Postcard Exchange Round 23 - Comments and Feedback

Azzy · Aug 18, 2011

I'd like to thank everyone for the beautiful images received this round and regret to say that my cards are still waiting to be posted. I printed them back in July but a major project at the workplace got in the way of labelling and sending them. I'll try my best to get them all out in September, I hope it's still okay.

I really do hope to get organized for the final round this year and would hate to miss the Autumn edition

regards,
József

hpulley · Aug 18, 2011

I got kraker's Elmo at the Market today. I love the framing! Thanks.

ozphoto · Aug 19, 2011

Marius' and Anikin's cards also arrived this week.

I also love the SFX feel to your card Marius, and like Rachelle, need to give this paper a test myself! I actually like the Viradon brown tone - it makes me think of images from "way back when".

Anikin's "Snow" brought a smile to my face - it's hot here in Thailand, but I'm hoping at some stage to get to Europe for a nice white winter!

hpulley · Aug 22, 2011

I got Marius 44/60 on interesting textured Fomabrom paper. Looks almost like a moonlit cloud but I know it is IR.

I'm not sure the envelope helps actually. The cancellation marks left imprints and the corners are a little bit bent. It looks about the same, except for less scuffing. I think one needs to go to the trouble of cardboard padding to really protect a print but thanks for trying and for sending it! I love seeing the different papers and excellent original prints in my hand, much better than a book or under glass.

Oxleyroad · Aug 24, 2011

I have been quiet for a while and in that time another ten cards have arrived. All brilliant work and captures the eyes of all the guests to our home. I now have 22/30. Not bad going given I was so late in getting out my own.

My comments in no particular order;
masimix - moon in the clouds. Brilliant paper and toning? Almost out of this world. I have not read other posts on your card (must do so), was it toned or a specific developer? What paper?

Mark Rewald - Lion at Denver Serengeti. My 3 year daughter has claimed this as her own card. She loves lions and she says it is just like her toy ones only 'better'. I bet it was hard to hand back that 600mm lens.

Allen Friday - Dry Falls. Great image. Without you telling me what it was I would not have guessed you took the image while looking out.

Anikin - Music in the snow. Looks like a really great day to be out in the snow. What makes people go out and make music like that in the snow? I ask as someone who lives in one of the driest and hottest continents on the planet really has no idea.

Valerie - Houston Art Car parade. I like the positioning of the image with the smoothed edges. Makes me wish I was there.

andrew.vartabedian - Wow from and Engineer who is drawn into images like this. I try not to take many photos like this because my immediate audience (my family) is not interested in such images so I have to restrain myself. I really appreciate the DOF and full tonal range. Thank-you. Also thanks for the current reference of happy winter!

ndrs - Self Portrait. Spectacular image. It is almost like it has been composed from two owing to the dark line about 1/3 the way across from the left. Detail and sharpness without any harshness in my opinion.

hwv - Eiffel Tower. Another picture that says I was there. I wish I was. A destination that is on my wish list.

Nova Scotia - Cold Steel. Title indicates cold but it looks and feels it is far from it. Another card with the full tonal ranges from the brilliant white of the snow to the blacks of the darkest shadows.

Trond - Beach. Simple and intriguing. A very calming photo that would look great blown up to a much larger size.

Once again thanks to everyone who has sent a card to me in this round. As I have mentioned before in past exchanges your cards entertain many more people than just my family. The cards from these exchanges are now becoming something that are being looked forward to by many of the regular visitors to Oxleyroad.

hpulley · Aug 24, 2011

I received gordrob's Mt Rundle in Infrared today. Gorgeous scene! Magical in IR. Cold tone developer suits it too. Thanks!

piu58 · Aug 26, 2011

Yesterday I received Mark Rewald's shot in the Serengeti. Thi si a great photo! I believe it was a hard task to get everything sharp with a 600 mm lens. Than you.

ozphoto · Aug 26, 2011

I got Mark's Denver Sengeti this week also. Great shot - as Uwe said - pin sharp on 600mm: outstanding!!
Apologies to all - work has got in the way of me posting these cards!

Every time I sit down to write up the labels, I get yet another email. . . . . oh gotta go! Another one!!

Mike Wilde · Aug 26, 2011

Another week or so of cards to comment on.

anikin - A great image of concept artists at play. A nice print balance with the location of the bottom of the trees near a third. Nice tonality in all of the surfaces from the snow to the shadows in the trees.

gordrob - Another great temptation shot to prompt me to pull the last IR films I am hoarding out of the freezer and use them. I might have printed this image with a bit higher contrast, or at least more local contrast; it rings a tad flat to me.

markrewald – a nice ‘3/4 length portrait’ of the lion. I guess you fluked to have it strike such a nice pose, because this subject would not be as amenable to the ‘head a little high’ kind of photographer’s talk. Nice tonality and super example of great texture.

masimix - I enjoy the mood, graininess, and super texture of the paper you have printed this on. All of these factors came together very well to make a most compelling ‘moon and clouds’ photo image.

oxleyroad – Ah, good old beefy real sized Ozzie spiders. A very nice placement, with the web appearing centrally in the print. The out of focus light areas – bokeh if you will; aids in giving the image depth. I can identify with the challenge using up different old paper in one of these exchanges; I do it all the time.

hpulley · Aug 26, 2011

I too received Oxleyroad's orb weaver. It is decidedly brown, yet not toned? Well done on old paper which is a favorite pasttime of mine as well; thanks!

Oxleyroad · Aug 28, 2011

hpulley said:
I too received Oxleyroad's orb weaver. It is decidedly brown, yet not toned? Well done on old paper which is a favorite pasttime of mine as well; thanks!

It was toned, maybe cooked rather than toned! Cold night in the shed (read darkroom) and I left the bleach and toner sitting in a hot water bath for too long, and impatience prevented me from cooling it before using. Oh well.

I have only once made the mistake of throw out old paper, and since getting Mike's postcards on old paper I've sworn never to throw out old paper again. I'll instead try to soup up an appropriate developer to allow me to use to the best it can be

oxleyroad – Ah, good old beefy real sized Ozzie spiders. A very nice placement, with the web appearing centrally in the print. The out of focus light areas – bokeh if you will; aids in giving the image depth. I can identify with the challenge using up different old paper in one of these exchanges; I do it all the time.

Thanks for your comments. Mike. I have grown up with these big girls and their golden webs are almost as strong as fishing nets. I tell you there is nothing worse than making you way down a footpath (sidewalk) at speed and charging through a web as I used to frequently in my high school days when I delivered papers before breakfast. With a spider almost as big as your hand you really want to know where it is after destroying it's web...

Oxleyroad · Aug 29, 2011

23/30 rec'd DRPSILVER's A friendly country church today. Nice, almost too perfect. I mean it almost looks like a model of a church, but the flora in the background shows that it has to be real.

Thanks Darwin.

kraker · Aug 29, 2011

Received since my previous update:

anikin, music in the snow. Hey, that looks like xylophones in the snow. Oh, it is, they are! Not something you see (or hear) every day. Well executed, lots of detail in the snow, and it really still looks like snow. I haven't tried often, but I find it hard to get such a subject printed as good as you did. Thanks.
masimix (31/60), lovely moody shot, and nice paper too. I'll have to read back in this thread to see some more details, but I like what I see!
markrewald, Denver Serengeti, another great shot. Great detail, and for all I know, this shot was taken in the real Serengeti, no signs at all that you were at the zoo. An interesting way to try out some lenses, a test drive day. I'll be looking out for one of those in my neighbourhood (still talking about a test drive, not a lion!).

I've also received my own card. Counting that one as well, I've received 19 out of 26, not bad, and hopefully more to come.

Oxleyroad · Aug 30, 2011

24/30. Rec'd gordrob's Mt Rundle IR card today. Very special print that draws the viewer in. Thanks.

Laurent · Aug 30, 2011

Sorry for the long delay, I've been away, then sick, so I'm very late for this exchange !

In the meantime, I've received quite a few cards :

Allen Friday's Dry Falls. Intriguing view of a forest !

andrew.vartabedian's Trestle. I like architecture details, and the symetry works fine for me on this image.

Anikin's Music in the snow. Quite uncommon event, at least for me, to see people playing music outdoors that high !

Kraker's Elmo at the market. Nice capture, really gives the feeling of a Muppett show's image.

ndrs's Self portrait with bricks.

Valerie's Through the gift shop. Interesting car, I like the Brownie look.

HWV's Tour Eiffel. Very dynamic composition for this monument.

DRPSILVER's St Paul's Salt Spring Is. Very classic view of a nice and tiny church. It's always amazing to see that LF shines, even for such small prints !

Oxleyroad's Spider. The old paper feels very good, but the subject matter could be found scary by some people.

Mark Rewald's Denver Serengeti. Very nice portrait of a lion !

Thanks to all !

I hope I'll have selected a negative by the end of the week, and will hopefully print this week also ! (I initially planned on using the new LPL for this, but I still have to find time to build the support for it !)

rst · Sep 1, 2011

Hi postcarders,

first of all, thank you for all the really nice postcards I got in this round. I would say this has been one of the best rounds for me since I am in the exchange. If I will find the time, I will post my comments on every card I received, but unfortunately I went through some very busy times in the last few months.

Anyway, the next round of the exchange, which is round 24, just opened the signup booth, come by and signup, it is only a click away: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Cheers
Ruediger

lorirfrommontana · Sep 5, 2011

Hi all. I am very tardy for this round. So sorry! Life has been very busy lately! I'll get my postcards out by next Saturday. I'm going to send a color shot this time but have to have them printed as I don't print color (yet). I love every card I've recieved! It's always so much fun to see everyones work.
- Lori

drpsilver · Sep 7, 2011

06 Sept 2011

While cleaning of my desk I found the following cards:

A card from anikin of two people making music in the snow.
A photo from kraker of a very interesting market. Looks like they have a little bit of everything.
The card from Oxleyroad has such detail, and I really like to brown tone (not too much red). Great close-up!

So far this round I am at 28 of 42 cards sent (67%)

Regards,
Darwin

Laurent · Sep 7, 2011

I received GordRob's Mt Rundle in infrared. Quite interesting (and deceiving) view. If I do not look at it very carefully, I see something looking like Monument VAlley, with a bank of clouds and then some other mounts in the back...

hpulley · Sep 7, 2011

I have received 27 so far, mine makes it 28. Have you received 28 plus your own?

Mike Wilde · Sep 8, 2011

I have most of the planned 30 replies for R23. Just Lori and Jake, who have recently posted that their output is coming and maybe a few more. I never fret about getting them all.

I plant 10 vining green beans in the garden every spring beside the trellis. This year only 9 sprouted, and only 8 made it to start vining their way up the sisal I hang for them to latch onto.

But I alway get lots of pleasure from the ones that do get going. I just harvested the first picking off of them this past weekend, and it was like a 4l sized zip lock bag filled with beans.

There will be a similar sized picking every week for the next two weeks until frost kills them in mid to later November.

Aron · Sep 9, 2011

Sorry for this massive delay in my response.

Here are the cards I've received so far:

hpulley: It was your photo I kept on the top of the other cards, I really like it's colours. Although in B&W terms the contrast might be a bit excessive, I think these vivid colours work really well here.

anikin: Nice winter scene. I guess I'd be rather skiing than playing the xylophone.

George Nova Scotia: I like very much your choice of subject, as well the light. I myself photographed late 19th-early 20th century steam engines and carriages during the summer in an old warehouse, so I was happy to see one on your card.

Trond: Lovely minimalist photo, it got me first thinking about its scale. Also, great tonality.

Mark Rewald: I'm happy to see you had fun with the Canon 600 mm lens. I can't imagine myself using one but it was pretty much mandatory for your photo.

mooseontheloose: This is one lovely photo, Rachelle. I really like not only the composition, but the distinctive halo around the white line. Great job.

rst: An unusually sharp photo from you, Ruediger... I like the simplicity and the nice tonality of this image.

ccross: Thanks for sharing this photo with us, the water feels so plastic I could almost reach out and take a handful out of it.

Roger Thoms: Thanks for telling us more about your process, I believe you've quite a successful combo in your hands.

Dave Martiny: I like the simple harmony of your photo, although I might have tried printing it on a much higher grade to give it a punchy, more graphic look.

drpsilver: A beautiful contact print, it seems I can't spend enough time looking at it.

hwv: A rather unusual, interesting crop of this iconic structure and great tonality, of course.

andrew.vartabedian: I always had a soft spot for beautiful riveted structures, it looks rather indestructible, yet refined at the same time.

ndrs: This photo really works for me, beautiful detail everywhere and the important humorous element: your shadow; but honestly, I think the composition and the interesting play with light could alone make this picture. Well done!

semeuse: I like how dreamlike the cross-processed colours make this photo. Thanks.

masimix: A great image, put together well in the camera. Also, printed on a lovely paper, thanks.

Valerie: A humorous subject, taken one step further by using a Brownie.

Allen Friday: This photo makes me feel like I was there, too. Thanks.

Aron · Sep 9, 2011

I apologise for my delay, my cards went in the mail this morning, I hope they'll find their way to your mailboxes soon.

I had great pleasure addressing them, I started to forget how splendid it is to write on the smooth back of FB paper.

Laurent · Sep 10, 2011

My cards are finally stamped and addressed, so they should start their journey next Monday (I missed the last departure)

I did not include technical details as I usually do, because I hand wrote them (won't do it again ) so here they are :

The negative was shot with my EOS 3 and the EF 85/1.8 lens, on HP5 @ 250 ISO souped in X-Tol 1+1.

All the best !

lorirfrommontana · Sep 14, 2011

My cards will be ready on Thursday. Then I have to write on them all so they will be out by the weekend.
- Lori

Postcard Exchange Round 23 - Comments and Feedback

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