Postcard Exchange Round 61 Comments and Feedback

[Michael Howard]

Long gratitude post:

What a wonderful set of photographs this round! Thanks to everyone participating, it is a joy to watch the mail these days:

@jvo - 2 Weeks Old - Absolutely beautiful, the tone is perfect.
@krnow - French Beer Bottles - Love it!
@KyleMika - The Dam - I love architectural pictures like this, I have a large collection myself.
@Simon I - Olympia 2 - Another great architectural shot. Looks great in lith.
@negativefunk - Pilon - I'm a sucker for these simple geometric shots.
@Ben_P - Higgins House Gardens - This would look great in a large frame. Love the shadow play.
@mshchem - Mr. Zeus - Great shot, very contemplative. Nailed whisker focus!
@Daniela - Peace - I had to turn this photo several ways before I figured it out. Well played!
@mfohl - Tree and Field - One of the best pinholes I've ever seen, how the heck did you get the tree to stand so still?
@MattiS - Winter - Lovely shot, with a Minox no less!
@drpsilver - Cloud Drama - Surreal. Another one I had to rotate.
@Todd Barlow - Landscape Truck Detail - These type shots are hard to make look good. You succeeded, especially with the decaying letters.
@Howard Earl - Sunny Florida - I think I've been there...
@ARS - Indian Mound Reserve - Beautiful capture of the falls in motion. Well done.
@SJC1952 - Pictish Man - Possibly my favorite so far this round. You really nailed exposure on this one, as well as the mood.

Special mentions, got 2 cards recently from PCX#60:
@bedrof - View from the Hill - Ilya, it took forever to get here, but it is well appreciated! Beautiful view!
@Rob Skeoch - Rodeo Cowboys - Can't wait to see the full cowboy series.

 

[gbroadbridge]

2 more received here:

-Windmills - Negativefunk - Never thought about windmills in Spain! I wonder if they are functional and are people camping nearby in a tent?
-2 weeks old - jvo - Unfortunately this card was pretty much destroyed by rain somewhere along the way but the composition seems very nice.

 

[mfohl]

Michael Howard's "Monkey Business" arrived today. A couple of siamang (gibbons, not monkeys) arrived today. A cool shot of a couple of primates playing in their enclosure. It's hard to tell which way is up in the shot. But good catch. Nice shadow detail. Thanks Michael.

 

[negativefunk]

Hello,

happy that some are getting to destination . I got a few more too so I'll get round to mention them soon

As for the Mills... I'll go there again with more deliberation - there are actually a few more places I have to visit, and they are quite photogenic

These ones specifically, I understand, are posterior to the Quijote, but the area is quite the one.
They were used as flour mills, but now they have been restored and are essentially a turist attraction. Some of them are functional, although they are not used for their original purpose.

 

[mfohl]

I just received gbroadbridge's "Steam Engine 1709". A very nice shot of the controls and gauges of an old steam engine. Wonderful tones throughout, especially in the dark areas. The controls and gauges are really nice. It's a wonder those things worked at all! At first I thought 1709 was a year, but thought, wait a minute, did they even have steam engines then? I'm pretty sure they didn't. Only problem with the card is that it picked up some postal scrape. Thanks Graham!

 

[Don_ih]

I received "Magnolia's Child" from @Michael Howard - a very nice 5x7 print of a pleasant-looking statue in a cemetery. I like the focal length chosen for the shot - 135 on 35mm does a great job of bringing such a subject forward. The statue also has a very nice patina from its life in the great outdoors. The photo arrived unmolested in an envelope. Thanks!

 

[Ajven]

I received @Michael Howard 's "Monkey Business" postcard yesterday. Funny shot of two gibbons - I also struggled with picture orientation Thank you for the postcard!

 

[Daniela]

Another happy recipient of @Michael Howard's "Monkey business" here. Very playful shot that can be seen in any direction and works! If you look at it upside down, it looks like one of them lost his head and it cracks me up. I think the white background with almost no details is instrumental in that. Thank you, Michael!

 

[George Nova Scotia]

Oh no! I've been sleeping on the job. Sign up for the next round should have started a few days ago. Please look for the new thread to continue with the next round.

George

 

[Daniela]

Oh no! I've been sleeping on the job. Sign up for the next round should have started a few days ago. Please look for the new thread to continue with the next round.

George

Looking forward to it. Much appreciated!

Edit: I see the other thread is already up

 

[Don_ih]

It's here <---

 

[Howard Earl]

Additional wonderful postcards received:

JVO 2 Weeks old. Really beautiful moment captured wonderfull.
Ben_P Higgins House Gardens. Really enjoy the light & shadow mixing.
gbroadbridge Steam Engine 1709. This is a favorite around the house.
Michael Howard sent a wonderful photo of Chimney Remains. Very haunting.
Simon 1 Olympia-1 Lith. So nicely done makes me want to learn the process.

also I really appreciate all the fantastic stamps being used to forward your images.

thank you all.

Howard

 

[jvo]

2 more received here:

-Windmills - Negativefunk - Never thought about windmills in Spain! I wonder if they are functional and are people camping nearby in a tent?
-2 weeks old - jvo - Unfortunately this card was pretty much destroyed by rain somewhere along the way but the composition seems very nice.

hi graham

I just put a replacement card in the mail to you. I didn't put it in an envelope, as I prefer the postal system artifacts on cards - I have no idea why - traditionalist?

If this one gets one gets excessive abuse, I have a couple more and will put one in an envelope to you.

p.s. anyone else need a replacement due to "indelicate" handlng?

 

[Ajven]

Windmills by @negativefunk received today. Very nice picture - I like the composition with the big mills in the left corner and large empty space with small siluette. Thank you for the postcard.

 

[Todd Barlow]

PCX#61 cards received as of May 16, 2024:

May 1 - gbroadbridge - Steam Engine 1709 - I really enjoy this type of subject with the detail everywhere. In this case I also like the contrast between the polished exterior and the working interior!
April 26 - Michael Howard - Old Cahawba - Always enjoy the history of the subjects. I like the starkness of the contrast of the chimney and encroaching trees.
April 13 - Negativefunk - Sagunt - Nice study of the shapes, some in harmony some in contrast some in conflict.
April 13 - Simon I - Olympia-1 - I like the mystery - street sign? product marking? business name?
April 13 - Ben_P - Higgins House Gardens - I like the dreamy soft lighting and cast shadows, nice capture.
Apr 5 - KRNW - French Beer Bottles - Wow! This is only my third PCX and I love the beautiful original photographic works of art that come right to my door and in cases like this new and different processes as well!
Apr 5 - mcarmo - Metal Rollers - I love this, abstract, repeating lines, repeating objects, right in my wheelhouse, nicely seen and executed!
Apr 5 - JVO - 2 Weeks Old - Beautiful just beautiful!
Apr 2 - ARS - Indian Mound Reserve - Great shot! Always like waterfall photographs with longer exposures and blurred water.
Mar 13 - mfohl - Harding Memorial - Beautiful photograph, exposure, composition, tones, nicely done!
Mar 12 - MSHCHEM - Mr. Zeus @ Sunset - Lovely light highlighting a cat with a great name, you can feel Mr. Zeus is plotting something or taking a break from reading The Art of War!
Mar 5 - Howard Earl - Sunny Florida - Nicely seen! I like both the symmetrical and asymmetrical elements.
Mar 4 - drpsilver - Cloud Drama - Nicely done! Reminiscent of Equivalents by Alfred Stieglitz.
Feb 28 - MattiS - Winter - Looks like a hiking trailhead, nice representation of what a typical winter day is like.
Feb 26 - Ansel Mortensen - No Swimming - Post office scraped some of the emulsion off but still able to make out the long shadows and ask where is the pool / swimming hole?
Feb 26 - Jim Christie - Yin and Yang - Post Office mangled bottom but still able to see a great capture, it's like a treasure hunt full of details and questions.
Feb 21 - BHuij - Waypoint - Great exposure and printing, the snow looks like snow! Also like the composition with the 3 bands of texture in foreground, mid and background, nicely done.
Feb 16 - Thorsten - Sudden Light - Great photograph printed to a nice size card (~7"x10") with a great back story! I really like the shadows and the detail.
Feb 9 - Don Heisz - Rust - Great subject matter! This subject always captures my attention when I am out shooting. Loads of detail and contrast. Almost an abstract. Great photograph!

 

[drpsilver]

-Cloud Drama - drpsilver - Nice clouds formation assume with R filter - The selenium toning really gives depth to the sky

05 Jun 2024

gboardbridge: I did not use a "IR filter", just a #15 yellow and i stop under exposure.

I have received many nice cards. Here are my comments on the most recent batch in no particular order.
"Frosty Morning" from bedrof is very well done. You exposed such that the sunlit snow is not "blown-out", and the sky is not overly dark. Nice detail in the trees. Where did you find the "ORWO cine film"?
The lighting used to make "Seashells" from mcarmo is perfect. The detail in the rocks is not overly distracting from the shells. I like how you placed the shells among the rocks.
"Steam Engine 1709" from gboardbridge ia a beautifully photographed, and a good illustration of where the title "engineer" originated. I really like the detail of this photo.
"Old Cahawba" from Michael Howard prompts me to ask "How many events has this chimney witnessed?"
"Higgins House Gardens" by Ben_P looks like a nice place to photograph.
"Sagunt" from negativefunk is a nice architectural study of what can be done in brick. I like how there is a lot for the viewer to examine in this photo.

Regards,
Darwin

 

[gbroadbridge]

hi graham

I just put a replacement card in the mail to you. I didn't put it in an envelope, as I prefer the postal system artifacts on cards - I have no idea why - traditionalist?

If this one gets one gets excessive abuse, I have a couple more and will put one in an envelope to you.

p.s. anyone else need a replacement due to "indelicate" handlng?

Received on 24th May - must be a record for international delivery.
Apologies for the delay letting you know, I had cataract surgery a couple of days after I received the card, and haven't been online much since then.

Beautiful image and coloration with absolutely no damage this time around. Thanks for sending again.

 

[ARS]

Thank you everyone for this collection of postcards. I'm looking forward to round 62.

 

[jvo]

finally... *

in no particular order, from...
thorsten, sudden light - a wonderfully printed, and dramatic capture. and excellent exposure and depth.
krnow, french beer bottles - a great combination of artistry, technique, chemicals, paper - an exciting image that magically
simon 1, olympia - the warm tone sets it off!
negativefunk, sagunt - i looked at the image, landscape oriented, the first impression was a bit surreal, (wimdows at the bottom), particularly with all the hard lines and curves with that reed/wire on the right... then read the description... I too like the shapes.
michael howard, magnolia's child - she does look to have been out in the hot sun a bit long, great textures, feeling forlorn.
soy sos, bucolic...although it seems wintry, I imagined myself on a raft lazily floating down the stream!
daniela, peace - some might say he /she lost their head! may it come to pass.
mschem, mr zeus @sunset - beware, on alert, focused, just awoke, but probably a real pussycat!
ajven, reflection - a wonderful image, the juxtaposition of the reflection and the back, contrasting lines and curves, great!
mattis, winter - and feels it, even now! the cars/contrast and lines done well.
todd barlow, truck - hmm, another image I "looked at differently and really liked - updside down, before I read the description, very graphic , love it.
drpsilver, cloud drama - it is! high contrast and an really makes you look! well done!
mfohl, watchman - spent 2+ tears in Heidelberg, great place... I have a vague memory of seeing this guy, you made a more artistic memory of it!
ansel, no swimming - doesn't look inviting, but i imagine someone thought the sign was needed! nice composition
don heisz, frozen road - i remember that - dreary!!!
jim christie, yin and yang - a wonderful image - without the backstory, you wonder why are they looking at each other? you notice the details, the layers, the composition - enjoyable. then with the backstory it becomes something else. great timing and capture!
BHuij, waypoint - lonely and frigid.
howard earl, sunny, florida - and done well, but where's the little dog?
sjc1952, pictish man - i live in florida and we don't have ANY of the characters in edinburgh - i am so jealous - you do them so well.
ARS, cedar cliff falls - very interesting, even with the fence on the left, and structure on the right there is little to indicate the scale - very thoughtful picture!

Thank you all for very worthwhile and enjoyable work.

*my comments are very late because I was abducted by aliens and only recently returned.

 

[jvo]

There aren't many options for USPS International letter-rate stamps...
(International postcard rate is the same as letter-rate).

there are only 2 different international stamps at the USPS, both round - african daisy and poinsettia flowers!

 

[jvo]

.... That easel has been made from scratch by a friend of mine.

it is beautiful and looks to be a joy to print with!!!!

 

[Daniela]

*my comments are very late because I was abducted by aliens and only recently returned.

We're going to need photographic evidence!

 

[jvo]

We're going to need photographic evidence!

Knowing I would need proof, I captured this just before they took off.

p.s. the moon is made of cheese!!!!

 

[Daniela]

Knowing I would need proof, I captured this just before they took off.

p.s. the moon is made of cheese!!!!

Whoa!

 

[bedrof]

Some comments on a pile of 61' cards finally

@krnow - French Beer Bottles - the most unusual card of the round, I think. Not what you expect to get, really. Reminds me somewhat of an African drawings.
@mfohl - Tree and Field - Interesting use of a shadow from such point of view. Pinhole softness gives almost a fractal look to that tree branch.
@AnselMortensen - No Swimming - I wonder what occasion required to set this sign at no body of water visible. With a humour placed in the card, it look slightly bizarre, lovely.
@Michael Howard - Monkey Business - Great capture of a zoo life. And it is really well composed. I would be proud to have such a frame myself.
@Simon I - Olympia-3 - Very nice lith print and a suitable subject. Love this distinctive Fomatone color.
@drpsilver - Cloud Drama - I got both them cards, the direct one and a proxy too. Cloudy and very dramatic, no kiddin.
@negativefunk - Windmills - Ah, those iconic windmills! I believe, Pentax 40/2.8 lens is that dainty pancake thing. Have it attached to my K1000 right now.