Postcard Exchange Round 50 Comments and Feedback

[George Nova Scotia]

Messages have been sent for round 50 with any luck you should have a new conversation from me.
Several new addresses so please wait a few days before mailing.

As usual this thread is for comments and feedback. Let us know how you are doing and feel free to comment on what you receive.

Please wait a few days for any corrections then let the mailings begin. There have been address changes so check carefully. Please check that your name is the first on your list.

astroclimb (25)
bedrof (MAX)
Black Dog (MAX)
BSP (MAX)
CircusMalta (5)
cramej (20)
darinwc (MAX)
drpsilver (MAX)
gijsbert (20)
hkbenji (MAX)
Howard Earl (MAX)
hwv (MAX)
iandvaag (MAX)
jvo (MAX)
Laurent (MAX)
Lucid (30)
Luis-F-S (MAX)
madhatter (20)
MattiS (MAX)
mfohl (MAX)
mooseontheloose (MAX)
Nige (20)
Oxleyroad (MAX)
Rowreidr (MAX)
RSImages (10)
rst (10)
tezzasmall (10)
vedostuu (MAX)
Wayne Frederick (MAX)

 

[drpsilver]

01 June 2020

George:
Thanks for the address list. I will get my labels ready.

To All:
I am still having problems getting the sump pump to the darkroom working properly. I have no idea at this time when this issue will be resolved. I will keep the exchange posted on when you might get my cards. In the mean time, I look forward to the cards I will receive.

Regards,
Darwin

P.S. I will have to look for an alternative card, maybe cyanotype, if I cannot get resolution soon.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I'm struggling trying to narrow down an image (or two) for this round but I've whittled it down to a handful of hopefuls. I think I'll be able to get all my printing done this weekend. Looking forward to everyone's cards for the big 5-0!

 

[rst]

... I think I'll be able to get all my printing done this weekend. Looking forward to everyone's cards for the big 5-0!

I will be definitely later than you. But at least, except for the emulsion, I have everything in the house again to do coating and contact printing. And I also might have settled on a negative already. This weekend - by accident, or how ever you want to call it - I did a double exposure over an exposure from days long ago. And - coincidence sometimes is better than detailed planning - it kind of works. Although, it was kind of a surprise to find a totally unexpected negative when opening the development tank. But I first have to see how it prints. So please be patient with me.

Cheers
Rüdiger

 

[Laurent]

I'm struggling trying to narrow down an image (or two) for this round but I've whittled it down to a handful of hopefuls. I think I'll be able to get all my printing done this weekend. Looking forward to everyone's cards for the big 5-0!

waow, this is fast!

Ia have some cards ready, but as the rates go up and up, I think I'll try to put my money to good use, by sending several cards in an envelope. Hope nobody takes offense!

The new rates in France make the stamp as expensive as 6 sheets of Ilford Postcard paper!

 

[mooseontheloose]

waow, this is fast!

Ia have some cards ready, but as the rates go up and up, I think I'll try to put my money to good use, by sending several cards in an envelope. Hope nobody takes offense!

The new rates in France make the stamp as expensive as 6 sheets of Ilford Postcard paper!

That’s crazy Laurent! Is it because of Covid-19 or was this a planned price hike? International postcards from Japan only cost 70 yen, about 60 cents in euros or dollars. They love the post here - I think rates have only gone up once or twice in the past twenty years, and then only by a couple of yen. Hopefully others won’t be impacted the same way as you.

 

[bedrof]

waow, this is fast!

Ia have some cards ready, but as the rates go up and up, I think I'll try to put my money to good use, by sending several cards in an envelope. Hope nobody takes offense!

The new rates in France make the stamp as expensive as 6 sheets of Ilford Postcard paper!

6 sheets, that's really expensive!
International cards from Russia cost only about 2 sheets of that paper.
Is it cheaper if sent in an envelope?

I'm labelling first batch of cards right now.

 

[Black Dog]

I'm struggling trying to narrow down an image (or two) for this round but I've whittled it down to a handful of hopefuls. I think I'll be able to get all my printing done this weekend. Looking forward to everyone's cards for the big 5-0!

Me too!

 

[Laurent]

That’s crazy Laurent! Is it because of Covid-19 or was this a planned price hike? International postcards from Japan only cost 70 yen, about 60 cents in euros or dollars. They love the post here - I think rates have only gone up once or twice in the past twenty years, and then only by a couple of yen. Hopefully others won’t be impacted the same way as you.

No, that's a normal rate... they raise it every 6 months, and remove more and more options. In the last years there was a "EU" rate and an "Worldwide" one, now there's France or "Worldwide", and they removed the postcard specific rates some years ago !

 

[Oxleyroad]

Mine labeled and in the mail tomorrow.

 

[Nige]

Since this is a historic round.. Round 50! WOW! I thought I’d post a little about the early days of this exchange. Just did some thread searching and found Round 1 was late 2004. However, there were APUG postcards whizzing around the globe during 2002 & 2003. I found a post where at that time I had sent out 131! I have some from Aggie and Les McLean dated 2002 and lots in 2003 from many APUGers including some that still seem to be active. I do have a list of my Round 1 exchangees… (APUG name where I have it)… FHovie, David Goldfarb, fotobob, rjr, kwmullet, John McCallum, Hermit, Jim Moore, BWGirl, Camclicker, BarrieB, Jim Shanesy, Kevin Caufield, Aggie, Larry Gebardt and Mike Castles. In 2005 I posed the following question to Aggie after she’d bought up a heap of Ilford postcard stock “BTW Aggie, you have 5-6 years worth at the current Postcard Exchange usage rate! Wonder if we'll still be at it then?”… Well Aggie isn’t here anymore, and I’ve had a big break, but the exchange is still rolling along!

 

[Nige]

Although 16 years of postcards seems a long time, I have a box of postcards that my mother had (not sure why but they are relatives of hers) The earliest one is dated 1902. Melbourne looks a little different these days although there are still elements in the picture that are still recognisable today.

 

[mfohl]

Yesterday I received Oxleyroad's road construction postcard. Amazing! There were no people, and this was before the pandemic! Thanks Ox!

 

[Black Dog]

Mine arrived today-just the kind of subject I like. It has a nice eerie quality as well and the digger reminds me of a crouched animal.

 

[Oxleyroad]

Black Dog and mfohl thanks for those words of encouragement.

 

[Lucid]

@Black Dog - Your card arrived in my post today, along with two other great prints. I love the pastel colours and angles in your image. Viewing the card in different orientations was a lot of fun, and it was only when I wrote this message did I notice the little "Top" note! Great details on the back too. The grain in the image really works well for the feel of the image.

@Wayne Frederick - I enjoy the high contrast nature of this image. The rushing water could almost be lava! It's amazing to read that the image was taken on an old Brownie Special. The character of the lens works well for this scene. I thought I'd mention that the stamp ink used by the postal service has seeped into the paper from the back and made it's way to the front side of the print. Part of the stamp is present on one of the backing labels, and the stamp image remains sharp, without the ink bleeding out into the print.

@Oxleyroad - Great subject matter and composition. The construction site certainly appears uncontaminated by workmen! Did you burn in the sky to capture the clouds in the print? Ferrania P30 and Xtol look like a great combination. I'll try and give it a go some time. For the moment, I think Pan F with Rodinal has run it's course with me.


A great start to PCX50! I'll need to get my but in gear and get printing. It's funny, the more I get settled into this whole lock-down way of life, the busier I become!

 

[Black Dog]

@Black Dog - Your card arrived in my post today, along with two other great prints. I love the pastel colours and angles in your image. Viewing the card in different orientations was a lot of fun, and it was only when I wrote this message did I notice the little "Top" note! Great details on the back too. The grain in the image really works well for the feel of the image.

@Wayne Frederick - I enjoy the high contrast nature of this image. The rushing water could almost be lava! It's amazing to read that the image was taken on an old Brownie Special. The character of the lens works well for this scene. I thought I'd mention that the stamp ink used by the postal service has seeped into the paper from the back and made it's way to the front side of the print. Part of the stamp is present on one of the backing labels, and the stamp image remains sharp, without the ink bleeding out into the print.

@Oxleyroad - Great subject matter and composition. The construction site certainly appears uncontaminated by workmen! Did you burn in the sky to capture the clouds in the print? Ferrania P30 and Xtol look like a great combination. I'll try and give it a go some time. For the moment, I think Pan F with Rodinal has run it's course with me.


A great start to PCX50! I'll need to get my but in gear and get printing. It's funny, the more I get settled into this whole lock-down way of life, the busier I become!

Thanks for the appreciation -I've got busier too!

 

[Oxleyroad]

...
@Oxleyroad - Great subject matter and composition. The construction site certainly appears uncontaminated by workmen! Did you burn in the sky to capture the clouds in the print? Ferrania P30 and Xtol look like a great combination. I'll try and give it a go some time. For the moment, I think Pan F with Rodinal has run it's course with me. ...

Thanks for hte comments Lucid. Yes I did burn the sky to capture the sky, some of the post cards worked better than others with how noticable my efforts were.

 

[Luis-F-S]

Mailed mine yesterday. Domestic cards are 4" x 6", International cards are inside a No. 10 envelope but I didn't cut the length to 6" so are a bit longer. Double Clematis was taken on a Deardorff V8 with a 4x5 reducing back on HP5+ film. Using a 10 3/4 Dagor Design G-Claron at f/45 for 4 or so seconds I believe. Straight print, printed on Ilford Classic FB Grade 2.5 for 11.7 sec on a Devere 5108, reduced to fit on the card size.

 

[bedrof]

Mailed first batch of mine too.

 

[rst]

Usually on Mondays our mailbox is empty. But today when I checked - just in case and under the assumption to find it empty, what I found was a nice surprise. The first postcard for this round arrived. And what a nice one. Thanks to @Oxleyroad! I like it, good eye and execution.

I will do mine this weekend.

Cheers
Ruediger

 

[radiant]

I also received my first card for this round from Oxleyroad, thank you!

My cards are going to be printed later than I thought. Last one month Finland has got a heat wave and the weather is really nice. This causes two things; as good summer weather is a blessing in Finland, I don't want to spend time in darkroom and the other reason is that my darkroom is in boiler room which has become really hot. The whole basement is warm which is quite exceptional too.

Until I get my printing time, I will enjoy your cards in bright sunny days!

 

[Black Dog]

I've mailed out my first batch-I hope you like them!

 

[mfohl]

I received Luis F-S's "Double Climatis" today, very nice! Good range of tones, white to black, Thanks!

 

[Lucid]

@hkbenji - Your wonderful card arrived in the post today. The rock face sharp as a tack, and has a great range of tones. I also like the border applied to the image. I can't say I've ever received a card of this particular size before. Upon inspection with the loupe, what I first thought were fine scratches, were in fact the climbing ropes! The surface finish of the print is very nice too. Many thanks for sending!