Postcard Exchange Round 59 Comments and Feedback

Tom Taylor · Jul 26, 2023

Received Todd Barlow's Abandoned Dock yesterday. Originally mailed at the beginning of July, the PO returned it to sender on 7/2 as being "not deliverable as addressed." My apartment # appeared in front of the street number and that must have caused the machine reader to throw it out. So Todd placed the card in an envelope. Thanks Todd.

mshchem · Jul 26, 2023

I must have failed to mention the lovely card I received from Daniela of the reconstruction of Notre Dame, beautiful composition bridge, cranes. Thanks!! @Daniela

Daniela · Jul 26, 2023

mshchem said:
I must have failed to mention the lovely card I received from Daniela of the reconstruction of Notre Dame, beautiful composition bridge, cranes. Thanks!! @Daniela

Hehe Thank you for confirming its arrival!

Tel · Jul 26, 2023

Just when I began to give up waiting for the postwoman every day, here comes negativefunk's "Under the Bridge". Beautiful street scene--looks like autumn or early winter. Desolate and yet familiar...

Todd Barlow · Jul 27, 2023

PCX#59 gems received as of July 26:
@Rrrgcy, Xerox copy arrived July 26, a back up in case the original was damaged. The original did arrive in great shape, thanks for the insurance.

July 26 - jvo - morning conversation, cup o'joe - Nicely seen! The longer I look the more questions and mysteries it generates, I like it!
July 25 - negativefunk - 59.oficina - Well seen and executed! I really enjoy subjects and images like this!
July 24 - drpsilver - Tidy Tips, Edgewood - Nice capture both artistically and technically! I like non-traditional use of the negative space and depth of field selection. Curious about the use of the two developers - tell me more!
July 17 - Tom Taylor - Henry Coe State Park - Beautiful capture of the emotion of the bright and oppressive heat of a backpacking trip when you have to make the miles! Love the darkroom details as well. Nicely done!
July 12 - Jim Christie - The Stiarway - Excellent composition and capture. When masked off into sections they all tell a story. I like the eyes the most.
July 12 - Daniela - Jeu de Paume - Nicely seen! I like the tones, detail and the back story. I also like the shadows cast between the columns.
July 7 - Krefey - Ascent to Monte Elmo, view of the main Alpine Range - Massive subject delivering contrast, texture, space and depth, a beautiful photograph!
July 7 - Rrrgcy - Oh Carrie! - Cool creative treatment, image on image. Conveys light, heat and humidity and the sun via the hand coloured mangos. Nicely thought out and executed!
July 5 - henryjjames - South Spanish Coast at La Cala del Moral - Beautiful scene nicely executed composition and tones, and the timing of the waves and the contrail in the sky, well done!
July 5 - mfohl - Abandoned Building - Golden hour makes all the difference, assuming early morning or late afternoon sun that casted the shadows on the door. Well seen, timed and executed!
July 4 - Michael Howard - OldStones - Beautiful composition and printing, I especially like the hidden figure!
July 4 - koraks / Raphael - Red Wall - I love this subject and while I default to B&W I think this really works well in colour, nicely done!
June 30 - Rob Skeoch - Isaak Siemen - Great idea for a series and well executed, I love the sharpness and detail!
June 27 - tel - Lobby - This is my first PCX and I am finding inspiration in many of the images, this is one. Night street photography, symmetrical yet asymmetrical with a hint of a decisive moment. Nice!
June 27 - AnselMortensen - Abstract - Absolutely wonderful. Composition, texture, contrast, it speaks to me!
June 14 - Pitotstock - A Simple Still Life - Inspiring as well modern materials with vintage look, well done!
June 7 - Don Heisz - The Tree - Inspiring me to not be so hasty to get rid of fogged paper, great result!

mfohl · Jul 28, 2023

Two more nice cards. First, by negativefunk, "Tree", shot by (or on) the canal. Must be winter because there are no trees. Nice clouds and sky. The card had only minor scuffing. The post office folded over the sign on to the front of the card, but fortunately, not on the image part. And second, by bedrof, "Concrete and Light". A cool shot with two of my favorite elements, structure and shadows. Nice grain too. And what a cool idea, the traveling camera challenge. How do you distribute the images to the participating photographers?

Thanks Andrea and Ilya!

jvo · Jul 30, 2023

This round impressed me as memorable - many great images, beautifully done, with enthusiasm and fun.

In no particular order.... From....

krefey, assent to mount elmo, 7x9, a "real" card and it arrived with some of the least postal artifacts, (scratches, marks, dents, etc.) of any card of any round... and a great image - precarious, detailed, wonderful clouds contrasted against the sharp rocks and angles.
henryjjames, el gato, contrasts again, hard rock, soft fur... and that comfort of the warm sun on a early spring day.
sjc1952, a street singer, an admirable and interesting portrait from the Edinburgh documentarian, which i am really happy to have and enjoy
mschem, giant weed whacker, great light with wonderful tones and interesting perspective.
tel, subway, having lived in nyc, i gotta say, I never took that view - how did I never see it!!! paper fits the subject well.
michael howard, old stones, wonderful depth, the people on the horizon, provide and excellent counterpoint to the composition!
pitoshock, bottles, interesting story - this happened to end up outside the mail box and in a rain storm, soaking wet and dirty... it made for an additional post-processing improvement!
ansel, strong like oak, and it certainly is, great shapes and lines - a counter-intuitive composition that really works.
BHuij, peeking blossoms , once agin this round a study in contrasts - rough bark/soft blossoms - nice composed, captured and processed.
mfohl, dalmatian, and wonderfully captured... does the pig sit upfront next to the driver, too?
todd barlow, abandoned dock, textures, form and perspective... i'm a fan of dark!
don heisz, the tree, great feeling and interest... the extra steps really seems to have made an excellent and memorable image.
koraks, nowhere road, like minor white said "you need to look at a picture for 30 minutes" - very interesting. i like it!
jim christie, the stairway, the matte paper really is p[perfect for this great image - and rocky raccoon....
iandvaag, isaak siemen, isaak is not the name i'd pick for a rough and tumble cowboy - but he looks the part and i wouldn't argue it with him! superb image.
tom taylor, henry coe state park, your effort has rewarded us with a great print - tones, lights, shadows - details, impressively arranged.
bedrof, concrete and light, and it is... as welll as angles, forms, and shapes... marvelous capture.

I enjoy each image as I receive it, look at it awhile and enjoy it. I often do so over the following weeks. Finally I get to comment on each - it helps me understand and fully appreciate each image... and what went into it. thank you for the opportunity to do so, and enjoyment.

drpsilver · Aug 1, 2023

31 Jul 2023

I just received "59.Boats" from negativefunk. Even though the image is dominated by shadows it is quite expressive - sharp with lots of detail. This image also has a story to tell. The repeating patterns gives the viewer a lot to see.

While cleaning-up my desk I found several images. This is what I found ...
The "Giant Weed Whacker" from mschem. This image also has a story(ies) to tell. How many tracks has this weed whacker covered? Good tonal range, and sharp. To bad the post office took a chunk of emulsion.
The card from Jim Christie of a graffiti covered stairway. There is a message somewhere in this collection of art. Certainly engages ones imagination.
"In Shades" by SJC1952 has a dark an foreboding sense about it. These two people look uncertain of what is ahead.
"Concrete and Light" from bedrof is the first card I have received for him in almost a year. It is wonderful to know that you are still well. I like how you captured the shadows, and lead the viewer in to the doorway on the righthand side of the photo. The graininess and brown toning add to the texture of the concrete structure.

Thank you to all for sharing your vision of the world around you.

Regards,
Darwin

BHuij · Aug 1, 2023

I had an uncharacteristic bout of procrastination, and just finished mailing the rest of my postcards this morning. Sorry all for the tardiness. A few of you already got them from small batches I made and sent earlier, but most of you should be seeing them in the next few days (stateside) or couple of weeks (international).

BHuij · Aug 1, 2023

I need to take a gander through all the cards I've received from this round to make absolutely sure I haven't missed any here, but what I've received from round 59:

@AnselMortensen - A strong oak up on a hill. I'm endlessly fascinated by the fractal shape of trees, I stared at this for a long time.
@Pitotshock - Really unique tones from this glass jug. The emphasis on form reminds me of Edward Weston's work.
@mfohl - So much texture in this photo.
@Michael Howard - I'm not usually one for including people in landscape photos, but it works really well here.
@Todd Barlow - Delightfully low key image, the dark tone really gives it a lot of weight.
@Tel - Now I'm craving crepes.
@Jim Christie - I don't live in a particularly large city, so I don't see a ton of graffiti. Always astounds me the kind of art people make in public.
@koraks - A really nice "slice of life" style photo of a location that is simultaneously foreign and familiar.
@krefey - Enormous mounted print, really beautiful work from the Hassy. I've never sulfer toned, now I kind of want to try.
@henryyjjames - Beautiful print of a Spanish cathedral. You managed to get the stone to be deep in tone and full of texture at the same time.
@Rob Skeoch - Portraiture isn't my preferred genre and I know very little about cowboys, but this portrait is absolutely stunning.
@SJC1952 - I've never been ballsy enough to photograph public unrest. A lot of emotion in this photo.
@mshchem - It never occurred to me that they would have enormous machines for maintaining clear rail lines. Really fascinating piece of history.
@Tom Taylor - Trees are probably my favorite subjects, so I always appreciate a photo of a dense forest.

Lovely work all! Thank you!

Don_ih · Aug 1, 2023

BHuij said:
what I've received from round 59

You should have received one from me, by now. I have no idea what card it was, though.

jvo · Aug 1, 2023

I've rec'd 2 more cards, (actually, I think they were at the bottom of stack of papers!!!)

from....

drpsilver, tidy tips, a delicate view - the matte surface works well.
negativefunk, Teddy, poignant and thoughtful

Such wonderful work.... thank you all.

Tom Taylor · Aug 2, 2023

Received negafunk's 59 Boats "moored in a canal by the Albufera Lagoon." I may have actually visited this lagoon on a bicycle tour years back. I had arrived in the Valencia area as night was setting in and the campground on the Michelin map no longer existed. I was lost in the darkness but then came upon a ambulance dispatch center where someone was apparently getting off work. He knew where I wanted to go - which was where his wife worked - and loaded up his van with me and the bike, picked-up the wife, and dropped both of us off at the campground. Spent the next several day touring north along the coast taking long swims in the Mediterranean before supper.

negativefunk · Aug 3, 2023

I received "Tidy Tips, Edgewood" by @drpsilver a few days ago. The print of the delicate flowers is done with great care and the toning suits it very well. I like it very much, and it also act as an invitation to up one's game. It was promptly snatched from my hands while I was contemplating it and put in display.

Most of mine were done on the lagoon in early march, hence the absence of leaves. Happy that the place sparked some memories.

koraks · Aug 3, 2023

Man, I'm really behind on acknowledging receipt of postcards that have been sitting here for weeks already. I'm really sorry if I didn't mention receiving yours; I've been enjoying each and every card that made it here! For instance, I've got @BHuij's "Mist and Rock" here on my desk, which is a beautifully mysterious image that borders on the abstract - lovely! I've also received @Todd Barlow 's nails in old wood, which is a very pleasing and successful exercise in texture - I can almost feel the ribbed surface of the weathered wood and the soft leaves in the corner! And there's @drpsilver 's 'Tidy Tips' - a species that's unknown to me as it doesn't occur where I come from. The photograph reminds me of a composition inspired by Japanese art, with the light-valued flowers punctuating the subdued background. This one also made it in pristine condition, which is rare; most cards that arrive here have some scuffs or ink stains on them, but this one doesn't!

Todd Barlow · Aug 3, 2023

PCX#59 gems received as of Aug 2:

Aug 2 - mshchem - Giant Weed Wacker - Verging on an abstract with so many "Easter Eggs"! I love the detail of the Quonset hut, the overhead filler, the transformer pole and the siding.
July 26 - jvo - morning conversation, cup o'joe - Nicely seen! The longer I look the more questions and mysteries it generates, I like it!
July 25 - negativefunk - 59.oficina - Well seen and executed! I really enjoy subjects and images like this!
July 24 - drpsilver - Tidy Tips, Edgewood - Nice capture both artistically and technically! I like non-traditional use of the negative space and depth of field selection. Curious about the use of the two developers - tell me more!
July 17 - Tom Taylor - Henry Coe State Park - Beautiful capture of the emotion of the bright and oppressive heat of a backpacking trip when you have to make the miles! Love the darkroom details as well. Nicely done!
July 12 - Jim Christie - The Stiarway - Excellent composition and capture. When masked off into sections they all tell a story. I like the eyes the most.
July 12 - Daniela - Jeu de Paume - Nicely seen! I like the tones, detail and the back story. I also like the shadows cast between the columns.
July 7 - Krefey - Ascent to Monte Elmo, view of the main Alpine Range - Massive subject delivering contrast, texture, space and depth, a beautiful photograph!
July 7 - Rrrgcy - Oh Carrie! - Cool creative treatment, image on image. Conveys light, heat and humidity and the sun via the hand coloured mangos. Nicely thought out and executed!
July 5 - henryjjames - South Spanish Coast at La Cala del Moral - Beautiful scene nicely executed composition and tones, and the timing of the waves and the contrail in the sky, well done!
July 5 - mfohl - Abandoned Building - Golden hour makes all the difference, assuming early morning or late afternoon sun that casted the shadows on the door. Well seen, timed and executed!
July 4 - Michael Howard - OldStones - Beautiful composition and printing, I especially like the hidden figure!
July 4 - koraks / Raphael - Red Wall - I love this subject and while I default to B&W I think this really works well in colour, nicely done!
June 30 - Rob Skeoch - Isaak Siemen - Great idea for a series and well executed, I love the sharpness and detail!
June 27 - tel - Lobby - This is my first PCX and I am finding inspiration in many of the images, this is one. Night street photography, symmetrical yet asymmetrical with a hint of a decisive moment. Nice!
June 27 - AnselMortensen - Abstract - Absolutely wonderful. Composition, texture, contrast, it speaks to me!
June 14 - Pitotstock - A Simple Still Life - Inspiring as well modern materials with vintage look, well done!
June 7 - Don Heisz - The Tree - Inspiring me to not be so hasty to get rid of fogged paper, great result!

Rob Skeoch · Aug 4, 2023

I'm getting caught up on a few that arrived while I was away.
Negativefunk "59 Boats" Very interesting tones in this shot of the four boats. Lots of shadow details. I had a Pentax 645 for years... which lens are you using?
DRPSILVER "Tidy Tips, Edgewood" Those are beautiful flowers, such delicte pedals. Great tones and sharpness.
James O'Gara "Morning Conversation, cup o'joe" Sometimes we need to just chill, like these people in the parking lot, catching the gossip, and enjoying a coffee together. How did you add the colour to the b&w file?
Tom Taylor "Henry Coe State Park" This really is a high contrast shot, did you make the developer or is it available somewhere? It looks like you're keeping everything under control.
Minox "Ready To Roll" Interesting tonal range on this bike shot. Is it a special paper, or special process that makes it blue? Nice shot of the situation!!

bedrof · Aug 4, 2023

mfohl said:
Two more nice cards. First, by negativefunk, "Tree", shot by (or on) the canal. Must be winter because there are no trees. Nice clouds and sky. The card had only minor scuffing. The post office folded over the sign on to the front of the card, but fortunately, not on the image part. And second, by bedrof, "Concrete and Light". A cool shot with two of my favorite elements, structure and shadows. Nice grain too. And what a cool idea, the traveling camera challenge. How do you distribute the images to the participating photographers?

Thanks Andrea and Ilya!

Eventually no one wanted to have their respective piece of negative after it been developed and scanned by the person finishing that roll. I took a photo of Christopher Burkett at the opening of his exhibition as one of my four frames in that sheet, so I wanted to have them in posession. I fixed that sheet sent to me.

That Zorki camera made another one or two travels around Eurasia after that one round. Funny thing, almost every participant added something like filters, self-timer, notebook etc. And in the end camera pack started to weigh like twice as much when mailed.

I'm very glad to know, that you guys over the Atlantic get my cards after this long travel.

Tom Taylor · Aug 5, 2023

Rob Skeoch said:
Tom Taylor "Henry Coe State Park" This really is a high contrast shot, did you make the developer or is it available somewhere? It looks like you're keeping everything under control.

I mixed the developer from scratch from a recipe I found in the Darkroom Cookbook and worked much better on this image than Dektol 1:2 which produced a much harsher print.

Tel · Aug 5, 2023

Two more, from bedrof and BHuij in today's mail. Both beautiful additions to the growing gallery. This postcard exchange is shaping up to be the best thing I've done in years. Utterly awesome.

Pitotshock · Aug 6, 2023

jvo said:
this happened to end up outside the mail box and in a rain storm, soaking wet and dirty... it made for an additional post-processing improvement!

A true test of the print paper and the dry mounting I did to the backing paper. I'd be interested to see how much damage it suffered!

negativefunk · Aug 7, 2023

Rob Skeoch said:
Negativefunk "59 Boats" Very interesting tones in this shot of the four boats. Lots of shadow details. I had a Pentax 645 for years... which lens are you using?

I printed that a tad dark (and I reckon some postcards are even darker than others) but I kinda liked it .
I think that shot was done with the 75mm, which is the one I use 90% of the time, I also have the 120mm macro and the 45mm - but they are both recent additions and are used quite sparingly

MattiS · Aug 8, 2023

Life had some extra plans for me - nothing serious, but time consuming, so I am late. But by yesterday, all cards are in the post. There is a bunch of at least 20 postcards that arrived, I´ll comment soon.

koraks · Aug 8, 2023

Ooh, that's a nice working space.
Looks like we're using the same rotary trimmer!

Todd Barlow · Aug 8, 2023

PCX#59 gems received as of Aug 4: This is such a hoot!

Aug 4 - Minox - Summer Shed - Beautiful capture of the soft light within the shade of the shed. I really like the detail and all the tones.
Aug 2 - mshchem - Giant Weed Wacker - Verging on an abstract with so many "Easter Eggs"! I love the detail of the Quonset hut, the overhead filler, the transformer pole and the siding.
July 26 - jvo - morning conversation, cup o'joe - Nicely seen! The longer I look the more questions and mysteries it generates, I like it!
July 25 - negativefunk - 59.oficina - Well seen and executed! I really enjoy subjects and images like this!
July 24 - drpsilver - Tidy Tips, Edgewood - Nice capture both artistically and technically! I like non-traditional use of the negative space and depth of field selection. Curious about the use of the two developers - tell me more!
July 17 - Tom Taylor - Henry Coe State Park - Beautiful capture of the emotion of the bright and oppressive heat of a backpacking trip when you have to make the miles! Love the darkroom details as well. Nicely done!
July 12 - Jim Christie - The Stiarway - Excellent composition and capture. When masked off into sections they all tell a story. I like the eyes the most.
July 12 - Daniela - Jeu de Paume - Nicely seen! I like the tones, detail and the back story. I also like the shadows cast between the columns.
July 7 - Krefey - Ascent to Monte Elmo, view of the main Alpine Range - Massive subject delivering contrast, texture, space and depth, a beautiful photograph!
July 7 - Rrrgcy - Oh Carrie! - Cool creative treatment, image on image. Conveys light, heat and humidity and the sun via the hand coloured mangos. Nicely thought out and executed!
July 5 - henryjjames - South Spanish Coast at La Cala del Moral - Beautiful scene nicely executed composition and tones, and the timing of the waves and the contrail in the sky, well done!
July 5 - mfohl - Abandoned Building - Golden hour makes all the difference, assuming early morning or late afternoon sun that casted the shadows on the door. Well seen, timed and executed!
July 4 - Michael Howard - OldStones - Beautiful composition and printing, I especially like the hidden figure!
July 4 - koraks / Raphael - Red Wall - I love this subject and while I default to B&W I think this really works well in colour, nicely done!
June 30 - Rob Skeoch - Isaak Siemen - Great idea for a series and well executed, I love the sharpness and detail!
June 27 - tel - Lobby - This is my first PCX and I am finding inspiration in many of the images, this is one. Night street photography, symmetrical yet asymmetrical with a hint of a decisive moment. Nice!
June 27 - AnselMortensen - Abstract - Absolutely wonderful. Composition, texture, contrast, it speaks to me!
June 14 - Pitotstock - A Simple Still Life - Inspiring as well modern materials with vintage look, well done!
June 7 - Don Heisz - The Tree - Inspiring me to not be so hasty to get rid of fogged paper, great result!

Postcard Exchange Round 59 Comments and Feedback

Tom Taylor

mshchem

Daniela

Tel

Todd Barlow

mfohl

jvo

drpsilver

BHuij

BHuij

Don_ih

jvo

Tom Taylor

negativefunk

koraks

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Todd Barlow

Rob Skeoch

Advertiser

bedrof

Tom Taylor

Tel

Pitotshock

negativefunk

MattiS

koraks

Moderator

Todd Barlow

Postcard Exchange Round 59 Comments and Feedback

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Advertiser

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