BPX 50 - status, updates, scans

[piu58]

Dear photographers,

My tiny pocket computer mixed again all of us. Everybody should have a got message from me with a pair of addresses till the end of the day. The first block contains your own address as given to me. Please, make certain that your own address is correct. PM me as soon as possible if a correction is needed to YOUR address.
Please don't mind the numbers, I need them while "mixing" us.

The second block contains the address of your partner: You have to send your print(s) to there. Please wait a few days before sending anything to allow time for corrections. Make sure you mark your box with your name and
BPX 50
on it.

If you are unable to complete your assignment, it is understandable - life often gets in a way of our hobbies. However, it would be very helpful if you let me know so that I could change the assignment to somebody else.

If something is or seems to be wrong, please PM me.
Our timeline: Please print and send your offering till end of August 2025. This means, you have 2 months for sending it.

If you received something: Please write a few words here. Besides this, I ask you to show what you got, we are all interested in it. A smartphone shot is sufficient.

How to avoid taxes / VAT / other problems

If a sending goes outside the U.S. (or more correct: outside your country) it should be a letter, and not a parcel or similar.

Everything you simply put in the letterbox should be a letter. Anything you give at the office may induce taxes. Everything with a custom declaration will induce taxes.

Please keep in mind what "counts" as a letter in your country. In the U.S. it needs to be flexible. In Germany, it may be stiff.

Addendum April 2024: It seems that you have to give a customs declaration sending from U.S. and Canada, even if it weights more than 50 gms – even if it looks like a letter:
https://www.usps.com/international/customs-forms.htm says
You do not need a customs form if you're sending First-Class Mail International® that weighs under 15.994 oz

 

[piu58]

My prints are in the mail.

 

[mfohl]

My prints are in the mail.

What took you so long?

 

[Don_ih]

I got an opportunity to spend some time in the dark yesterday, so my print is on its way today.

 

[mfohl]

Prints sent.

 

[bernard_L]

I received yesterday two nice prints from @Don_ih.
First one is of a forest path, shot on Aviphot and printed on Ilford FB matt, selenium toned. I do not use matt paper, but clearly this works well for this subject. Such is the benefit of print exchanges Pardon the iphone snapshot.

Second one is of a lily, shot on long-expired Kodak blue-sensitive film, with mold contributing interesting effects in the background patches of light. Interesting bokeh, sure beats the swirling bokeh! Altogether a very graphic image.

 

[bernard_L]

Sent my prints today.

 

[Don_ih]

@bernard_L -- I'm glad they got there. It seems I get charged differently every time I send a print in this exchange. For some reason, a regular international stamp was good enough to send it this time. I'm actually surprised it made it.

I always try to send very recently-taken photos for this exchange (and for the postcard exchange). I like to use it as an excuse to find a good photo.

I don't know what I'm going to do with a hundred feet or so of 3.25" wide film that has ferns growing all over it...

 

[mfohl]

I received two nice prints from the French Alps today from bernard_L. Very stylized high contrast scenes of a waterfall and some foliage. Nicely printed on fiber paper. Thanks Bernard!

 

[bernard_L]

Mark, thank you for the kind words, and glad the prints finally made it: for more than one week between July 23 and July 31 the tracking status was "import formalities under way"; those Canadian customs!
Would it be OK with you if I post these two images as scans from the negatives for a better rendering of the dark tones?

 

[mfohl]

Mark, thank you for the kind words, and glad the prints finally made it: for more than one week between July 23 and July 31 the tracking status was "import formalities under way"; those Canadian customs!
Would it be OK with you if I post these two images as scans from the negatives for a better rendering of the dark tones?

Yes, you may post scans. Also, it was the U.S. Post that had the formalities. But it meant no cost to me, and I don't see anything unusual on the envelope.

Cheers,

-- Mark

 

[bernard_L]

Also, it was the U.S. Post that had the formalities.

Yes, silly mistake from me. Then maybe the US customs was waiting for the tariffs on fine art prints.

Yes, you may post scans.

There:

 

[bernard_L]

I received (...) today from bernard_L. Very stylized high contrast scenes

I had a look at your gallery. Many images with strong composition, cast shadows, high contrast. Many (too many!) I would tag "like".

 

[mfohl]

I had a look at your gallery. Many images with strong composition, cast shadows, high contrast. Many (too many!) I would tag "like".

Thanks Bernard!

 

[bedrof]

I received two nice prints from the French Alps today from bernard_L. Very stylized high contrast scenes of a waterfall and some foliage. Nicely printed on fiber paper. Thanks Bernard!

@bernard_L is that a toning effect or you used a creamy base paper for these prints?

 

[halfaman]

Print on the mail

 

[gbroadbridge]

I received several prints today from @piu58 in Germany.

Well apparently they arrived several weeks ago, but my post office neglected to put a notification card into my PO Box to tell me that they had an envelope that would not fit into the box. Grrr.
And they just noticed yesterday...

So three (4 actually) prints.
Handwritten note (thanks!) on the back of a lith print of a very interesting shopfront.
A print through which you can feel the immense power of Victoria Falls - I can almost hear the rumble.
By contrast a very peaceful scene of the River Elbe - I can see it would have been difficult to print with that lighting.
And finally I believe an abandoned military garrison. Almost looks like a set for a movie. Nicely printed.

Thanks Uwe!

 

[piu58]

Dear Graham, I was afraid something worse happened with my enveloppe. I am glad to hear that it reached you, and that you like the prints.

 

[JeffNunn]

I received another beautiful colour print, really nicely done, from @halfaman - the Uwe mixer struck twice, so the second print from halfaman! (I imagine to keep me inspired to try my hand at colour printing...)

Thanks for listing out the camera, film as well as the papers and chemistry.

And as for the photo, it's a fantastic image, awe inspiring really! I'm absolutely enjoying travelling Italy vicariously...

Gracias!

Once again, the scan doesn't do it justice but here it is for everyone else:

 

[bernard_L]

Where is that?

 

[JeffNunn]

A crater of Etna, I had to look up how that worked, @halfaman explained they’re monitoring for eruptions all the time!!

 

[halfaman]

Yes, it is an active volcano. There were some small eruptions a couple of weeks before we went, but due to the continuous monitoring and the tour guides you should be never near any potentially dangerous zone. For example, my photo was taken from the nearest point allowed that day from one of the main craters.

They explain you that big eruptions do not happen in Etna suddenly. There are "warning signals" (like earthquakes) days before.

 

[BHuij]

Received my prints (some weeks ago now) from @mfohl. We've never met in real life yet, but it's been fun getting to know you over the years through a growing number of print exchanges.

The photos included were Holga shots printed on 8x10 paper. They look great. I have never been able to make good photos with lo-fi gear (be it pinhole, toy cameras, sub-mini, or anything else). Not sure why. For that reason, I think I tend to particularly appreciate well-executed and artistic photos that don't have great lens sharpness going for them. Thank you for the prints!

 

[Don_ih]

Received a very nice print all the way from Australia from @gbroadbridge -- take a look for yourself:

A phone photo, which doesn't quite represent the print. This isn't a silver-gelatin print but a kallitype, which is an alt process (I had to look up which one it was - I can't keep track of them). It has an excellent density range and tonality. I really like it. Thanks!

 

[rduraoc]

My BPX50 print is (finally) going out today!