Postcard Exchange Round 52 Comments and Feedback

[George Nova Scotia]

Messages have been sent for round 52 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.

bedrof (10)
Black Dog (MAX)
BSP (MAX)
cramej (20)
distributed (10)
drpsilver (MAX)
Finn lyle (15)
gijsbert (15)
hkbenji (MAX)
Howard Earl (MAX)
iandvaag (25)
JimEA (10)
khh (10)
Laurent (MAX)
Lucid (30)
Luis-F-S (20)
MattKing (12)
mfohl (MAX)
Michael Teresko (20)
mooseontheloose (MAX)
ProfessorC1983 (20)
Rowreidr (MAX)
RSImages (20)
rst (15)
tezzasmall (6)

 

[mooseontheloose]

Thanks George! Can’t wait to see what this round will bring.

 

[Lucid]

@mooseontheloose - Many thanks for your card, it was a welcome sight in today's mail. A very cute stamp on the and nice comments on the back. This is the first print I've held in my hand which used a Kodak HIE negative. It really lends itself to creating an ethereal atmosphere for the location. The soft glow of the foliage and the darkened sky contrast well.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Thanks @Lucid! Even though I have a couple more rolls of HIE left in my freezer, that’s probably the last time I’ll use it for travel, as the rolls I used on my last trip to Egypt and Sudan last year at this time ended up completely fogged. They’re still somewhat salvageable, but will require some work to make them presentable. In the meantime, I’ll be trying out some other options (long-time participants in this exchange will know that I’m partial to infrared film).

 

[distributed]

Do loose 5x7" prints generally make it through the mail? I want to post them in Switzerland and I cannot find maximum dimensions specifically for postcards. The postage for post cards is the same as the one for the most economical letter category. The latter has a maximum size of B5, so much bigger than 5x7". I am a bit worried about the receiving countries having a different view on the topic, though.

@mooseontheloose: I will second @Lucid's comments! Something remarkable about the picture is that it looks both real and somewhat unreal, nicely mixed. Your card was the first exchange postcard to arrive at my place. Thanks you very much.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Do loose 5x7" prints generally make it through the mail? I want to post them in Switzerland and I cannot find maximum dimensions specifically for postcards. The postage for post cards is the same as the one for the most economical letter category. The latter has a maximum size of B5, so much bigger than 5x7". I am a bit worried about the receiving countries having a different view on the topic, though.

@mooseontheloose: I will second @Lucid's comments! Something remarkable about the picture is that it looks both real and somewhat unreal, nicely mixed. Your card was the first exchange postcard to arrive at my place. Thanks you very much.

Thanks @distributed! The cards were sent just over a week ago, so that's good timing - glad you liked it.

As for the cards, people send 5x7s all the time. The issue is not so much at the receiving end, but the sending end. For me, I can't send 5x7 because the postage rate triples, but in other countries it works out as the same as smaller post cards. If you want to send 5x7s and it's not going to cost you extra to do so, I say go for it!

 

[mfohl]

I love my HIE! Bring it back!!!!

Thanks @Lucid! Even though I have a couple more rolls of HIE left in my freezer, that’s probably the last time I’ll use it for travel, as the rolls I used on my last trip to Egypt and Sudan last year at this time ended up completely fogged. They’re still somewhat salvageable, but will require some work to make them presentable. In the meantime, I’ll be trying out some other options (long-time participants in this exchange will know that I’m partial to infrared film).

 

[MattKing]

The postage rules in the sending country are what counts.
As far as I am aware, above a certain minimum, and below a really large maximum, you can send almost any size card or thin envelope you want. The factor that informs your choice is the cost of the postage.
In the US, they have relatively cheap special postage rates for postcards that are 4" x 6" (100 mm x 150mm) or smaller. In Canada, we don't have a special rate for postcards, and the regular letter postal rate is for envelopes or cards that are approximately 5.6" x 9.6" (140mm x 245mm) 0r smaller. I live 13 blocks away from a border crossing to the USA. As a result, in non-Covid times I usually send 4"x6" cards to US and international destinations through the US postal service. My cards for Canadian destinations are sent via Canada Post - usually 4"x6", but sometimes 5"x7" instead.

 

[drpsilver]

11 Feb 2021

In the US all international postcards require "letter rate" postage. For me (in California) there is no advantage to letter verus postcard.

I have tried something different for this round. I have all my cards printed, but I am not sure they would survive the postal machines. Therefore, this week I am going to "test the system" by sending one of my work prints to myself. With these results, I will determine if I will use envelopes to not.

I to received a card from mooseontheloose. Very nicely composed and printed. Kurdistan, and Akre, look like a wonderful place to visit and photograph. You have visited some remarkable places. Thank you for sharing your adventures.

I to miss HIE. I have tried SFX, and Rollei infrared films with only limited success. HIE was the best!

Regards,
Darwin

 

[MattKing]

In the US all international postcards require "letter rate" postage.

Which is still cheaper than sending them from Canada to, for example, the UK.
It is the "within the US" rate that is most favourable.

 

[distributed]

@mooseontheloose and @MattKing Thanks for providing your experiences and insights. I will definitely be mailing the cards loose then!

 

[tezzasmall]

Do loose 5x7" prints generally make it through the mail?

11 Feb 2021. I am not sure they would survive the postal machines. Therefore, this week I am going to "test the system" by sending one of my work prints to myself. With these results, I will determine if I will use envelopes to not

I am in the UK and have received a number of 5" x 7" cards from various countries, with no more problems than regular sized postcards / envelopes sent to me.

As for sending a card to oneself, I've tried this in the past and all was fine. BUT, just sending to oneself, the card only goes through a very small amount of the postal system. If you know someone in another country (or just pick a name from off of your recipient list for this round), try sending one card to try it out.

Another good tip that I learnt quickly, when my box of the thicker Ilford postcard paper was finished, was to print / or write, the text and addresses onto sheets of sticky paper labels. When stuck onto the back of the photographs to be sent, they dramatically thicken the cards, which in turn should help them to get through the various postal services.

Good luck with trying - I'm sure it will all be fine - and have fun doing the whole process and then wait for mail to pop through your letterbox.

Terry S
UK

 

[tezzasmall]

All of my six postcards have just been sent on their way.

Terry S

 

[drpsilver]

11 Feb 2021
I have tried something different for this round. I have all my cards printed, but I am not sure they would survive the postal machines. Therefore, this week I am going to "test the system" by sending one of my work prints to myself. With these results, I will determine if I will use envelopes to not.

19 Feb 2021

I have results from my test of the postal system machines. Even though the postcard I sent myself took a short trip, it still was a trip through the "machinery" of the postal system. My card survived in good condition. This means that I will be sending my cards without an envolope on Monday. I hope you like what I tried to do this round.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[mfohl]

I want to thank all the participants in this activity. I love all the cards I get. So many different styles and techniques. And stories about the photos and the photographers. Wonderful stuff.

And with that, I have sent all my cards today. I hope they survive all the machines they encounter.

Cheers,

-- Mark

 

[mfohl]

l received Finn Lyle's Cyclamen Blooms yesterday. Very nice close-up with appropriate narrow depth of field. And taken on 1982 Plus-X. I think I can count on one hand the number of rolls of film that I have that are not expired. Thanks Finn!

 

[Finn lyle]

l received Finn Lyle's Cyclamen Blooms yesterday. Very nice close-up with appropriate narrow depth of field. And taken on 1982 Plus-X. I think I can count on one hand the number of rolls of film that I have that are not expired. Thanks Finn!

I’m glad you liked it! I sent out a few different prints, all US are sent and non-US are being mailed tomorrow. It seems that I’ve got the same situation, most of my current film stock is older than I am

 

[ProfessorC1983]

I received @Finn lyle's card today too. Lovely bokeh!

Hope to get mine sent out within the next week or two but need to complete the buildout of my new darkroom first.

 

[drpsilver]

24 Feb 2021

My cards were delivered to the post office yesterday. I am interested in what condition they are in when they arrive in your mailbox.

I received a card from Finn Iyle of Gooseberry Falls in Minnesota. Nice tones and detail in the shadow areas, but as Finn noted the falls are "blown-out". This is the advantage of large format photography, and the ability to do minus development on a singe photograph. This card also reminds me of the time I visited Gooseberry Falls in 2012. My photo was taken from a point 20 or 30 yards to the right of where this photo was made. (I used my photo in Round 49 of this exchange.)

Regards,
Darwin

 

[gijsbert]

Woah, today I got 4 cards in one go, but only one for round 52! From mooseontheloose I received an infrared portrait with mountain backdrop in Kurdistan, looks like a cool place to visit, subtle infrared effect, it kinda looks normal but it doesn't, makes you want to look at the image!

 

[mfohl]

I just received tezzasmall's nice sculpture from the Barnard Farms. Is that only a sculpture, or is that also a mega birdhouse complex? I can't tell, but it looks like birdhouses. Also, it is beautifully printed. I'm going to have to try that Art 300 paper. Thanks! And finally, is your photrio name Terry S or tezzasmall??!!

 

[mfohl]

And I received mooseontheloose's beautiful Stairway to the Past. An infrared image shot with the irreplaceable Kodak HIE. How I love that stuff. Absolute snow white foliage! And from an exotic location, as usual. This time from Akre in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. If I read the postmark right, this was posted on Dec. 21 in Japan. Only two months getting here, but hey, I'm happy to receive it. Thanks Rachelle!

 

[Black Dog]

@mooseontheloose - Many thanks for your card, it was a welcome sight in today's mail. A very cute stamp on the and nice comments on the back. This is the first print I've held in my hand which used a Kodak HIE negative. It really lends itself to creating an ethereal atmosphere for the location. The soft glow of the foliage and the darkened sky contrast well.

I was delighted with it...an enchanting image.

 

[mooseontheloose]

And I received mooseontheloose's beautiful Stairway to the Past. An infrared image shot with the irreplaceable Kodak HIE. How I love that stuff. Absolute snow white foliage! And from an exotic location, as usual. This time from Akre in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. If I read the postmark right, this was posted on Dec. 21 in Japan. Only two months getting here, but hey, I'm happy to receive it. Thanks Rachelle!

Are you sure it's from December? I posted my cards in February since that's when I got the address list - perhaps it travelled it back in time?

 

[tezzasmall]

I just received tezzasmall's nice sculpture from the Barnard Farms. Is that only a sculpture, or is that also a mega birdhouse complex? I can't tell, but it looks like birdhouses. Also, it is beautifully printed. I'm going to have to try that Art 300 paper. Thanks! And finally, is your photrio name Terry S or tezzasmall??!!

Good to hear the card has arrived okay and yes, Art 300 paper is a lovely paper to work with. The only downside, is that the paper floats on the surface, so during washing I have weigh it down in the water.

And my photrio name is tezzasmall but my real name is abbreviated when signing cards = Terry S. I probably should have used the same name for both...

Terry S