Fire and Ice

   As I walked through my home Tuesday afternoon, it felt different somehow. However, I hadn’t quite put my finger on it yet. Ah, then it struck me: the sudden shift in light. A particular hue that only occurs from time to time, and it played upon the rods and cones in my lucky eyes. Every room felt softer. Warmer.

I hurried to the window in my west-facing living room. There it was in all its glory — a gorgeous December sunset, made even more spectacular with the infusion of snow and ice. Oh gawd, where’s my camera? As any photographer knows, light can change from minute to minute. From second to second. You have to grab the moment when given the chance. Hurry, time is of the essence.

My Canon RP was sitting on my dining room table, ready for action and waiting for just the right moment. It was now.
I ran outside. It’s cold out. Who cares! No jacket needed, nor hat, nor scarf, nor boots. Get it while the “gettin’s good”.
The interplay on the icicles called to me. Look at it. Just look at it. I thanked the universe for giving me this gift. Now to capture it for eternity. The clouds while beautiful were merely a backdrop. It was the stalactites moment to shine. Take your rightful place my beauties.

Looking at the display, I shrieked with delight. That was the color I was expecting — a fusion of melon, strawberries, and honey. I ran to show my husband. I could tell by the look in his eyes and the smile on his face that I had succeeded at the task. No matter what occurred the rest of the evening, it didn’t matter. My heart and soul were content.

Now sitting at my home office desk, I opened ON1 Photo Raw 2026. It wouldn’t take much editing, just cutting out the empty suet feeder (I’ll fill it tomorrow, my wee avian friends. Promise!) from the frame. Perfect. Now to share it with my family and friends.

As I admired my photos, I thought about a video I had watched mere days ago. A new friend, Jason Odell, a professional photographer on Substack, had just shared his advice and thoughts on lighting perspectives. It’s always about the lighting. Sometimes it cooperates. Sometimes it doesn’t. You work with what you have and make the most of it. Even when it isn’t optimal, you can find the ways and means. Maybe you capture something else using a different lens. Hey, what about that unique shadow or the interesting bark on that twig? But today was my day. Everything fell into place. I thanked my lucky stars. Photons. It all comes down to physics.

When I shared the images with Jason, he exclaimed, “Love it! Like fire and ice!” Thanks, I loved his description. I ran with it. So this morning, when I woke at 5 am, I had the title for my blog. It also made me think of Paul Simon’s song, Kodachrome.

When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school
It’s a wonder I can think at all
And though my lack of education hasn’t hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
Give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away

If you took all the girls I knew when I was single
And brought ’em all together for one night
I know they’d never match my sweet imagination
Everything looks worse in black and white

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away

Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away

Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
Leave your boy so far from home
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome, mm
Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away
Okay

Songwriter: Paul Simon
Kodachrome lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Paul was singing about the bitter demise of Kodachrome, a revolutionary color reversal film by Kodak, launched in 1935, famed for its excellent grain, sharp images, and vibrant, lifelike colors (especially blues and reds) in slides. It used a unique, complex development process (K-14) that required specialized labs, making it durable for storage, but eventually leading to its discontinuation in 2009 due to declining demand of the digital age.

Back when I still used film (before begrudgingly going digital – I now love it), buying the right roll of film made all the difference. Choices, choices, choices. Not only the type of film, but also the ISO number (which refers to the sensitivity of light). Many factors determined the film you sought. Black and white or color. Time of day. Super-fine grain, or something with a bit more texture. Print or slide. Warm or cool…

We used a variety of film stock, depending on our needs. We mostly shot Kodak (Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Tri-X, etc.), but also used Fuji and Agfa, too. We developed and printed the black-and-white ourselves, but color films were sent to various labs for processing.

Ah, the good ol’ days. While film was/is great, digital is a hell of a lot cheaper. Goodbye Kodachrome. It’s been great.

“I got a Canon camera. I love to take a photograph, so mama…”