Eastman Kodak to Layoff Over 400 Workers; But Film Probably Isn’t Being Affected

Sadly, things aren’t looking extremely great for Kodak right now

Unfortunately, things aren’t looking so stellar for Kodak right now. Specifically, we’re referencing Eastman Kodak who produces a lot of those interesting Kodak branded products like 3D cameras, the Kodak Ektra, software, printing systems, etc. The company formed after Kodak emerged from Chapter 11 back in 2013. But unfortunately, they’re also the producer of Kodak motion picture film. And while Kodak Portra, Ektar, Tri-X and Gold aren’t tied to Eastman Kodak but instead Kodak Alaris, the layoff and lower profits could mean a few problems.

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Kodak to Lay Off 61 More Workers at Its Lake Avenue Plant

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According to a New York Department of Labor announcement, Kodak is about to lay off 61 more workers at its Lake Avenue plant in Rochester, NY. The document states that the workers being laid off are working in the “Photographic equipment and Supplies” department–whatever that means precisely. But we do know that Kodak sold their film division a while ago, so these 61 workers may be the remainder of that. The document also states that the layoff is scheduled for August 28th.

Since declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2011, Kodak has subsequently sold off almost all of its former subdivisions in an attempt to restructure and specialize in commercial printing solutions. The imminent layoff of 61 more workers is another step towards becoming financially stable again and exiting bankruptcy–at the cost of the individual employee. For a resumé of Kodak’s struggles until earlier this year, please refer to this post.

In the meantime, you can still buy Kodak films at B&H Photo.

Via Your News Now

Sun-Times Photographer Details Life After Layoffs, With an iPhone

One of the 28 members of the Chicago Sun-Times photography staff now without a job, Rob Hart is cataloguing his experience via Tumblr. Hart used his iPhone to capture this screenshot of a photo of he and his wife taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist John J. Kim for the Chicago Tribune.

The name of Rob Hart’s Tumblr site says it all. “Laid off from the Sun-Times” is the former Chicago Sun-Times staff photographer’s platform for sharing his experience since the newspaper cut its entire 28-person photography staff. The blog’s description also gets right to the point: “Rob Hart was replaced with a reporter with an iPhone, so he is documenting his new life with an iPhone, but with the eye of a photojournalist trained in storytelling.”

Hart has been posting images that document his life since the layoffs were announced, from the beer he drank at a tavern nearby the newspaper offices an hour afterward to the makeshift home office he’s now set up next to the dryer. Hart’s hammering home the point that each image he’s sharing has been snapped with an iPhone, the very tool that the Sun-Times is reportedly relying on reporters to use to in place of professional photographers.

“I thought it was a great way to both mock my situation and celebrate it,” Hart said when we spoke to him by phone this morning. Either way, the blog has become his storytelling outlet: “that’s what we were trained to do as photojournalists,” he said.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on DPReview Connect. We have syndicated it with permission.

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