Postcard Exchange Future: Digital? Alone or together.

[George Nova Scotia]

A little poll regarding the Postcard Exchange. Lately the number of participants seems to be dropping. We used to have 30 - 50 participants for each round, lately we seem to struggle to get 15 - 20. I'm wondering where everyone has gone. Have you switched to digital, just lost interest, postage getting too high or what? Is there enough interest to start a digital only exchange? Would a combined one work? All comments appreciated.

 

[fgorga]

George,

I have not participated in the Postcard exchange because I use a hybrid approach to photography. The large majority of my exposures are made with a digital camera and I print a mixture of inkjet prints and alternative process prints (mainly cyanotype and salted paper). I would definitely be interested in participating in a combined/hybrid postcard exchange.

 

[jvo]

Full disclosure!

I've participated in many rounds of the postcard exchange and loved every minute of it. Choosing the picture, spending the hours in the darkroom, printing the description to put on the back of the postcard, mailing it around the world - and especially receiving the postcards from the other participants. I still have every card i've ever rec'd and look back at them often. I enjoy the craft of analog photography and respect it's practitioners.

Life throws a curve as it does and i adopted my grandchildren and had to return the darkroom to a bedroom. A year ago i reluctantly switched to digital photography - an on-going process where i've become less reluctant and more productive! The question of digital participation occurred. I don't want the pcx to change, although, like life, things do.

A combined one would be great!

 

[aldus_manutius]

How would a digital exchange work? Not sure what you mean — I already work with both film and digital cameras (as well as non-camera based image/analog outputs — think cliché-verre), so the "means of production" are already hybrid.

Dennis

 

[mshchem]

I've never participated. Is it literally printing a photo postcard? I would be interested. I still have a box of Ilford postcard paper in my fridge.

 

[radiant]

A little poll regarding the Postcard Exchange. Lately the number of participants seems to be dropping. We used to have 30 - 50 participants for each round, lately we seem to struggle to get 15 - 20. I'm wondering where everyone has gone. Have you switched to digital, just lost interest, postage getting too high or what? Is there enough interest to start a digital only exchange? Would a combined one work? All comments appreciated.

Isn't 15-20 participants is just fine? That is better than just few. For example stamps for 30 cards in finland cost 60 euros. With only that cost I can buy a photo book with hundreds of pages..

 

[MToma]

As, unfortunately, I feel that forums seem to be getting less interest lately (due to Facebook groups and such - even though it's not as good a mean of communication and sharing). I'm also guilty of this - even though I actively search Photrio, I don't post close to at all... It's just more convenient (somehow...) to post on Facebook or whatever (I hear Instagram's now all the rage for the younguns).

Maybe all that's needed is a bit of "promotion" across other channels to other people with the passion of the darkroom (I know at least 4-5 that would participate)?

 

[FotoD]

Isn't 15-20 participants is just fine? That is better than just few. For example stamps for 30 cards in finland cost 60 euros. With only that cost I can buy a photo book with hundreds of pages..

+1

I've been meaning to participate, but health issues have sadly kept me from it so far. Will try in the future if it doesn't go digital / hybrid.

Ironically it might be easier for me to participate if it were digital. But it would also be pointless. I'm just not interested to see what other photographers can create with a computer.

 

[ozphoto]

George, I haven't been participating due to the huge increase in postage. Sadly, here in Australia, postcards are treated exactly like letters. To the UK: $3.50, the US: $3.40 and to our closest neighbour NZ: $2.50. Given that 90% of the participants are based in the US/UK/EU, 10 cards is costing me at least $35 in postage alone, that I unfortunately don't have to spare just now.

I love the PCX, but in the current climate (postage costs and huge delays or cancelled deliveries from several countries), I won't be participating anytime soon.

 

[removed account4]

Hi George

I participated years ago and am looking forward to some day hopefully participating again. I began to stay away from the exchanges mostly because of the militant anti-hybrid, anti-digital stance many of the people have had on this website over the years. Zealots actually tried to boot people from the site and media section /gallery if they made film scans instead of print scans type nonsense. so, if additional media and processes are permitted other than silver prints and enlargements count me in. I am not interested in rocking any boats or ruffling any feathers, life's too short ...

John

 

[Don_ih]

I don't see any reason to not allow digital, other than the possibility of alienating some participants who don't want to receive digital photo postcards. It would complicate things maybe too much if people could choose what types of card to receive (they're need to state what type of card they're sending).

 

[Dan McGuire]

Hello George
I have only participated once so far in the postcard exchange
I am just getting back into shooting & printing so I did not have enough good exposures to participate
That is changing and I hope to be back for the next one

Dan

 

[tezzasmall]

Isn't 15-20 participants is just fine? That is better than just few. For example stamps for 30 cards in finland cost 60 euros. With only that cost I can buy a photo book with hundreds of pages..

I feel the same way about cost, as it's not cheap to send from the UK to abroad. Also I'm a big buyer and lover of books and it can cost quite a bit to send a lot of cards, so I see your reasoning. But you don't have to send to everyone involved, for personally, I restrict myself to six cards each round, as I love the whole exchange thing, although of late, I only seem to receive one or two in return, if I'm lucky, for some reason...

I've never participated. Is it literally printing a photo postcard? I would be interested. I still have a box of Ilford postcard paper in my fridge.

Yes, that's the basic gist. Put your name down, say how many you are wanting to send / receive and then start the printing and await for others to arrive at your address. The stamps from all around the world are a lovely bonus!

And I would prefer it to remain darkroom prints only. Inkjets etc. are nice but not quite the same. But alternative processes, of which I've received a few of, are all welcome.

Terry S

 

[Don_ih]

I only seem to receive one or two in return

I don't trust that all the cards make it. I sent out to ten people last round and I have no idea if they all made it (I didn't count the responses on the thread). And I'm truly afraid of a postcard I'm receiving getting mixed in with junk mail I regularly get - and being accidentally tossed in the recycling bin when I bring it home.

 

[mshchem]

I feel the same way about cost, as it's not cheap to send from the UK to abroad. Also I'm a big buyer and lover of books and it can cost quite a bit to send a lot of cards, so I see your reasoning. But you don't have to send to everyone involved, for personally, I restrict myself to six cards each round, as I love the whole exchange thing, although of late, I only seem to receive one or two in return, if I'm lucky, for some reason...


Yes, that's the basic gist. Put your name down, say how many you are wanting to send / receive and then start the printing and await for others to arrive at your address. The stamps from all around the world are a lovely bonus!

And I would prefer it to remain darkroom prints only. Inkjets etc. are nice but not quite the same. But alternative processes, of which I've received a few of, are all welcome.

Terry S

Where do I sign up?? Sounds fun.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I voted 'none of the above' because I'm learning how to make enlarged digital negatives as a stepping stone towards toned salted paper prints and/or toned Kallitype's from both 4x5 negatives and digital camera images...in other words, hybrid photography.

I would be open to seeing photographs, without restraint. Putting limitations on creativity never works and smacks of Art Societies deeming who may be allowed to exhibit with accepted members. Great art typically doesn't emerge from structured elitist groups.

I've had a couple experiences where preconceived biases were ripped from my eyes. One was a couple decades ago when I saw some prints and was amazed they were made on Multigrade fibre based paper. My previous experience with Multigrade was on RC paper years prior in a newspaper darkroom and the paper was crap. Obviously, while I was settled into my graded paper bias, things had improved.

Another time was when I started toying with the idea of making Pt/Pd, Kallitype, gravures, or some other alt process photographs about ten years ago. As I searched around I noticed photographers I respected who were not only dipping their toes into the digital pool, but had jumped head first into the deep end and were creating images serious enough to warrant display at the highest level. One such tipping point was "Italy Through Another Lens" by Dick Arentz:

https://www.dickarentz.com/books/italy-through-another-lens-2/

One more story...when I first started using sharp and unsharp pin registered mask printing techniques I ran across a comment in a forum (not this one) where two people were agreeing that because they saw some prints where the photographer had gone waaaaay too far and the results were obvious and jarring, that such techniques were bogus. Well, we've all seen poor dodging and burning results (in both analogue and digital) but that doesn't mean all photographs using these techniques are bad.

I would love to see what people are doing unrestrained by dogma, including John's (jnantz) work which sometimes doesn't even include a camera!

 

[jvo]

How the postcard exchange works is pretty simple - if the Post Office accepts what you want to send, then it can be in the postcard exchange. currently the PCX requires the image originates with film - that's what would change, so it can originate as a digital file. You would then print that file onto the paper of you choice, address it, put a stamp on it and post. If you choose to do 20 cards, you will receive 20 cards from different people.

Then you start receiving your cards - not just bills in the mail anymore!

Postage, yeh, it cost more than it used to to send. For me, doing "max" (everyone), I found it to be a small investment in getting my work seen and commented on by others - and seeing their work.

I hope the Exchange becomes inclusive - the artisans of the analog craft and digital mavens. Having spent 40 years in the former, and one year in the later, I've seen the joy of both. I hope both will continue to expand.

 

[MattKing]

I've been participating for a very long time - 40 rounds I think, since 2008.
The poll choices are great, but by their very nature don't quite catch the flavour of how I think about the issue.
I like the prints that I have been receiving for the last 13 years, and in particular I like the darkroom and traditional process prints. The instant/polaroid prints are neat as well. I like handling them, seeing how they have survived the mail, and envisioning the process that people went through to create them.
I appreciate a lot of digitally oriented photography, and I'll never turn down a chance to see other people's prints.
But I find it more fun to receive the types of prints I prefer making.
I'm one of the curmudgeons who ticked the "no change" option because I think that it is more likely that future rounds will continue to include a majority of darkroom prints if the "start with film" requirement stays in place. That is the way it seems to happen now, even though the rules do permit digital prints from scanned film.
But in principle, I would be open to an expansion, if I could be assured that a substantial proportion of the cards I receive would still be darkroom prints.
One thing I would have no trouble with is a rule permitting alternative and traditional printing process prints, no matter how the original image was "captured".

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

It's really simple. If one wants a digital only exchange, then make one.

 

[cramej]

The PCX is already hybrid in it's current form. So long as the image was produced on film, production method hasn't been an issue. I've seen machine prints and prints from digital negative (scanned from film). That's entirely fine with me. There is a certain satisfaction to sending and receiving prints that have had some film involvement. 15-20 participants is just enough that I can send one to everyone. Many more and I'd hit my limit of desired labor and costs. Even though we're not required to send to everyone, it feels complete to send to the whole list.

 

[MattiS]

The PCX is already hybrid in it's current form. So long as the image was produced on film, production method hasn't been an issue. I've seen machine prints and prints from digital negative (scanned from film). That's entirely fine with me. There is a certain satisfaction to sending and receiving prints that have had some film involvement. ... Even though we're not required to send to everyone, it feels complete to send to the whole list.

+1

 

[jvo]

It's really simple. If one wants a digital only exchange, then make one.

what about those who would like a combined exchange?

 

[MurrayMinchin]

A poll was launched and input requested.

If people who actually participated in the post card exchange want to keep it the way it is, no problem.

If someone wants to start a hybrid exchange allowing for digital capture hybrid prints, purely digital, or even a no holds barred bare knuckled any combination of mediums allowed, go for it!

There's room for everyone in the pool.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

what about those who would like a combined exchange?

Start one.

 

[Nige]

I'm not voting as although I started this thing many years ago, I haven't participated much in recent years (came out of retirement for round 50!). We were pretty liberal with what was allowed considering it was APUG at the time, the 'started as film' rule being the one that has survived. I haven't participated due a number of reasons, mostly not doing much printing in general and as mentioned, the cost (and this is a value issue in that I'm not skint but I just hate the fact that AusPost eliminated postcard rates and have increased the international letter rates exponentially!). At times I've thought about starting a Oz only PCX ($1.10 postage each) but haven't gotten around to it. Including digital capture wouldn't faze me cause I'm not opposed to digital (I've got over 220K digital images on my PC!). I am 100% that 'society' follows the rules, whatever they are!