"PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY KODACHROME AWAY!"

Actually, I haven't used Kodachrome since around 1976, but prior to that Kodachrome Transparencies were about all I ever used.  I shoot 400 ASA in black & white for my advertising job at the time, and some large format film for the wedding business I had on the side.

Since Kodak stopped the manufacture of Kodachrome film, and the necessary enriching development chemicals, in June of 2009, the last place in the entire world that developed Kodachrome, Dwayne's Photo in Kansas, will process and develop its last roll on December 30th!  That is, providing their chemical supplies don't run out first!

Dwayne's started processing Kodachrome in 1956.  Now that service is being discontinued, but don't worry 'bout Dwayne and crew, they will continue to process other types of film and provide all other photo services. Only Kodachrome processing is being discontinued.

If you thought you were being smart by squirreling away a roll or two, you're still out of luck since Kodak's 74-year-old film cannot be developed in your basement.  The Kodachrome process was an after development color enrichment process that can only be done with specialized machines.  Dewayne's had the last remaining machine!

So, let's all say good by to another icon of yesteryear!

I snapped away while in Vietnam, and had King Photo in downtown DaNang send the film off to be processed.  I couldn't wait to get them back and then send selected ones home.

Double click on the studios photo envelope and you'll see I paid a huge $3.84 to get 32 frames developed in 1966!  That was expensive to a GI back then.

I also used to come home for lunch in 1974 and take shots of my Corey.  I was (am) so proud of him I could barely wait for the workday to end.  The family loved to sit around and watch my slide shows of Kodachrome.  The entire family loved their gatherings, especially Christmas, so there was always a new "show" to watch on the weekends.

The little single-lens reflect 35mm I used in Vietnam did a superb job and got me interested in photography.  That interest and love remains strong today.  While my taste has moved from 35mm film to digital photography, there is still much one can do with a camera today...probably a lot more!

As I told my brother-in-law, who remarked that my new Nikon was a good looking camera, "A camera has film in it...these are computers!"  And that's so true and now there's a little less excitement in filmed cameras...'cause they're gonna take our "Kodachrome away!"  

So long old friend and thanks for the memories you've helped me record in true color.