Postcard Exchange Round 15 Results and Feedback ...

[sly]

Well my mailbox was withholding for over a week. I was starting to wonder if our new mailman was pocketing postcards for his own enjoyment. 6 have arrived in the last couple of days though, so I'll have to let go of my suspicions.

21 cards now recieved for this round. I'm hoping for a few more by Tuesday. I'm taking postcards and print exchange images to share with the local photo club, hoping to stir up a bit more interest in film and it's possibilities.

 

[Pete H]

I had 2 more today:
Nanette's tall ship: interesting contrast between the soft, natural texture of the clouds and the hard geometric lines of the man-made mast and rigging.
erikg's juxtaposition of the gravestones and MacD's. I shouild think that the grim reaper has served more than MacD's (or is that where Elvis works?).

 

[Rob Skeoch]

I've finally got mine in the mail.
Hope you enjoy them.
-Rob

 

[Pete H]

Mick Fagan has sent a really nice portrait of a Kenyan lady. I'm sure there's just a hint of a smile in the corners of her mouth. Thanks, Mick.

 

[crispinuk]

Cards are on their way. I apologise in advance for the magenta text, my printer is knackered and I'm running the inks down before I replace it, magenta is all that is left

 

[Pete H]

These cyanotypes from Heather (akki14) are wonderful. The paper texture and irregular border make them so different from the standard postcard. As for the subject matter, all I can say is that I am broad-minded and as long as they are consenting adults, that's fine.
Thanks, Heather.

 

[tlsid]

for those that are receiving a card from me, i have finally put them in the mail to day. sorry that i have been a little lax on this round on getting them out.

 

[kraker]

Well, I didn't make it in time for November, but it's as close as could be. I've finished writing my cards today and they will go in the mail tomorrow, December 2nd.

I've received a few more cards; I will post my comments on these soon.

 

[mikeg]

Mine are printed and labelled. I'll buy the stamps tomorrow and send them off. Sorry I'm late and thanks for all the great cards so far.

Cheers

Mike

 

[erikg]

I don't think anyone is late yet, so no worries. It's not a race. I got three more cards today: Akki 14's Awesome cyanotype of the hugging carrots. Really nicely done and I've got to hand it to you for coating and exposing so many prints. Neat that you rendered something orange in blue, kind of like those color perception tests. I also got Mick's beautiful portrait of a Kenyan woman. She has a very wise expression it seems to me, and the eyes are tack sharp. I also have Nanette's detail of the sailing ship. Dynamic composition and technically it's near perfect! We have some old ships like that in my part of the world too, they are cool things to explore. Thanks all.

 

[drpsilver]

01 Dec 2008

The card from erikg plays with the juxtaposition of old and new, and how our society has invaded the former.

I really like the geometric patterns that rst captured in the concert hall. Too bad the bright lights are so obvious.

The card from Akki14 reminds me that there are other photographic processes "out there". It looks like Heather brushed on the cyanotype "emulsion" instead of soaking the entire sheet of paper.

Thanks Nanette for the super sharp ship mast. It should be cool to see the ship get restored.

The card from BDial succeeds at something I have been trying with little success - night landscape photos.

Thanks to all for your cards, and sharing your images.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[johnnywalker]

Received 4 new cards in the last while: one of a graveyard and MacDonald's, I assume it's from erikg, but it ain't signed. I wonder if the dearly departed are turning over in their graves. Also Reudger's concert hall, I like the patterns and the movement from dark to light (or vv); and Brian's baseball picture, a real action shot - you can easily imagine the movement in the next second; finally Mick's Kenyan lady - lovely portrait, caught the eyes and the little hint of a smile very nicely.

 

[Akki14]

Erikg - funny you should mention the carrot colour. I was running low on citric acid so I was clearing the cyanotypes in tartaric acid and I had an overexposed cyanotype so I resoaked it in plain, hard tap water and ... what the hey, the carrots turned ever so slightly orange! The background doesn't have the same colour either. I thought my brain was playing tricks on me until my husband said, hey those are orange carrots! It's very weird and I don't really know what happened but I decided to keep that one for my records.

Darwin - It's pretty common to use a brush for cyanotype. The only thing I can think of that uses soaking is albumen which you float the paper for sensitization. The solution is just a liquid, not gelatin based like normal silver gelatin emulsions.

 

[Buster6X6]

In last two days I received three cards.
Mick Figan's Kenyan lady with beautiful smile, captured very well .
erikg Mohawk valley McDonalds with graveyard in foreground interesting thought provoking image.
Akki 14 "Hugging carrots" exceptional effort on Heathers part, nicely done and stands out from the other cards.
This exchange is going to be great.

Thanks Greg

 

[Pete H]

It's great getting home from work and finding yet another card waiting in the letter box.
Thanks, CrispinUK, for the contact print. It seems that it wasn't sunny when you took the shot.
Your elephants seem to work pretty well. I use Mississippis myself.

cheers
Pete

 

[drpsilver]

03 Dec 2008

A card from Crispinuk arrived today. this card appeals to me on two levels: (1) I like the extreme contrast, but not so extreme that you do not see the glass envelope, and (2) the demonstration that photons can pass through a transparent barrier to impart momentum. I used "thousands" before the purchase of an enlarging timer.

Thanks for the card.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[PVia]

Hi all...

I promise mine are going out soon...

Thanks for all the great cards this round...

Paul

 

[Pete H]

Mikeg's Stokesay Castle arrived today. It's a good viewpoint - living history and dead history?

Jacco's rural scene also arrived. The nearest cows are perfectly positioned to balance the church & tree and break the symmetry.

Postcard exchanges could become addictive ... actually they already have!

cheers
Pete

 

[kraker]

[Jacco's rural scene also arrived. The nearest cows are perfectly positioned to balance the church & tree and break the symmetry.

Thanks, Pete. The first sighting of my postcard in the wild is now a fact.

Time for my update. Received cards from:
rst: Very nice. Did you know this photo also works when held upside-down? Well, it does (the lamps are a bit strange that way, but otherwise all is fine).
erikg's "old and new", a nice contrast caught in a frame.
Mick's Kenyan lady. Great straight print; really makes me wonder what will be different in the dodged one, so I'll be looking for that one to appear in the gallery.
Crispinuk's card arrived the same day as my own card (I always send one to myself). Nice contact print.
Rob: a beautiful SFX-200 shot. Absolutely one of my favourites this round. I usually shoot it in MF; great to see the grain in 35mm. Really adds to the atmosphere.

It's another great round thus far; thank you all!

 

[Anke Drewitz]

more and more cards

received some wonderful cards last weeks (no particular order):

Mick Fagan's Kenian Lady
Pete H's Chips and mayonnaise in Belgium
rst's Tanglewood
bdial's Halloween mood
bmccarthy007's Big Sandy
erikg's Mohawk Valley
Akki14's Carrots in blue
mikeg's Stokesay Castle
and
kraker's Dutch lansdcape in some infrared "colours"

I want to thank you all for your interesting contributions, it's really an enrichment for me to see other photographer's views. So I'm curious to the last 12 cards of this round to come.

Anke

 

[Pete H]

Birger's nicely undulating rock and water came today.
So did Rob's lonely barn.

Thanks!
Pete

 

[gr82bart]

OK my postcards are being printed as I type this. I have to sift through all the ones I have received too and thank the senders - later this week.

Regards, Art.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I've been in the darkroom again printing a different version of the postcard you all received from myself.

If you go to either my gallery, or the postcard gallery, you will see what I consider to be a more pleasing print.

For the postcard exchange prints, I only do the minimal of manipulation, plus the size of the enlargement does make printing times on the short side.

The print in the gallery is from a 5x7" print and I used my 100mm enlarging lens to raise the enlarger up, which made the base printing time longer and therefore all other steps were longer and easier to control.

I will pass some comments on the array of postcards I have received in the near future.

Today I spent more time in the darkroom printing round 16 postcards. This has been done now, as I will have some time constraints early next year.

Speaking of time constraints, I printed this time with the aid of my Durst Printo paper processor. From the time I entered the darkroom, loaded up the processor, set the negative up, printed and processed 60 postcards dry to dry, then stored the chemicals for another session on Monday evening, then closed the darkroom up, it took just over one hour.

Sometimes having machinery is wonderful, other times I really do like using trays.

Mick.

 

[rwyoung]

Got the cards printed last night and addressed today. Had enough stamps to get about 1/2 of them out. More stamps ordered (I'd rather order them and pay and extra $1 than stand in line at the post office!) so the rest should go out this week.

Thank you to all who have sent me one from round 15.

 

[Pete H]

Today's card is from Terry (tlsid). Nice catch - it appeals to my sense of humour.