Monday, November 28, 2011

Restoration or Fade-to-Black?

Some of you may recognize the painting, but not the person.  The year is 1977. (You may click the image to embiggen.) 142 West 4th Street, NYC. A very happy time.

Although this historical excavation could have gone back another 10 years, in retrospect, I am grateful the available slides begin in 1976.  Some are beginning to fade-to-black badly.  Since they were not stored under climate-controlled conditions, many are losing their colour.

The scanner can handle 4 frames at a time; previewing and correction takes time.  Granted there are plenty from the previous life that will not be saved making the progress a bit faster, but the time spent tweaking is substantial and I can imagine this project lasting far into the winter, and that's OK.

I am viewing and reliving some long forgotten trips, outings, street fairs, holiday celebrations and just days of shooting for fun, mostly around NYC. I am grateful for having what I do and will save and re-sample as many as I can salvage; tossing away the rest.  What I can't see is already lost, anyway.

It is also a learning experience to find that all the film developed in Kodak Labs has faired much better than those processed by other, cheaper labs.  Glad I shot mostly Kodachrome for the important stuff.

The scanner wasn't a planned purchase, but I'm glad I went for it; I am thrilled by what I am seeing 35 years later.

And so it goes.
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