Knights Inn / Kodak Ektachrome

Kodak Ektachrome and Home E6 Development

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I’m heading down to Seaside, FL for a few days at the beach to relax. It’s time to get some gas around Prattville, AL so I pull off at the next convenient pit stop. I’m pumping my gas when I look up and see a Knights Inn sign above the trees, then I catch a corner of the motel and see it looks like it’s been blow up. Normally a place like this would have a fence around it with no trespassing signs highly visible. This wasn’t the case at all.

I finish pumping my gas and drive over to find the Knights Inn open to walk right in.

I had my son with me and couldn’t really explore this destructed facility with him nor could I leave him in the car. Solution, drive around and pop out where I can to get a shot. Not ideal but a solid compromise to retain my good dad card.

The black and white shots are Ilford HP5 and captured in about a 5 minute window. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I set a location beacon on my phone to revisit this spot on the way back north.

The family vacation is finished and all three of us head back to Alabama. I preface the start of the trip with my wife, letting her know this spot is a must stop for me AND I have a fresh roll of Kodak Ektachrome to capture the scene with. She’s more than happy to give me 10 minutes. I laugh and prepare myself to shoot curiously and effectively. Well, my little pregame metal pep talk didn’t work. I slow walk the property in awe of it’s destructive state and wonder what the heck happened. I click less frames then when I had even less time the first round but soaked it in nonetheless.

Side Note: This is only the 3rd roll of slide film I’ve ever shot and I couldn’t be more pleased. It is, on the other hand, the first time I’ve home developed E6, and guess what… IT’S CAKE! Why on earth labs charge an exorbitant amount of money to develop E6 is beyond me. Film Photography Project hooked me up with the E6 chemistry, I mixed it, and started developing shortly after. It was magical, as all home developing is.

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Matt Pittman / Prattville, AL / Kodak Ektachrome / Ilford HP5 / Leica M7 / Zeiss ZM 35mm