This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this folio. Terms of use.

For decades most people experienced the world in Kodachrome colors, like this image of a farmer near Kalaw, Myanmar. Copyright David Cardinal.

For those likewise young to remember the iconic Kodachrome motion-picture show look that helped launch an era of color photography, it was farther immortalized by the Paul Simon song featuring the line, "Mama, don't accept my Kodachrome away." Unfortunately, Kodak did. When it shut down the network of specialized labs, and stopped selling the chemicals needed to process the once-revolutionary film stock, information technology killed the product. At present, on the heels of resurrecting Ektachrome, apparently Kodak is considering bringing back Kodachrome.

I've still got a few rolls of Kodachrome 64 in my freezer for nostalgia. Maybe now I'll actually be able to shoot them!Kodak CMO Steve Overman hinted every bit much on a Kodakery podcast. Presumably hoping to further capitalize on a nostalgia wave that has seen an uptick in film sales, the company knows that no film brand is better known than Kodachrome. Unfortunately, by today'south standards its usage is probable to exist mostly for retro projects and those curious about history. Its low ISOs of 25 and 64 will prove shocking to those accustomed to bumping their picture show speeds into the hundreds and thousands on their digital cameras. And its colour rendering, while unique, is more of a bridge to the past than something that tin compete with the post-processing options available today.

Kodachrome isn't for anybody

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was never a big fan of Kodachrome for my photography. By the time I started shooting in color seriously, newer slide films had come along, with higher ISOs and what I thought were more authentic colors — from Agfa, Fujifilm, and even Kodak itself. Even so, I even so have these three rolls of Kodachrome 64 in my freezer — orphaned in 2022 when the final lab that could process them closed. Certainly I look forward to the possibility of shooting them if the lab arrangement is resurrected.

For those curious nigh the "await" of Kodachrome, there are applications that can provide a good facsimile. FilmPack, from DxO Labs, for example, has an elaborate model of diverse motion picture stocks (created by capturing, scanning, and testing a large number of images on each stock). So that yous tin run across for yourself, here is a modern DSLR image, taken with a high-end Nikon D810 (JPEG straight out of the camera):

Grand Prismatic at Yellowstone -- Nikon D810 JPEG -- photo by David Cardinal

Here is the Kodachrome 64 simulated version using DxO'southward FilmPack:

Grand Prismatic at Yellowstone in simulated K64 -- photo by David Cardinal

You tin can encounter the attraction of its rich colors. Only with digital processing, modernistic photographers can go a lot further — if they want. For example, hither is the same prototype candy using some Photoshop tools for enhancing colour:

Grand Prismatic at Yellowstone post-processed with Photoshop -- photo by David Cardinal

Fortunately, I still take a couple of my onetime Nikon F2 SLRs, the perfect cameras to shoot with if Kodak does indeed bring Kodachrome back to life.

[Image credit: Cardinal Photo. The Shan farmer image is as well post-processed using FilmPack to simulate Kodachrome 64.]