls. Loaded one into my M3 .Took it to the RFF meet in Manchester (the light was all over the place) and am waiting for the result. I am glad that you find the posting method secure. The envelope provided seemed very minimal to say the least ! Your post has inspired me to use more although I am told that scanning can be an issue with K64.

 

[Lilserenity]

thanks Lil - wow, what a trip! I had some 10yr old slides processed a little while ago - still with the pre paid mailers - and they said that the rolls had to go to Switzerland. They probably went via Dwaynes! Came out ok too.

They more than likely did, all K14/Kodachrome processing is done at Dwayne's now. Lausanne no longer has it K14 processor. This is why it's important that people at least try it once while they can as there's nothing worse than regrets in life! Though I'm not sure how much sleep can be lost over a film, but it would be a shame that some people who could have tried it didn't whilst they could.

Vicky

 

[Lilserenity]

I'm part of the Kodachrome revival too - photographs such as these have persuaded me to give it a go and I've recently taken delivery of my first 10 rolls. I've recently been virtually exclusively b&w as I love home processing but am v.much looking forward to using this extraordinary film.

I'm glad that you're inspired! It has a unique look that's for sure! I'm mostly B&W too but Kodachrome is one of those colour films that I just absolutely love. Probably more than Velvia 50, although I don't mind 100F!

 

[Lilserenity]

That is nice. Following your earlier post on K64 I hot footed it down to Boots ,as you suggested ,and got three rolls. Loaded one into my M3 .Took it to the RFF meet in Manchester (the light was all over the place) and am waiting for the result. I am glad that you find the posting method secure. The envelope provided seemed very minimal to say the least ! Your post has inspired me to use more although I am told that scanning can be an issue with K64.

That's great news! Buying it in Boots with their 3 for 2 offer makes it pretty much as cheap as buying on-line.

Scanning can be an issue sometimes but generally just leave the Digital ICE on a low setting to start with and build up from there. I find my LS30 will screw up some of the colours if it's too heavy.

You may find the slides come back at different times but generally 2-3 weeks is usual and I haven't had a single roll go missing yet.

Vicky

 

[P. Lynn Miller]

Lovely colors... I used to shoot Kodachrome by the brick back in the 80's... PKR with quite abit of PKM thrown in for good measure. Got 50 rolls a few months back... and need to get my color 'eye' honed in again. Been shooting B&W almost exclusively for 10 years... just waiting to get a half-dozen rolls exposed to a shipment back to Kansas.

Thanks for sharing,

 

[Lilserenity]

Lovely colors... I used to shoot Kodachrome by the brick back in the 80's... PKR with quite abit of PKM thrown in for good measure. Got 50 rolls a few months back... and need to get my color 'eye' honed in again. Been shooting B&W almost exclusively for 10 years... just waiting to get a half-dozen rolls exposed to a shipment back to Kansas.

Thanks for sharing,

I used to shoot it all the time, then I discovered Velvia but I have drifted back to Kodachrome, its grainier but there is just that something I can't get with another film although Provia 100F comes somewhere near. I'm just about to stock up myself as I have decided to use it on a little walking holiday I'm doing too.

Thanks also for the kind words. 🙂

Vicky

 

[Harry Lime]

Nice shot and I really love Kodachrome. I haven't shot any in a few years and everytime I see some work done with it, I remember how much I like it.

I made a Technicolor filter for my D700 files, which produces a very similar look, but of course you don't have that little colored sliver of a gem to hold in your hands, like you do with a K64 slide.