Postcard Exchange Round 22 - Comments and Feedback

[Mike Wilde]

Aron – National Gallery – An exquisite capture of light, shadow, form and function. The almost silhouette of the figure, partially turned to the camera , and with the top of his head just meeting the shaft of light slanting from above. Oh you have pulled it together so well. The black surrounding burn and then white border frame also balance with the rest of the image very well. If the black is from a doorway, and created in camera, as the hint of sprocket holes might suggest, all the better note of your shooting eye skill.

Birger A – Zebra- Nice tonality and texture in your imaging of the animal’s coat. The longer hairs of the mane add all kinds of depth. If this is full frame, wow. If just judicious print cropping, it is still quite nice.

Mick Fagan – Wheat Silos. I really like the subject’s quirks. It is ‘just a silo’, but this one has one silo painted white (quite a while ago) and a dark cap, the other is darker from bearing even less paint, but with a newer cap. Almost like some kind of oversized salt and pepper shakers. Then there are the neat crisp lines in the riser and horizontal truss, and the undulations of the corrugated storage building. So many shapes depicted so well in one image of what many might pass by as a bland pastoral building scene.

 

[Oxleyroad]

I've been quiet for a while but it does not mean the prints have not been coming in. 26 from 30 in total so far. The best round so far. I apologise now for lack of comments.

The prints in no specific order;

Mick Fagan - Wheat silos.
Roger R Thoms - Windmill.
Rai - Carre Sainte Anne - 5 Pinholes.
Lorirfrommontana - Spring Snow.
BirgerA - Zebra.
Anon - National Gallery, London.

Many thanks to everyone for the wonderful prints from this round.

 

[hpulley]

17 down, 3 to go, I've also received Aron's wonderful National Gallery print. Thanks!

 

[BirgerA]

Birger A – Zebra- Nice tonality and texture in your imaging of the animal’s coat. The longer hairs of the mane add all kinds of depth. If this is full frame, wow. If just judicious print cropping, it is still quite nice.

Hello Mike

It is actually the tail , moving to swat the flies away. It is a crop in order to fill the frame with the zebras coat.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Black Dog – Kitty and Gram- a nice use of DOF control, and good use of directional natural lighting. Good range of tones in the pring, from featureless black in the vest shadows, , to slightly washed out kitty’s chin. All about how we would see them in real time.

Djhopscotch – Versailles floor way- It’s a nice floor, and I am glad I’m not the one cleaning it. It could be used for a ‘Swiffer’ commercial advert.
Tack sharp, and a nice image that shows details while keeping the tonal range to just highlights and mid tones.

I might have tried stopping down the enlarger lens quite a lot and then focusing best as possible to keep it sharp, yet let you tilt the easel to see if you could level up the back wall.
I think it might be a bit stronger image if it were presented in that manner.

Just one more image to roll in to me and that would be 100% for R22 from my end.

 

[MattKing]

Today I too received Black Dog's – "Kitty and Gram" - a poignant image and a beautiful print.

Thanks for sending another card Jake. You didn't need to (inevitably some cards will disappear in the mail) but it's very nice that you did.

That's 27 of 28 cards - as close to 100% as I've ever got. Only HowardDvorin's is yet to come.

Thanks everyone.

 

[vyshemirsky]

Sorry I did not reply earlier. I loved each and every one of your postcards guys! A dog under a blanket was probably the sweetest, but I can talk for hours about how I loved every one I received.

Sorry, I was distracted with rebuilding my house, so I couldn't give timely feedback when I received the cards. I will surely participate again once I am back to my normal.

 

[hpulley]

I got djhopscotch's Versailles entranceway yesterday. Love the reflection, thanks!

Edit: just one more to come!

 

[Oxleyroad]

I too have just received my card from djhopscotch. 27 from 30.

Thanks David.

 

[Roger Thoms]

Well round 22 just keeps giving. Today I received A very nice card from Judith, very shallow dof works great with this subject, also real like the Neopan/xtol combo, yields nice fine grain and good tones. Well worth the wait!!!

Roger

 

[Aron]

Thanks for the kind comments. I took three shots of the scene, two without the figure and one with him, it was a kind of candid shot, I needed to be quick.

The negative was printed with no cropping and I also printed it down quite heavily, however this unfortunately exposed the signs of uneven development (not so careful agitation). A straight print, as I needed to be quick, although I believe it would have benefitted from some dodging and burning.

I admit I'm not fully happy with this image, I couldn't decide for a long time whether I should print it soft to reveal detail or to go for a full graphic effect with only a few shades of grey. Maybe I'll come back to it at a later time.

 

[Aron]

There isn't a long period of time a card doesn't arrive, this constant flow of cards in my mailbox is a real pleasure.

JSt: This photo reminds me of many family gatherings with my aunt playing the piano.

djhopscotch: Your card arrived with quite a few dirty fingerprints of postmen on it that I couldn't recognise for a short time as they blend so well with the micropattern of the floor.

I agree with Mike about correcting for the verticals, although I might have simply taken it from a lower point. I like very much the crop, there seems to be a good balance which remains interesting and not overly relaxed.

Thanks!

 

[Oxleyroad]

28/30. Best round ever. Black Dog - just don't know what to say. Everything about the picture says perfection. The framing of the white border the range of tone, the depth of field and lighting. Here is a card that I need to lift my game up to. Jake your card (for me) was worth the wait.

 

[Black Dog]

Thanks!-did I send you Zoe and Floss or Jean and Pebble?

 

[George Nova Scotia]

djhopscotch polished(floor) card made it thru the backlog.
jst's card made it as well. Strange, my brain has a little trouble with the focal plane running diagonal across the card.

George

 

[Black Dog]

Right, now I've definitely sent out all mine!

 

[Oxleyroad]

Thanks!-did I send you Zoe and Floss or Jean and Pebble?

How do I tell Jake. You card came with a quote from Tom Waits.:confused:

 

[Black Dog]

Ah, now I remember!

 

[ozphoto]

Blackdog's card has made it to my mailbox here in Bangkok.

A great round for me - 17/20. Only Aron's, Fleath's and Howard's haven't arrived. Thanks to all!!

 

[htimsdj]

Unfortunately, life got in the way. But now all of my postcards have been sent. thanks, Jeff