Processing Color Film at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

At first the processing color film required complex machinery and precise control and, consequently, was done exclusively by the manufacturer. To answer the demand for a film the photographer could process himself, Ansco brought out in 1942 its Ansco-Color film, which was followed by Kodak's Ektachrome film; in both of these dye-couplers were incorporated into the separate emulsions.

At first thought, you might consider the processing color film of color film to be a profitable field, but it really isn't. The big companies with machinery which does a job at least as good as you can do have cut the price to a point at which it's difficult to compete. Making of color prints, or the production of Flexichrome color prints, however, has more promise. If you are a good color printer, you can expect generous hourly earnings when working but might find it difficult to reach enough clients to keep you busy.

There is no monotony in rural subjects, either, and you may use anything from a view Camera to 35mm equipment to photograph people, farming methods, buildings, machinery, livestock and landscapes. Stick to the modern—not "tobacco roads."$4.00—less whatever professional discount you can wangle. Prints at these prices, mind you, are not the finest possible. A really fine print will cost about ten times the above amounts, or perhaps even more. If you haven't 35mm equipment, you might work with Kodacolor, a negative-color film which is available in nearly all the roll-film sizes. Kodacolor film is relatively expensive—it costs nearly $2 a roll—but it has a greater film speed than the transparency color films, more latitude in exposure, and the prints which can be ordered are cheaper. A 3 x 5 color print from Kodacolor costs 32 cents, 5 x 7 is $1.50 and 8 x 10 is $3.50. Prints are made only by Eastman Kodak Co., ordered through your photo supply dealer, and the quality has been greatly improved in recent years.