Last fall Erin Russ asked me to shoot photos of her for the Spring 2010 issues of “Girls and Corpses” magazine.
After my ear-to-ear grin subsided, I said a hearty “yes.” I love a photo challenge and I looked forward to picking and packing my favorite vintage camera gear for this sinister assignment. Another Grinch-like smirk appeared on my face, knowing that I’d shoot this project on the defunct Kodak Kodachrome film stock.
Invented in 1935 and discontinued in 2009, Kodachrome film is unlike any other film on the planet. The image shot on this amazing stock creates an image with “ridges.” Color is systematically added in the processing – producing an amazing color (known for its brilliantly warm skin tones).
The film is also amazingly archival. Surviving Kodachrome slides from the 1930s remain as vividly brilliant as the day they were shot. Simply amazing.
Kodachrome is gone but I have a special stash hidden away for special projects this year. On December 31, 2010 the last processing batch will occur.
Eight more months of Kodachrome joy.
Gear used:
- Canon AE-1 Program
- Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. Lens
- Canon FD 24mm f/2.8 Lens
- Kodachrome 64 film
- Epson V700 scanner
Thanks to Erin Russ and William Hellfire for thinking of me for this fun project.
Girls and Corpses Magazine – Issue 10, Spring 2010 (featuring Erin Russ)
Images © 2010 Michael Raso