Postcard Exchange Round 58 Comments and Feedback

mfohl said:

Today I received John Patrick Garriga's Moab, Utah. A very nice western rock structure. A stitched together digital image, very nicely processed and printed. Thanks John!

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Glad you enjoyed that one! Truth be told, it's the only one that I really have regrets about. I shot that from a few different angles, and one was much much much more dramatic and striking. Unfortunately when I went to stitch them together, the top of one of the rocks was cut off and it completely ruined the composition of it. Guess I'll just have to go back.

@John Patrick Garriga your print made it to me as well! Such a colorful scene - it nearly pops off the paper it's printed on! Many thanks for this!

John Patrick Garriga said:

Glad you enjoyed that one! Truth be told, it's the only one that I really have regrets about. I shot that from a few different angles, and one was much much much more dramatic and striking. Unfortunately when I went to stitch them together, the top of one of the rocks was cut off and it completely ruined the composition of it. Guess I'll just have to go back.

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I got your print yesterday. I love panoramic shots. Amazing how you stitched together. Thanks!
Best Regards Mike

The sign up thread for the next round is up and ready for you to join in.

George

Got my first card of the round, "2" from @negativefunk.
This nice boat scene makes a perfect match to a book about Norfolk Broads, that I'm reading at the moment. Thanks!

I haven't sent my last batch of cards yet, been experimenting with some old Forte and Bergger papers and lith dev. Need just few more days to finish dye-retouching them.

My apologies for being late to this one. I hope to be able to get printing soon! But boy oh boy, a lot of great cards arrived in my mailbox! Many thanks indeed.

@koraks - A vertical panorama of pine trees, made by way of two 6x6 photographs. The light on the lower part of the trees is gorgeous. The extensive write-up is very interesting indeed, many thanks. I've just been reading about the importance of upgrading "the grid" worldwide, so getting your print was quite serendipitous.
@jvo - "in the heart of the Financial District" - quite a dark, high-contrast and sepia-looking busy pedestrian scene in NYC from the late 70s. The "preacher" with great framing against the wall makes the print (for me). Looks like some "mottling" effect is present, maybe because of the age of the negative?
@MToma - "Just because we can" Nice macro shot of the little plants that could!
@negativefunk - "2" Medium format photograph of a nice scene of wooden boats, grasses and trees in a park. Great tones and detail.
@jonmon6691 - "Solitude" A strong photograph of a sad scene in Portland.
@mshchem - "TIRES 15 UP" Medium format, great printing. Looks like the message on the truck is made with stickers? I wonder what it says on the stickers.
@Michael Howard - "Not That Way, Guys!" Nice capture! Hope it all worked out for the geese.
@Tom Taylor - "Wagon Wheel" Medium format, can't see any grain. Acros is great, isn't it? Nicely seen and printed, with some lovely play of light and shadow on the wheel.
@Jim Christie - "Rainy Day" Digital capture and print of a rainy window with a distorted view of building structures. Quite a moody photograph. I like it a lot!
@Don Heisz - "Bulldozer" Large format 4x5 print. Just a little soft, which works quite well with the brute of a bulldozer I think. I had to look up Parodinal - very interesting!
@BHuij - "Reflecting" High contrast, yet detailed forest (?) scene of a pool with tree stump and rocks. Lots to see here! Nice work.
@mikeg - "Callanish II" Highland cattle and part of a stone circle. What a dramatic scene! Fantastic.
@henryyjjames - "Howth Hike Bike" Wow, that bike looks like it is made of light! Very cool.
@mfohl - "Various Trees and a House" on a hill, with a field in the foreground. Nice photo and write-up - I also go on photo adventures with photo friends, unfortunately not as often as you. If we take at least one photo each, it's deemed a success!
@John Patrick Garriga - "Houston ,Texas" 4x5 photograph of a wall with lots of interesting details, including a door, various pipes, a vent, a ladder and paint/graffiti. Would love to see this as a big print.
@drpsilver - "Tree Reaching" Medium format tree-scape. The tree on the right looks incredible. Nice work.

hkbenji said:

@John Patrick Garriga - "Houston ,Texas" 4x5 photograph of a wall with lots of interesting details, including a door, various pipes, a vent, a ladder and paint/graffiti. Would love to see this as a big print.

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I appreciate that! Houston was just the location. I'm still trying to come up with a good proper title for that. I think that will be my first huge print, and it's probably the favorite thing I've shot on 4x5 so far. Definitely the one I've had the most fun with.

really great round with wonderful work, from...

henryyjjames, "howth hike bike", with mood, great light, and printing - proves that art is in your neighborhood as well as around the world
jonmon6691, "the fontaine", great framing and design
negativefunk, "2", one of those pictures i wish i had taken - superb composition, exposure and feeling.
Mtoma, "just because we can", great impact... i looked, looked... "a drain, plants growing up! must be a sink... outside" great seeing.
mikeg, "callanish II", now that's humor! how did he get the steer to cooperate? how did he get the other one also by the stone? How come Scotland, Ireland, Britain et al, are so big on old stones? just a real joy to look at and enjoy.
bhuij, "reflecting", simple and complex at once. perfect exposure and just the right contrast
michael howard, "not that way guys", it's the puddle that reveals this photo... great composition and capture
don heisz, "bulldozer", 1st glance, "I like it, then, everything is wrong, warm tone, subject-centered". why do I like it? the tone, the centered subject, the background trees, the signs, the snow across the top surfaces. a worthy capture.
mfohl, "the longest shadows", great patterns
john patrick garriga, "west texas, feeling little", hard to tell the scale, youfeel small from the picture.
dunga, "blooming light", nice light, depth, shapes, impact and quiet mood.
drpsilver, "tree reaching", great impact, perspective. the tree is so captivating, i probably would never have seen this composition - it's a much better picture!
koraks, "corsican pines", the counterintuitive and vertical compostion is a complimentary tribute to nature. sad that is may be their last season - and a continuation of man's ignorance and destruction.
jim christie, "rainy day", Dreary! living in sunny florida, and formerly NYC, it's a distant memory! I really like experiencing it this way.
tom taylor, "wagon wheel", superbly done, well exposed, with great layers of middle and backgrounds.

thank you all

Wow, got my mail from Tashkent.
Just looked through the stack, can see stamps from Canada, the USA, Romania, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain.
Many thanks! Will comment upon them soon.

29 May 2023

The card from MToma "... in the line of duty" is very interesting because: (1) it "works" in all orientations, (2) it gives a lot for the viewer to look for, and (3) the stories that can be told by this image are many.
The card from koraks tells a very sad story, and is a great example of an "on camera diptych". Well done. I hope you find another sanctuary forest.

Regards,
Darwin

Much appreciated, Darwin!

Catching up on this round, I got @bedrof 's "The Fisherman". A nice print of what is, for me, a very interesting subject - thanks!

Just received @negativefunk 's beautiful "Teddy", as a replacement for the one lost in the mail. It's a picture of a teddy bear on the floor of a former psychiatric hospital. I find it particularly touching since I work with kiddos in the mental health field. Thank you, Andrea. It was very thoughtful of you to remember!

Happy it got there safely!

Catching up on growing back log of cards from this round:

• Tires 15 up from mshchem. An interesting intersection of tires and politics. Not sure if the 15 refers to size or price — if the latter, prices are a lot better where you are!

  
• "2" arrived from NegativeFunk. Very nice scene of boats on the water, and I like the angle of the trees and their reflections against the foreground. You mentioned it was your first time out with your Rolleicord, and it looks like you’re off to strong start with it.

  
• Tree Reaching from drpsilver. A landscape with two trees — one long gone and the other vibrant, even in dormancy (maybe the former longs to be the latter, hence the reach). I never would have guessed the film was fogged from just looking at the print. Nice printing job with that.

  
• Blooming Light by Dunga is a striking low-key portrait. Aside from the interesting lighting ( I like the flare coming in from the right), I think what I noticed first was the model’s hand placement, as it gives the portrait life that it would not otherwise have. 

  
• Howth Hike Bike, Ireland henryyjjames sent a shot while hiking in Ireland. The light was just right for that shot. 

  
• At first glance, in the heart of the Financial District from JVO has an almost Dickensesque feel; partly due to the way the preacher was dressed and also the mood of the print. Before moving to the West coast, I worked not far from that location for many years. 

  
• Callenish II arrived from mikeg. A well-timed photograph of two steer (?) with large horns alongside some large stones that resemble horns growing up from the earth. 

  
• mfohl sent Various Trees and a House, a rural homestead scene. The note that accompanied the photo mentioned that the trees were one thing that initially stood out to him. I agree, and the different trees and their placement provides a nice sense of balance to the photo. The sloping land and falloff of trees on the left are a nice visual flow.

Thanks everyone!

-Jim

So, here is what I got uncommented yet:
@mfohl - Barn and trees - A minimalistic frame with a powerful and classic composition. One of my favourites of the round.
@Don_ih - Tracks - First I thought it was a lith print but without indication of a process cannot be sure. This card has a vintage air to it.
@Dunga - Blooming light - Very nice close up portrait of a woman with soft and delicate tones. Interesting backstory leaflet too, thanks!

bedrof said:

First I thought it was a lith print

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No - I haven't sent any lith prints. I did tone some of the prints in that weird black salt stuff, though. (And I keep track of nothing....)

Huuuuge apologies for getting to this way too late!
I am finally sending out the cards...
Life has gotten too busy over the last couple of years, and this fell completely by the wayside.
I am very much missing the postcard exchange and will get back into it in a year or so when I expect things to become more manageable (if you will still have me after this insanely late submission!).

There are also four prints I haven't mentioned yet:

@bedrof - "A moment of leisure" A very nice scene looking into (perhaps) a cafe with a woman reading a book. I feel that the 35mm / high-speed film combination works very well, with accentuated grain and deep shadows.
@MToma - "in the line of duty" An intriguing partial view of what looks to be a soft toy/teddy bear lying down, being obscured somewhat by what looks to be a glass. Grainy and well-executed print.
@Dunga - "Blooming light" A beautiful portrait of a young woman. Her hand placement makes this portrait work especially well for me. Medium format, great print.
@Rob Skeoch - from "Rodeo Cowboys", marked for PCX57, but I suspect meant for PCX58? Fantastic print of a cowboy. My favourite part of this portrait are his hands. Fantastic.

hkbenji said:

(if you will still have me after this insanely late submission!)

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I think you're to be commended, actually.

@hkbenji's card arrived today. I love the texture of the bricks! Beautiful photo, thank you!

Received @hkbenji card earlier in the week.. Lovely print. Amazing architecture! Thanks so much!

mshchem said:

Received @hkbenji card earlier in the week..

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Me too, it's beautiful!

I also received Hkbenji's "Stadtkirche Crivitz". Beautiful architecture shot, the bricks are amazing. And it's printed on some really nice paper. The bricks really dominate the shot. Thanks Ben!

13 Feb 2025

"Stadtkirche Civitz" from Hkbenji arrived last week. I really like the detail in the brickwork. The tree gives a "framing" for the small attached building. Well done. Thank you for the card and photo.

Regards,
Darwin

I also received your card, @hkbenji -- definitely worth the wait. Very nicely printed. My sentiments echo what everyone has already said. Thanks for catching up!