Postcard Exchange Round 40 Comments & Feedback

[LAG]

...Ricardo's "smile". Nice tree, the print looks nice with the sprocket holes...

It's good news and good to know that one of the postcards has reached destination.

Thank YOU!

 

[kraker]

Since my last update I received cards from:

drpsilver, Alone in Death Valley; great composition, great contrast. The sky with a few clouds, the flora in the foreground. Great.
Randalcav, Antelope Island. A completely different landscape, yet the same applies: great composition, lovely contrast. The mountain range just slightly visible in the background, grasses in the foreground, and the bison and trees contrasting all that. (And as a non-native speaker, I learned something, the plural of bison is bison.)
Wayne Frederick, Portland Head lighthouse. At the risk of repeating myself, yet another great photo. Great composition, the lighthouse is the subject, but there's much more included in the picture, drawing me into the scene. So much detail all over, also in the darkest and lightest spots.

 

[Laurent]

My cards are now in the mail... Hope you like them.

 

[kraker]

Received cards from:
labcoat, "Manhattan cyclist", good that you printed this negative eventually, really nice. Crisp print, captured the movement, nice street action!
Laurent, "coquelicot", wow, absolutely love this one. Surreal, dreamy, wondering about the story (and the technique) behind this. Great!

 

[tezzasmall]

I have also now received Laurent's postcard.

And I'm with Kraker on this one -lovely print of a poppy but against a shiney(?) background? Very unusual but I like it a lot.

It's a bit difficult to explain it really so I hope it gets put somewhere on this forum eventually to let others see it as well.

Many thanks for sending it.

Terry S

 

[MattKing]

I've received another four great cards since I last commented:

gdehaan "Mozes en Aäronkerk" - I too really like all the strong, linear diagonal elements.
Wayne Frederick "Portland Head Lighthouse" - The combination of the light and the snow is striking. And the figure in the semi-foreground gives it great scale.
DrpSilver "Alone in Death Valley" - A bit of a departure, and I like it. Particularly as it seems that the plant is reaching for the clouds.
Randalcav "Antelope Island" - A fun card. It also looks good as a narrow panorama.

The collection is rounding up nicely.

 

[LAG]

Today (12/04) arrived another postcard to my postbox: Laurent's "poppies". I liked it!

I have more questions I'd like to ask rather than comments, but since we have the option of a humble feedback, I would add without knowing those certain aspects that the end of the flower (imho) does not breathe properly near the slightly inclined horizon line. On the other hand I like the tone, the light - the backlight -, which is so contrasted so much and I love it, as I love that "my" point of attention starts from the root of the flower. It is very comforting to the eye that there is a petal falling off to the center of the whiter intensity, I like the vignette effect and the apparent symmetry achieved between light and its reflection, which give the flower a 3D sensation. Congrats!

Thank you!

 

[ozphoto]

Mine are finally in the mail!!

I'll endeavour to comment on everyone's cards later next week - I've enjoyed receiving them all.

 

[mike c]

Laurent's card made it's way, I like it. A lovely back lit silhouette of a poppy in the foreground with a kind of black and white lith background.

 

[MattKing]

Laurent's card made it's way, I like it. A lovely back lit silhouette of a poppy in the foreground with a kind of black and white lith background.

Laurent's poppy made it here too. A striking image indeed - I always like it when someone does something surprising with a flower photograph.

 

[winger]

I love Laurent's! It's great to see something different. I've also gotten one from gdehaan - very nice as well!

 

[Laurent]

wow! thanks for your kind comments, everybody!

I'll scan the card and will post the results in a few days, when I have proper time.

Concerning the technical details:
- I shot it on Pan-F exposed @ 50 ISO, using my Rolleiflex 3.5 "B" (LOOOOOVE this camera!!!)
- I Think I used a red filter to lighten the poppy and darken the sky
- BUT I forgot I load the camera with Pan-F when I went to Chausey, and so I exposed the reminder of the film @400
- therefore, I developped the film for the Chausey images (it was my first timùe there, don't know when I'll make it again) using Microphen stock to salvage as much as I could from the image.
- and I discovered after developping that the paper seems to have been transferred to the film, giving this very grainy structure...

In less words: "happy accident", but a great incentive to try unusual things with usual subjects (this poppy is 300 m from my home, I went there after dropping my son at school)

Thanks again!!

 

[Laurent]

I also receioved Neil's card, very nice landscape (seascape ?) with the kayak setting the scale. Thanks !

 

[ShootsAndLeaves]

Mine are now in the mail (10 cards from the Black Forest, Germany).

Postage times from here...
Europe: 2-4 days
USA: 3-5 days
Australia: 4-7 days

So far I have received 5 lovely cards which I have hung up all around the house. Will leave feedback once I am sure I remember where I hung them all!

 

[ShootsAndLeaves]

Correction: I have received 6 lovely cards in total!

Oxleyroad, "Manhole Cover" I wonder how long the cover will look so new and fresh. With the bright sun shining on it, you can really see the sharpness of the shadows around the letters and design. I like the sepia toning.

DRPSilver, "Alone in Death Valley" I like the contrasting textures layered on top of one-another like waves, with a hint of life bathing in sunlight poking through.

Randaleav, "Antelope Island" Captures the feeling of really being there in the vastness, being able to look far into the distance in all directions. Clumps of trees and Bison on the ground, mirroring clumps of cloud in the sky.

Wayne Frederick, "Portland Head" Great composition really draws the eye in. At first look I thought it was really white sand, not snow. Snow looks really fresh on the rocks. The dark figure on the path really makes it.

Neil Harmon, "Butter Rock" I just saw the sailboat, the ocean in the picture just got even bigger.

Laurent, So dream-like, and the fact it was caused by accident makes it even more magical. Beautiful... what a lovely accident!

 

[ShootsAndLeaves]

Two more arrived this week;

Harman, "Glimpse of the Sea", That is true dedication taking 2 SLR's on a cycle tour! I have done a bit of cycle touring myself and wimp out at the thought of taking an SLR, but you have inspired me to try next trip. Nice image of some flowering grasses framing an ocean view. Very 'postcardy' postcard, handwritten message about travelling, much appreciated!

Ozphoto, "Old Adelaide Gaol", Colour, two images on the card. A nice presentation of history, looks like an interesting place to visit. I have an Agfa Click (6x6) family-hand-me-down and it is so much fun to use. $2.95 for postage, Strewth! I pay 90 euro cents ($1.30AUD) to send postcards to Australia. Nice to hear that your niece is taking an interest in photography, keep the flame alive!

 

[MattKing]

I have received Neil (from Harman)'s "Butter Rock". I particularly like the placement of the details in the "frame". The print is very nice too.
And "analogue" is correctly spelled!

 

[winger]

Also received Butter Rock here. Having the boat to convey scale is great - that's a cool looking HUGE rock.

 

[George Nova Scotia]

WOW, looks like lots of cards out there. Guess what? It's almost May, time for a new round, so keep an eye out for the Round 41 Sign Up thread.

 

[LAG]

Yesterday (28/04) arrived two more postcards (Harman): Neil's "Butter rock" & Sue's "Glimpse of the sea" I liked them both and I must add Very much!

1. The rock looks like the head of a dog looking to the left. I love the simplicity & the order of the elements and even the shadow of the rock as if it were a dark finish line to reach for the rowers. A curiosity, if you put the postcard upside down, the boat and the rowers keep on their way with the shadow!!!

2. If only an empty paper had arrived it would already be Brilliant postcard. If only one reads the words on the back of the postcard, one would have enough satisfaction with it because of the pleasantness of those words and the curious "bike-stamp" ... I had the feeling of not wanting to see the front but I did and happy I had done so. It is so wonderful how the perfect horizon line drives to both sides in the framed frame and how the grass below bites the water as it does on the ocean bed. Don't stop carrying film on your bike!

Congratulations & thank you (x2) for supporting film Photography!
Ricardo

 

[LAG]

Another one of my postcards has been returned to sender, I do not understand what has happened, I will avoid including the sender address on them from now on. This postacard will fly again (in first class) A.S.A.P.

I'm sorry!

 

[ozphoto]

Laurent's Poppy arrived today, a wonderful image that evokes much history. We have just celebrated Anzac Day in Australia and this encompasses everything that day means to Australians and New Zealanders alike.

 

[George Nova Scotia]

Sign up is now open for round 41 (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[mike c]

I have 4 that have accumulated the past week:
Neils "Butter Rock" is very interesting, like the high camera looking over the Ocean ,Rock and the small boat being paddled around the Rock, what a beautiful Coastline.
Sue from Harmen has sent a beautiful Ocean scene also that is framed by reeds or fox tails in the foreground,with a single rock or Oil derrick far from shore in the middle, then on the back a little color photo of her bicycle and beach,cool, but 50 to 60 miles a day would be too much for me, with No Cameras .
djhopscotch made a very nice card of Bowmen Lake, I have traveled thru that area in Montana and it is beautiful and that wonderful Big Sky.
Wooden Witch of Wendelin the selective focus of the wood carved Witch stands out from the softer focused chapel and trees in the back ground , make for a nice balance ,interesting Witch. Thanks for the card Jessica.

 

[winger]

I received three in yesterday's mail - woo hoo! Way better than the other stuff we got (bills, catalogs, and junk). The ones I got (all great) are from ozphoto, Sue Evans, and djhopscotch. The Montana shot is fantastic.