They say all good things in life come to an end. Today we announced that Kodak will retire KODACHROME Film, concluding its 74-year run.

It was a difficult decision, given its rich history. At the end of the day, photographers have told us and showed us they've moved on to newer other Kodak films and/or digital. KODACHROME Film currently represents a fraction of one percent of our film sales. We at Kodak want to celebrate with you the rich history of this storied film. Feel free to share with us your fondest memories of Kodachrome.


I've had the profound privilege of working with the world's greatest photographers in my role here at Kodak. I serve as the company's liaison with the pro community, and I've gotten to know the best of the best.  Each one has their Kodachrome story.

I thought I'd share with you some reflections on Kodachrome from a small sampling of these great artists - Steve McCurry, Eric Meola, and Peter Guttman.

Listen to what Steve and Peter have to say as they reflect back:





"Before digital, Kodak was already shifting gears--moving away from the boundaries of KODACHROME (long lab times, fewer labs, a more environmentally friendly, as well as constrained, chemistry)" said Meola.  "E100SW and E100VS were a natural evolution of the KODACHROME look, and made my life a lot easier.  And they kept all the great things about KODACHROME --long latitude, fine grain, great color--and made it easier for me to get processed anywhere.  In some ways, those films were natural predecessors to the digital age."

Steve McCurry, whose picture of a young Afghan girl captured the hearts of millions of people around the world as she peered hauntingly from the cover of National Geographic Magazine in 1985, offered these words:

"The early part of my career was dominated by KODACHROME, and I reached for that film to shoot some of my most memorable images," said McCurry. "While KODACHROME Film was very good to me, I have since moved on to other films and digital to create my images. In fact, when I returned to shoot the 'Afghan Girl' 17 years later, I used Kodak's E100VS film to create that image, rather than KODACHROME Film as with the original."


© Peter Guttman

From Peter Guttman: "Kodachrome was for me the visual crib in which my photographic dreams and visions were nurtured.  The rich hues, and startlingly lifelike textures imbued within this elegantly crafted film provided a vivid training ground for sharpening my vision of the world.  The initial draw to Kodachrome was its unrivalled archival durability, but I shortly realized the magnificent renderings of reality that the film was capable of.  I credit Kodachrome as my most reliable tutor, educating my eyeball with an awareness of the delicacy of light and the subtleties of color.
 
With the strict discipline of a Kodachrome vision firmly under my belt, I felt free to playfully experiment with other films.  I have in recent years become enamored with Ektachrome 100VS which has now become my film of choice for its dazzling hues, deeply saturated color and intense sharpness--all optical tools that serve me well in portraying our planet's stunning diversity."

View our slideshow of great KODACHROME moments.


© Eric Meola

"There are in life a few constants, but far too few.  The sun rises in the morning and sets at night, and Kodachrome was what was always there to help us record those sunrises and sunsets and to brilliantly capture that ephemeral distance between light and shadow.

We would win awards with it, and the images that the light burned into its emulsion were a paean to this film, as much as the film was part of the soul of the photographers who used it and the unparalleled images they made with it.

We waited up nights to open those golden boxes--like young children surprised with glee and knowing we could drift asleep again and that all was right with the world, and that there was still Kodachrome, and almost nothing else mattered." - Eric Meola

Read more about what others thinking...

Josh Root of photo.net

Stephen Schaub of Figital Revolution

Daniel Bayer of The Kodachrome Project


- Audrey Jonckheer, Kodak Worldwide Pro Photographer Relations

Wedding photos are treasured through the years and by generations to come. Theses pictures tell the story of each couple in a unique, romantic way. Every couple has their own ideas about how they want their wedding captured. For that reason alone there are many styles photographers use: traditional formal, romantic, photojournalistic, artistic, candid, black & white, color.

June is the start of summer, the start of the wedding season for the US. During this month at Kodak we have a few things going on to help kick-off the season. Today, we are featuring images from Isabel Lawrence Photographers illustrating their unique style of wedding photography.  

We are also very excited to be providing an exclusive single-use camera for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. Jump over to our Plugged-In blog to read about the camera - after you finishing reading here first though!!

Wedding photographers have a very difficult task - they are the ones who have to tell the story through photos. They need to be able to capture the special moments and the small details that could be forgotten.  Having single-use cameras at your wedding will help your guests tell their story.

"Making single-use cameras available to wedding guests is a great idea," said professional wedding photographer Isabel Gomes. "The candid snapshots that guests take provide the happy couple with another perspective and tell the complete story of the wedding and the reception, complementing the vision of their hired photographer. Some of these images are classic, reminding the newlyweds that, yes, everyone really did have a great time. Doing so with a KODAK camera means you can trust that you will get great images every time."

Back to our homepage images, do you see the stories emerging? Do the images say wedding to you? Should they? What style are these photos, what styles do you like?

Tell us what you think. We'd love to hear from you (really, this is a subtle hint - add a comment!!)

© Isabel Lawrence Photographers

© Isabel Lawrence Photographers

© Isabel Lawrence Photographers

© Isabel Lawrence Photographers

© Isabel Lawrence Photographers

About Isabel Lawrence Photographers

Isabel & Lawrence

Isabel and Lawrence share a few of their most closely guarded secrets in our Tips and Project Center. Check out the "insider info" techniques ranging from smart to whimsical, they will help take your photo skills to the next level!

Isabel Gomes and Lawrence Gund are a husband and wife wedding photography team with more than 40 years of combined experience. They are true artists who use film to capture the beauty of life, love, family and friends. Isabel and Lawrence use a wide range of cameras to create artistic techniques that will hold the timelessness of the moment.

Isabel Lawrence Photographers are based in Los Angeles, California.  Their work has appeared in publications like People, In Style, Town & Country as well as on WE TV's Platinum Weddings and the Oprah Show. 

Isabel's photographs have appeared in several galleries and museums including the Ventura Museum of Art and the Latin Art Museum.  Her photographs were also featured at Photokina in the Kodak pavilion in 2006.

Lawrence is an award winning photojournalist who has photographed for the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly.

Isabel and Lawrence regularly teach workshops on running a successful wedding photography studio, and on using alternative cameras like pinhole and plastic toy cameras.

Visit their web site: http://www.isabellawrence.com

Read their blog: http://www.isabellawrence.com/ilpblog.html

We would like to offer special thank you to Isabel and Lawrence for providing such wonderful photos and tips.