Postcard Exchange Round 33 Comments and Feedback

[TheToadMen]

I received a very fine post card from Peter Schrager today. It's a beautiful print of a mirror reflecting a street scene. "Reflect upon yourself!!" its title and a perfect motto for my personal goals in photography.
Thank you, Peter!

 

[drpsilver]

26 Oct 2014

I spent last night in the darkroom printing, and today toning my cards. The labels are printed, and ready to go. Hopefully I will have the cards in the mail by the end of October.

Aside: I am in the process of migrating from a PC to an iMac. A "learning curve" for my label printing methods (MS Excel and MS Word) is in my future.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[ozphoto]

26 Oct 2014

I spent last night in the darkroom printing, and today toning my cards. The labels are printed, and ready to go. Hopefully I will have the cards in the mail by the end of October.

Aside: I am in the process of migrating from a PC to an iMac. A "learning curve" for my label printing methods (MS Excel and MS Word) is in my future.

Regards,
Darwin

Not all that different, Darwin - they are an absolute joy to use.

 

[Trond]

5 more cards have arrived:

- Steelbar "Powerhouse generator"
- Hawkeye "Buick Eight"
- FM2N "Wonder Wheel"
- Peter Schrager "Reflect upon Yourself"
- TheToadMen "Church roof"

Many thanks for the great cards!

Perhaps it's time for me to select a negative soon...

Trond

 

[MattKing]

Mine are now on their way.

And my cards for Round 34 are now mostly printed too .

I'll wait until most people have seen them before I post a link to the website about the location.

 

[adelorenzo]

My cards went into the mail today.

So far four postcards have made it North of 60:

Matt King: I love old industrial stuff, just a great photo. Now that place is on my list to shoot some day. I really like the tones in the image.
Steelbar: Also taken at the old power plant so again, awesome choice of subject. I like the texture in this detail shot.
Bert from Holland: The location is awesome and very postcard-like. The colours are great, almost fantasy-like which fits perfectly with the subject.
Hawkeye: I'm also a fan of photos of old cars so I really dig this one. Great job on contrast in the print and I really like the composition.

 

[analoguey]

Mid-way with printing, should hopefully be done soon (and then the cards will be on their way).
Most will be amongst the first prints I make as enlargements, hopefully they'll look decent!

 

[drpsilver]

31 Oct 2014

My cards are on their way to all off you (went to the post office yesterday). Hope you like the image I selected.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[drpsilver]

02 Nov 2014

Have received 9 cards (including my own) thus far.

The card from MattKing nicely done. The soft-focus background gives the image depth. It ale belies the size of the subject.
The image from mike c is a nice study in geometric forms. The details of the roofs gives the viewer something of interest to "keep them in the image".
Peter Schrager sent a card with an image that, with his comment on the back of the card, might direct one to thing about themselves.
The card from TheToadMan is nicely done. This image can "work" in all orientations - cool. I also like the symmetry if the photo. Well done.
The card from Jim Christie is also very nice. Another image that "works" is several orientations. At first I was not sure how it was photographed. Very nice abstract.
Hawkeye sent an image that reminds me of a favorite state park in California - Bodie. I like how you executed on the "road's point-of-view" in this photo. In add-on the dark tones conveys the rustiness of the car.

Thank you to all for some very nice images.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[mike c]

Thanks drpsilver, at lest got one address right.


Mike

 

[mike c]

Two cards today, Matt King's "Power Take Off" The selective focus and the 1926(year) hand worn patina on those steel pipe's is way cool.
Tafoni, "Salt Point SP" Darwin's Post Card is the other. When I first looked, it was the Gingerbread man, but now those stones look like some kind of Space age Hieroglyphics, interesting rocks anyway.

Mike

 

[TheToadMen]

I received two cards this weekend:
* Jim Christie: "stepping into the afternoon", an almost abstract painting, spotted during a walk. Good thing he brought his camera.
* Mike Clark: an intriguing look upon some roofs from a hill. It's a strange point of view, a bit disorientating at first. Very well done.

And today three more cards arrived:
* Nige from down under: "Rocks and sea weed": brought back some memories from my holiday in Denmark last summer.
* Matt King: "Power take-off": a beautiful image from the inside of an old power plant, and very well printend too.
* Darwin (DRPSILVER): "Tafoni, Salt Point SP": asking me what I see, but I still don't know. Molten lava maybe? I'll have a good look in the morning again.

Thank you all! This is a great exchange indeed.
I'm hanging all the cards in my darkroom/office. It's getting quite a nice set!

 

[rst]

OK, yesterday evening I was able to print my cards. Now they need some time under a heavy book before I can write them and send them off.

Up to now I received the following cards (in no specific order):

FM2N - thanks for a very nice pinhole image. Although I do not send a pinhole this time I will go back to pinholes and hope so send you a pinhole too in the next round.

Hawkeye - Buick Eight - I wonder why I never find such nice models. I like it, very good print.

drpsilver - Tafoni, Salt Point SP - Darwin I always like your postcards ... and that has not changed after my postcard exchange break.

Matt King - Power Take Off - At the moment I am a shallow DOF lover. So this postcard came just at the right time. Thanks Matt, always a surprise.

mike c - Hill and Roofs - Well I would have called it: Let there be roofs. It is always fascinating what other people take back home from your country. This reminds me of a postcard I sent out long ago in this exchange ... I think it was in my first pcx round and that was round no 8.

TheToadMen - Sct Knud Kirke - Wow, very moody. I like it, especially the low contrast faded look your plastic lens produced.

Peter Schrager - Reflect upon yourself - I like it. I spent quite some time with this card, first to find out what I see and then to find out what else I see. Good!

So this is the first seven cards I received and I am looking forward to get more. And I am also looking forward to write my cards as this is always some time to remember cards received in the former rounds, sometimes going back to the postcard box and taking out some cards and enjoy again ... And there are quite a few people on my list I know for a long time

Cheers
Ruediger

 

[TheToadMen]

TheToadMen - Sct Knud Kirke - Wow, very moody. I like it, especially the low contrast faded look your plastic lens produced.
Cheers
Ruediger

Thanks, Ruediger!
This B&W image was shot with my Woca 120G plastic camera, a predecessor of the present Holga 120 series.
The difference is that the Woca has a tiny glass lens, not a plastic lens. I think that's the reason I get this type of "contrast faded look" but still sharp images.

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

 

[drpsilver]

07 Nov 2015

Thank you for your kind words Ruediger. I also have admired you pinhole photography. It is a very different perspective into the world in which we live.

Two more cards landed in my mailbox this week. The card from Nige is full of detail and tones to keep the viewer engaged. I like to composition of the rocks and seaweed - with just a little in the upper center to make a connection to the larger world. Well done.

The second card from adelorenzo makes me want to visit the Yukon. I like how you have used the length of the train to add perspective to the photo.

I look forward to more great images.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[astroclimb]

Finally got my cards in the mail, will be posting comments on the many excellent cards I've so far received, but I'm a bit embarrassed at how many I've already got and how far behind I am....arrgh!

 

[rst]

Sigh! I think I just ruined all my cards.

I thought I tone them because that would add to the image. And while toning them I was called into a customer problem which meant a lot of waiting on the phone. So I thought to use the waiting time to continue on the toning. But I was distracted enough not to realize that the color was very odd. Now after washing I think if dry-down will not solve the color issue I am not going to use them and now I need plan B.

What a bitter Sunday.

Cheers
Ruediger

 

[mike c]

Ruediger, just rename the post cards "The Odd Colors of Fall in Germany", put some stamps and send them off to the post office.

Mike

 

[drpsilver]

10 Nov 2014

Ruediger:

I agree with Mike. Lots of good art has been born from "mistakes".

Regards,
Darwin

 

[rst]

Ruediger, just rename the post cards "The Odd Colors of Fall in Germany", put some stamps and send them off to the post office.

Yes, but I am already tied up quite a bit to the title I have.

... Lots of good art has been born from "mistakes".

If it is art then you are right. But we are talking about my image. ... and a miserable fail in execution. I will think about it a bit more.

The issue is that I can not really re-print them because I do not have a real darkroom right now and my enlarger sits in the basement and when I printed it was still warm enough down there, but now I doubt to get the room even near 18C.

The even bigger issue is, that with the toning I lost a fair amount of contrast - never seen this before and I do not like the result at all. Since all this went so wrong I am not even sure how stable the result will be. Very odd. Well, I let them sit a few days under my heavy book and maybe I change my mind once I take them out and look at them again.

Cheers
Ruediger

As the postcard exchange is a bit more tolerant and since a few people have sent postcards they did not print themselves, my plan B would be to scan the negative and send inkjet prints. But that might be a bit against the spirit of APUG.

So you see, at the moment I am a little bit in a loose-loose situation.

 

[TheToadMen]

Yes, but I am already tied up quite a bit to the title I have.

If it is art then you are right. But we are talking about my image. ... and a miserable fail in execution. I will think about it a bit more.

The issue is that I can not really re-print them because I do not have a real darkroom right now and my enlarger sits in the basement and when I printed it was still warm enough down there, but now I doubt to get the room even near 18C.

The even bigger issue is, that with the toning I lost a fair amount of contrast - never seen this before and I do not like the result at all. Since all this went so wrong I am not even sure how stable the result will be. Very odd. Well, I let them sit a few days under my heavy book and maybe I change my mind once I take them out and look at them again.

Cheers
Ruediger

As the postcard exchange is a bit more tolerant and since a few people have sent postcards they did not print themselves, my plan B would be to scan the negative and send inkjet prints. But that might be a bit against the spirit of APUG.

So you see, at the moment I am a little bit in a loose-loose situation.

An other option is to send us your mishaps (if you still think it is that in a day or two) and tell us why and how it happened. This way we can all learn from it and it will be still gain for the PCX in my book. Maybe even post an example of the print as is was supposed to be here for comparison?
We should share our accidents more often here on APUG.
Bert from Holland

 

[mike c]

Two cards again ,Mark-s sent shallow angled shot of a belt of sharp pointed 30 cl. machine gun bullets. Nice tones and selective focus also, all most looks like the claws of a large bear stretching across the print.

And Astroclimb's Classic BSA Motorcycle tank, nice emblem on tank, and a classic bike. Have a lot of great cards so far, keep them coming.

Mike

 

[Randalcav]

My cards are in the mail tomorrow. This is my first exchange. I had a slight problem when I signed up, I needed to build a darkroom. It's been 4 years since I moved into a new house and I just completed my new darkroom in the back of the garage. (No running water yet, but I can print again) Thanks to the group for providing the inspiration to get back into what I enjoy. I'm shocked at the postcard exchange, what a concept for receiving an entire photo gallery in my mailbox! My wife reminded me today that our mailbox door is missing and mail is getting wet. Darkroom first, mailbox door next. I don't want to have the weather ruin anything you creative photographers send me. Thanks All!

 

[astroclimb]

Whilst I'm behind on commenting on the several very nice cards so far received, trying to keep up with those coming in I want to compliment Mark Sauerwald on his very nice photo of the machine gun ammo. The ironic capture of the very beautiful tones and soft fabric in the photo and the deadly intended use of the ammo is astounding.

TH

 

[Jim Christie]

A couple more cards have come in over the last week or two. I studied "Tafoni, Salt Point SP" from drpsilver for a long time, and indeed saw a number of things in it. But I can't help but think that maybe you've found a giant alien hand print. They do exist .

Mark Sauerwald's detail of the WWII machine gun ammo belt was quite striking. The the detail of the belt weave and highlights along the top surfaces of the bullets imparts a certain mood the the photograph.

Great work by all.