27 December 2011

Mama, Don't Take My Kodachrome Away

Berry Ice

This wasn't going to be my Christmas card this year, but something happened.

A corporation asked for three very old photos, pre-digital, for possible use as a "holiday" card. Not a Christmas card.

The photos were so old, I had to dig through negatives and slides, reprint and then scan, followed by some clean-up necessitated by old negatives and a very loved and appreciated scanner. While I was at it, I decided to pull a few more photos from the archives as well.

There were photos I didn't even remember taking. Some really awesome stuff! With film. That stuff I used to take to the local drug store some 20 and 30 years ago for two-day processing. If it was negatives. Because that was the best you could do back then. Slides took two weeks. But the color saturation was worth every dime and every day.

Back then, I thought I'd never go automatic. I never dreamed of digital. I thought I could never get colors like this with a computerized, automated camera.

The corporation ultimately chose the Icy Stockings but then rejected nature's humor and went with a different photo that didn't appear as "Christmasy." A totally generic leaf photo. Not even wintery.

And that is how the Icy Stockings became the Christmas card The Lizard and I sent out this year. With the word Christmas. Mailed on time this year, too, for a change!

More from the Kodacolor and Kodachrome archives...

Tree of Ice

Frosty Tree

Frosty Twigs

Barbed Ice

13 comments :

  1. Impressive! Love them all, great work!

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  2. Thank God for digital! I kept negatives for a long time before I finally threw them out. Beautiful photos!

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  3. I revel in the beautiful nature pictures that you take. What a lovely way to start my day. Thank you!

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  4. Just perfect, really all of them...but wow, that first one, which just rings we're stockings all hung by care and now frozen in time from old man winter...but still the most lovely grouping of stockings anyone could hope to see! What a great card!

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  5. Oh, my, goodness. These pictures are so awesome! I especially love "Frosty Twigs." Gorgeous!

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  6. An artist is an artist, whether digital or not... The frozen stockings are great! Brazilian sunny kisses...

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  7. Lovely photos. But, why, oh why is your partner a lizard?

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  8. Those are all stunning photographs.

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  9. Wow, it's like a trip into Photography Past. I especially love the icy twig and of course the ice berry stockings.

    Remember how exciting it used to be, waiting for prints to come back, wondering if they were as good as you hoped they might be? We're spoiled now for sure - and loving it!

    It's a sad time when people are afraid to use the word "Christmas". (Not me! And obviously not you.)

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  10. can't think of film without thinking about a friend who survived over 30 layoffs at Kodak before his name came up. Can't wait for a year of having calenders with your photos no matter which camera type was used, they are splendid

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  11. Wow! It is rare that I look at your photos without uttering that word "Wow". The icy stockings are stupendous. The other icy scenes are surreal. And, that last photo, well, I don't even know what to say. Wow!

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  12. I've been wanting to write you a long time. You have 2 of my loves, snowflakes and Colorado.
    I'm 76 years old and am now a widow, but for many years my husband and I took a trip to Colorado. We almost moved there. Your photos bring back a lot of memories.
    I have been doing crocheted snowflakes for 50 years for my friends and family as Christmas. Your patterns are so different and I am really enjoying doing something different.
    For Stiffening of the flakes I use commercial fabric stiffener. I've tried just about every method in the book and I like this one best.
    Keep snowing. Apphia from Illinois

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  13. Thank you, Mevr. Snoeshaan, Charlotte, Ambertree, Karen, YuLian, Ane, Marigold, Victoria, Sue, Stratoz, KB and Apphia! You've all literally made my day!

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