1981 | Salton Sea, Southeast Shore
For many years, I could choose between Kodachrome (by then, readily available only in 35mm for still cameras) or Ektachrome (still produced in larger formats as well) for transparencies. One was contrasty and saturated, hitting the reds hard. The other, smoother but much cooler, seemed insanely blue to me. Making reversal prints from either film was never easy, copying to intermediate negatives was troublesome, and dye transfers were lovely but priced far out of reach.
My 6x9cm water survey transparencies sat for thirty-five years, and when I came to digitize them, I was able to build a more neutral look by pushing the red channel to get a real picture, one not so much about the photographer’s process, but very much about this photographer’s experience.
▷ You could look up the development history of Kodachrome. Seemingly minor characters facilitated important connections. Mannes and Godowsky, working independently, added momentum, and later with support, broke through – a fascinating look into the musicians’ minds. (Yes, that’s what I meant to write.)