Postcard Exchange Round 23 - Comments and Feedback

[Oxleyroad]

Well, my cards went out two weeks ago but it appears only two people have received them so far -- don't know why the post is so slow! (I haven't received anything either in that time frame).

mooseontheloose, your postcard arrived within 5 days as to be expected I guess as Japan is just above Oz. Spectacular image - 'dreamy'.

Another 3 cards have arrived since the 11th.

HPulley - 2nd colour post card to arrive. Just like I read earlier it has a vintage look. Wish I was there.

ccross - Flowing Hair, opps water. Great image. I was surprised to see that this card got throught the postal system. Every corner dog eared and the card overall somewhat 'scrunched'. But it got here and after a week pressed in a large book it has almost come back to a good flat image.

MattKing - Life Rafts. A picture that make me think of my childhood days when I sold papers on the street corner just down the road from a travel agent. They always seemed to have large cruise posters that forever changed on the wall just behind where the agent sat.


I am halfway through printing all my images so mine will go out right at the end of the month at the rate I am progressing.

 

[piu58]

Yesterday I received George Richards' Cold steel. The very compressed cutting gives an interesting view. Thank you!

 

[Mike Wilde]

Comments on some cards that arrived before I headed off on vacation three weeks ago now.
They just surfaced in my ‘stuff’ as I was filing prints that came in after I was back from holidaying.

Semuese - ‘Rocks at Gilbert’s Bar’- A nice cross processed image. I have fiddled around with this process adaptation in the past. I have found that you pick one thing to have a ‘real colour, and everything else is some wonky way off colour . Your example shows that this is not always the case. The cyan shifted sand seems to work alright here. The image is also very nicely framed and sharp as well.

J Rollinger –‘Pinky and I’- A neat, abstract image that works visually. It also has me guessing technically how you made it.
It looks to me like some kind of a dark room, and triggering of a flash while the lens was held open to do the lighting. I can imagine the two fingers that are visible being part of the hand that was holding a flash trigger. The lens shutter does not have a ‘time’ setting like a view camera shutter, as far as I know. I cannot see a cable release in the front shutter release. So how was the shutter held open?
So perhaps a black string on the vertical shutter release, triggered by your foot, etc? Then that would allow ambient lighting of the scene. Or maybe the string holds the shutter open, and the light is from a flash after all? Very intriguing.

Roger Thoms – ‘Yard Office’ Nice symmetry. Maybe very slight, but not objectionable, vertical convergence distortion. Good tonality in the highlights and shadows. The distortions in the reflections of the image shown in the door window panes is a neat twist.
I might have placed the highlights to be a bit brighter, but if this sits on the waterfront there is a good chance it was overcast from the seemingly everpresent fog/low cloud that SF bay near the coast is famous for, and the slightly grey whites are thus appropriate.

Sorry for the delay in posting my comments.

 

[Laurent]

I received George Richard's Cold Steel. The compressed perspective and narrow angle of view makes it a very nice picture. Thanks !

 

[J Rollinger]

Comments on some cards that arrived before I headed off on vacation three weeks ago now.
They just surfaced in my ‘stuff’ as I was filing prints that came in after I was back from holidaying.



J Rollinger –‘Pinky and I’- A neat, abstract image that works visually. It also has me guessing technically how you made it.
It looks to me like some kind of a dark room, and triggering of a flash while the lens was held open to do the lighting. I can imagine the two fingers that are visible being part of the hand that was holding a flash trigger. The lens shutter does not have a ‘time’ setting like a view camera shutter, as far as I know. I cannot see a cable release in the front shutter release. So how was the shutter held open?
So perhaps a black string on the vertical shutter release, triggered by your foot, etc? Then that would allow ambient lighting of the scene. Or maybe the string holds the shutter open, and the light is from a flash after all? Very intriguing.



Sorry for the delay in posting my comments.

Thanks for the comment Mike!
The shot was accidental. There was a nice beam of light coming through my kitchen window into the bathroom so i decided to take a snapshot of me in the bathroom mirror. I metered the light, set the shutter speed and was about to fire the shutter when my cat Pinky jumped on my back. It was natural light and i am holding a cable release in my hand.

 

[hwv]

During the last month I had too much to do for work so I wasn't able to comment on those wonderful cards I enjoyed to receive. I will make up for that.

Last week I realised that july is proceeding to the end now so I printed my postcards. Since last saturday, they are on their way. Hope you enjoy.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Thanks everyone for the comments so far. I've received two cards in the last week, Trond's "Beach" and George's "Cold Steel". The former seems very abstract to me, with lots going on (and at the same time, not), while the former has beautiful light and really does convey the cold, something quite welcome in the sweltering heat of Japan right now.

 

[hpulley]

I too got Rachelle (mooseontheloose)'s wonderful EIR Monestary image today. My daughter loves the picture and especially the Hello Kitty stamp! She was hoping it was for her so it will hang in her room. Thanks!

 

[mooseontheloose]

I too got Rachelle (mooseontheloose)'s wonderful EIR Monestary image today. My daughter loves the picture and especially the Hello Kitty stamp! She was hoping it was for her so it will hang in her room. Thanks!

Thanks! Unfortunately (or fortunately in your daughter's case), the Hello Kitty series is one of the only (if not, the only) set of stamps that are stickers (or seals, as they say in Japan) -- all others are lick-only, and that's just too many for the postcard exchange!

 

[hpulley]

All stamps are stickers now in Canada it seems.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Well, today was the last day of the semester (Japanese university system) and I was rewarded with two postcards in the mail today:

Valerie's Houston Art Car Parade is an interesting subject, although I'm not sure about the fingerprint above it (?) ;-)

Also, hwv's Eiffel Tower also arrived -- love the angle, the crop, the contrast, the light. A great take on a tourist icon and my favorite of the round so far. Thanks!

 

[hpulley]

I received Darwin(DPRSilver)'s "St. Paul's, Salt Sprint Is." contact print yesterday. Looks like small secluded church. Was a mask or easel used? The edges are very rectangular for a contact print.

I also received Trond's "Beach", an interesting beach composition. I wonder what paper was used, etc. What is a Thermaphot, a drum or other paper processor?

Thanks to both!

 

[Mike Wilde]

I think thermaphot made both roller processors (some of which I think were branded as Ilford's) and some slot processors.

 

[Trond]

I also received Trond's "Beach", an interesting beach composition. I wonder what paper was used, etc. What is a Thermaphot, a drum or other paper processor?

Thanks for you comment! I have a Thermaphot ACP 302 (http://thermaphot.de/us/acp/acp302.html), which is a roller processor. The paper is Adox MCP and the film Fomapan 100. Shot with a Pentax SV and a Super-Takumar 24mm.

Trond

 

[semeuse]

three more cards in the box!

George Richards Cold Steel - great railroad shot with crisp shadows and detail

Darwin (drpsilver)'s St. Paul's, Salt Spring Is. - wonderful contact print of what appears to be a tiny isolated church

and Rachelle (mooseontheloose)'s Tiger's Nest Monastery - fantastic infrared image of a Bhutanese monastery framed by glowing prayer flags (at first glance, the flags appear to be from a flame thrower!)

Beautiful work!
Kris

 

[semeuse]

Comments on some cards that arrived before I headed off on vacation three weeks ago now.
They just surfaced in my ‘stuff’ as I was filing prints that came in after I was back from holidaying.

Semuese - ‘Rocks at Gilbert’s Bar’- A nice cross processed image. I have fiddled around with this process adaptation in the past. I have found that you pick one thing to have a ‘real colour, and everything else is some wonky way off colour . Your example shows that this is not always the case. The cyan shifted sand seems to work alright here. The image is also very nicely framed and sharp as well.

Thanks Mike! I've found that I get a more vintage feel (slightly off, weird saturation) when I use expired film (these were shot on ektachrome dated 1999) instead of the wacky shifts obtained with newer film

 

[Oxleyroad]

I am halfway through printing all my images so mine will go out right at the end of the month at the rate I am progressing.

Still not a lot of progress from my end. I will be a week or two late. Sorry everyone. I trust there is no one with arachnophobia

 

[hpulley]

Two more arrived today.

hwv's Eiffel Tower. Very dramatic shading on the iconic tower. Great detail too.

And Valerie's "Through the Gift Shop," quite an art image of quite an art car!

Thanks to you both.

 

[Roger Thoms]

I to received the Eiffel Tower, very nice!!!

Roger

 

[MattKing]

I’ve received card(s) from 12 people so far in this 23rd exchange (plus my own):

ccross - “Paper Negative Swirl” - nice use of a paper negative to show movement
Dave Martiny - “Untitled” (coils) - moody and evocative
drpsilver - “St Paul’s, Salt Spring Is.” - always nice to see a visitor’s take on what is not far from my own neighbourhood - an interesting old church and a very nice print
George Nova Scotia - “Cold Steel” - it almost feels cold to touch it!
hpulley - “A bit young for coffee” - interesting old time colour that fits well with the subject
Mike Wilde - “Stage and Shanty”, “Overcast Spring Day Walk” & “Queen Anne’s Lunch” - Mike’s ‘three for the price of one’ submissions are always intriguing, if only because they showcase such a variety of old papers. My favourite this time is “Overcast Spring Day Walk” because of the gorgeous image tone
mooseontheloose - “Tiger’s Nest Monastery” - fantastic image, in all meanings of the word
Roger Thoms - “Yard Office” - a very nice print and an interesting vignette
rst - “Torches in Heidelberg” - like the image, and also like the image colour in the print
semeuse - “House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Bar” - the colour from the cross processing adds to the windswept look
Trond - “Beach” - I like the beach details - if only the recent events in Norway didn’t make the card seem much more eerie and sad
Valerie - “Through the Gift Shop” - this card (and car) definitely made me smile

12 down, 16 to go

Thanks to everyone for participating.

 

[labcoat]

I have to apologize: I will be late this round. I managed to send out three cards last week, but I won't be able to send the remaining cards on their way until tomorrow - one day after the deadline! At least I finished making, addressing, and stamping the cards on time (just a few minutes ago).

Also, I'm very sorry that I have been virtually silent in this thread. That doesn't mean that I haven't received any cards. Here's what the mailman has delivered so far:
semeuse's Jensen Beach: This is the only color print I have received so far this round. The colors look really cool!
Roger Thoms's Yard Office: I'm really impressed by the print. There is so much detail and the tonality is wonderful.
rst's Sunday Morning Findings: This is a really nice print. I quite like the matte paper. The image really reminds me of Germany. I think it's the pavement.
mooseontheloose's Tiger's Nest Monastery: I really like the composition.The slight flaring of the infrared film works extremely well for this image, I think.
Trond's Beach: I like the wide border of this card. I think it works very well with that piece of wood in the picture. Also, a beach is the perfect subject matter for a postcard.
hwv's Eiffel Tower: I quite like the composition with the lines in this image. I think this is a really good and very original take on the tower.
andrew.vartabedian's Trestle: I love the symmetry in the shot. It's a really neat photo. It's also making me want to use Rodinal again.

The quality of all the cards I have received so for is amazing. I'm really looking forward to the rest of them.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I also received Darwin's "St. Paul's, Salt Spring Is." card -- a really nice contact print of what appears to be a pretty small church. Thanks!

That's 17 cards so far -- only 25 more to go! ;-) As always, I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is going to send for this round.

 

[ccross]

Well, I finally got a few minutes to myself and thought I would post a few quick comments about the cards I’ve received so far.

Through the Gift Shop (Valerie) – I haven’t really shot much in square format, but I really like the little square print and the streaky edge.
Trestle (Andrew) – I think this is a great print.
Eiffel Tower (Heinz) – I just got my first bottle of Rodinal (Adinol). I haven’t tried it yet, but hope it is similar. Great detail and tonality.
Little Rock Central H.S. (Inez) – This reminds me so much of my daughters school, a beautiful, old stone and brick building.
St. Pauls (Darwin) – Beautiful little contact print of an old church. Love the detail.
Beach (Trond) – I’m not sure why, but this is one of my favourites. I think it is the simplicity of it (and the fact that I just returned from a few weeks at a each and am already missing it).
The Watchtower (Kris) – I like the grainy look of the sky/clouds. I bet the view from the tower is amazing.
Yard Office (Roger) – Another of my favourites. I really like the strong contrast.
Guardian Angel (Sandra) – I like to shoot at one of the local cemeteries, where there are several similar carved statues. I really like the smooth stone and the amazing detail.
Untitled (Dave) – You really can spin it around and you get some weird optical effect (or maybe that’s the lack of sleep setting in).
No Bikes (Rudiger) – I always enjoy your pictures Rudiger and really like the paper you printed this one on. I haven’t had the chance to try any Adox papers yet.
Life Rafts (Matt King) – I’ve ridden on those ferries a few times and thankfully never had to worry about testing the 50-person limit.
A bit young for coffee (Harry) – Love the tones in this picture. I have a few rolls of Ektar 100 in the fridge waiting for me to get brave enough to try colour processing in my basement.
3 Prints (Mike) – I really like Print 2 and the paper it is printed on. I`m sure it hasn`t been available for years, that seems to be what happens when I come across these papers.
Canoo Trip (Uwe) – Very cool, love the texture of the water.
Pinky & I (Jim) – When I first picked up your picture I was holding it vertically thinking ‘how did he get a cat to sit on his head like that?’
Cold Steel (George) – I hope that train wasn’t coming at you while taking the picture. Very nice, another of my favourite.
Quansit in Snow (Cameron) – Very cool textures and great exposure for the snow. Unfortunately, the postman must have thought this was a ‘Scratch ‘n Sniff’ picture, the bottom left corner looks like someone was scratching it.

That’s it so far, thanks to everyone for all the great images.

Take care,
Craig

 

[hpulley]

I received two cards while I was away last week.

Inez Little Rock Central HS using a modified Diana for 35mm, I'm impressed that Fuji CA paper came through the mail so well! I was worried that color paper was too thin so I bulked mine up with mailing labels but it seems I need not have worried! So far that is 3 color images this round. I love the tones in the stonework with the blue sky a nice contrast.

And Andres' self portrait. I love the profile and think the outline around the exposed bricks must be meant to look like a face as well. Nice to see the Ilfospeed paper, beautiful glossy finish and it survived the post well. I like the contrast of Acros in HC-110.

Thanks to you both!

 

[mooseontheloose]

I also received Andres' self-portrait with bricks. I like the exposed brick layer - the shape and shadow makes it seem like a comic-book type thought bubble. What a thought full of bricks means, well, I'm not judging. ;-) Nice work.