Change. Inevitable, and not always welcome, especially when you have the warm fuzzy comfort of knowing – or at least the thought that some things would last forever. This summer, Kodak ( US$9.4 billion in revenues) announced that they would no longer make Kodachrome, the long beloved, archival quality slide film that has been the staple of photographers globally since 1936. The colour in the Kodachrome pictures taken by my climbing partner on my first summer Alps trip in 1992 – remain rich and saturated, locking in time, my youthful, uncrinkled features. Not being able to avail myself to a lab that supported Kodachrome in Singapore, I opted for the E6 slide processing format. That lesser medium from that sun-soaked summer is already showing signs of fading and discoloration In comparison For the ‘yellow’ in Kodachrome to fade by 20% , you’d need 185 years to pass. But when it accounts for less than 0.01% of Kodak’s revenue, only one lab in the world will continue to process the complex slide film – at least until 2010.
The lesson? Change is inevitable, and we have to adapt to it, kicking ,screaming or willingly. Send me your favourite Kodachrome picture, story or moment. david @ everestmotivation.com
Banker Boy 2 – Or How to Avoid Being a Has Been – continued
It seems after my initial riposte to the insulting email sent by the 30-something Singaporean banker/rock-climber, I refused to be sucked into a flame war all of his making. Amazed at my lack of belligerence, Banker Boy has responded like a dog that keeps barking at passerbys because it is unable to get more attention, being behind the picket fence. He even challenged the quality of my man-liness, I have looked down recently between my legs and have found my own to be present and perfectly normal. I hope I have heard the last from Banker Boy -for now at least…