Postcard Exchange Round 65 Comments and Feedback

[koraks]

Leaves from @AnselMortensen . The print has an interesting look. Can you explain the "offset printing" part?

This one made it to me as well today, thanks @AnselMortensen ! I'm also wondering about the 'offset printing' - is it perhaps a laser print? It sure looks that way to me. Arguably, that's 'offset', too, in a way, as there's an offset step happening of the toner image from the OPC drum onto the paper.

 

[AnselMortensen]

My first card arrived yesterday - Leaves from @AnselMortensen . The print has an interesting look. Can you explain the "offset printing" part?

Ink on paper... via halftone and printing press.

 

[koraks]

Okay, cool, that explains the AM halftone which is uncommon in today's electrophotography! It's a nice print; I quite like this paper surface.

 

[MattKing]

I made the mistake of getting the other kind of 4x6 paper. In my opinion, it's not strong enough to go as postcards.

In the 39 or so Postcard Exchanges I participated in I had great results using standard Ilford RC paper, stiffened with Avery style laser labels that covered a significant percentage of the back of each card.
I expect the inkjet labels would work as well.
I used a template file and the mail merge facility in my word processor to put names, addresses and accompanying information on each card, but if you prefer to hand write the cards instead, the labels accept ink much better than the RC paper does.
FWIW, the old Ilford Postcard paper was specifically identified as being on Portfolio stock.

 

[AnselMortensen]

I received ChrisR's "View from near Kings Canyon" today.
Beautiful colors, and tack sharp!
Thanks for sharing a beautiful view of an interesting, arid landscape....with the added bonus of a tiny blue & white bus.
Spotmatic & Kodachrome!
Unfortunately, the card got a bit crumpled in the Post, probably could have benefitted from some added support/thickness.

 

[ChrisR]

I received ChrisR's "View from near Kings Canyon" today.
Beautiful colors, and tack sharp!
Thanks for sharing a beautiful view of an interesting, arid landscape....with the added bonus of a tiny blue & white bus.
Spotmatic & Kodachrome!
Unfortunately, the card got a bit crumpled in the Post, probably could have benefitted from some added support/thickness.

Glad you liked it, Doug. Sorry that it arrived crumpled. The Oyster 271 gsm paper (heaviest I could find in 5x7) is a bit light for postcards, though it has worked well enough for the #PostCardsFromAfar challenge I've been in. I agree about the need for added support etc. It has been interesting to see what you did in that regard. I'm trying to work out which of the Avery labels would work best with the 5x7 card!

 

[Michael Howard]

Mine are in the mail today, so should start trickling in shortly.

 

[rduraoc]

Today I got @jvo 's "An afternoon sail New York harbor", an image full of history. And a rather interesting stamp, to add to the interest of the postcard as a whole. Thank you!

 

[Jim Christie]

This past week I received Leaves from AnselMortensen. An interesting printing technique that compliments the subject matter. The various stamps on the card were fun to see as well. An afternoon sail New York Harbor from jvo also arrived this week. The slightly abstract feel fits the subject well -- well worth the time and effort to rescue it.

 

[Todd Barlow]

24 Cards into the Postal System today.

 

[AnselMortensen]

I received Jim Christie's "Lakeshore" card yesterday.
A lovely pinhole image, well seen and executed, beautifully presented.
Thanks, Jim!

 

[Don_ih]

I just took @jvo's card from the mailbox. I like the feel of the photo - it was well worth the effort.

I'm glad you didn't end up like Gilligan -- $3.75 for a three hour tour sounds cheap even for the late 70s.

 

[pamphoto]

I received Don's Virginia Creeper yesterday. My first card in my first exchange. Thank you Don! It's beautiful image despite the scratches from the journey. Nature is one of my favorite subjects!

 

[mfohl]

I also received Jim Christie's "Lakeshore". A beautiful pinhole shot of a water scene. Complete with falloff on either side. Great foreground tones. And it's so sharp, it almost doesn't look like a pinhole shot. Thanks Jim!

 

[pamphoto]

Yesterday was the day for shadows. I received Ajven's Tree Shadow with lovely symmetric and organic lines. I also received mfohl's Tire and Shadow that features old tractor tires shadowed on an old block wall.
A lovely pair that I am happy to add to my collection.
Thank you gentlemen!

 

[absalom1951]

I have received cards from Ansel Mortensen "Leaves" and from jvo "An afternoon sail New York Harbor" . Leaves are some of my favorite photos. What are the Leaves of ? I like the moody feeling of jvo's card. These are the first cards in my 1st card exchange. My cards were sent last week.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Leaves are some of my favorite photos. What are the Leaves of ?

I was struck by the symmetry/asymmetry of the plant I saw on a hike near UC Santa Cruz.

 

[Don_ih]

Received a very cool photo from @Todd Barlow -- a nice square detail of a gear and chain. It's brimming with texture and mood. Great one, Todd!

Incidentally, Todd, did you tone that print or is that the natural tone of the paper?

 

[Todd Barlow]

Received a very cool photo from @Todd Barlow -- a nice square detail of a gear and chain. It's brimming with texture and mood. Great one, Todd!

Incidentally, Todd, did you tone that print or is that the natural tone of the paper?

Hi Don, thanks for the kind feedback. The print is untoned, just the natural tone of the paper.

 

[KitosLAB]

@Don_ih Thank you! A wonderful Virginia Creeper pattern with a large shade of gray. I'm a little embarrassed, but I won't be able to start shipping until the end of last week.

 

[mfohl]

I received two nice cards today. "Storm Brewing" by Michael Howard. A very nice shot of the Valley of Fire near Las Vegas. The foreground is dark, as if under clouds, while the background is in bright sunshine. Could very well be a storm brewing. There is a person on a rock in the bottom center. Is that you Michael? If so, how was the shutter released? Anyway, I prefer the nature around Las Vegas to the glitz.

The second is "Virginia Creeper" by Don_ih. A shot totally of leaves. I can imagine it has taken over a chain link fence. Good exposure and nice detail in the leaves. What size film did you use in your "postcard" camera? Kodak used to make "postcard" film, number 122. It was 3 1/2 inches wide, and there were 6 5-inch shots on a roll. A bear to develop, I had to slosh it through trays.

Thanks Michael, thanks Don!

 

[Ajven]

I really like this stage of PCX - postcards are coming...

Today I received:

"Leaves" by @AnselMortensen - the structure of printing resembles old newspaper pictures. Simple and nice postcard. Thank you.

"An afternoon sail New York Harbor" by @jvo - very interesting story behind the picture and very intense mood. The digital artifacts in some parts of the image are a bit distracting to me, but the description says that without intensive digital processing, printing this particular postcard would not have been possible. Thanks for the postcard!

 

[Don_ih]

What size film did you use in your "postcard" camera?

This is a Premo postcard camera, which takes plate holders for 3.5x5.5" plates. I made film sheathes for 3.25x5.25" film - I cut down Aviphot from a big roll to put in it. I got on a kick at the beginning of the year where I bought some only Premo cameras and made new bellows for them (one 5x7 and one postcard size). My old Elwood 5x7 enlarger can make a n enlargement just a big bigger than a contact print, so what's on the postcard is almost everything that's on the film.

I have another postcard camera - a kodak 3a - that takes roll film. I used that in a previous round of this exchange and made contact prints. (Cutting down 5x7 film to use the camera one-shot.)

 

[mfohl]

This is a Premo postcard camera, which takes plate holders for 3.5x5.5" plates. I made film sheathes for 3.25x5.25" film - I cut down Aviphot from a big roll to put in it. I got on a kick at the beginning of the year where I bought some only Premo cameras and made new bellows for them (one 5x7 and one postcard size). My old Elwood 5x7 enlarger can make a n enlargement just a big bigger than a contact print, so what's on the postcard is almost everything that's on the film.

I have another postcard camera - a kodak 3a - that takes roll film. I used that in a previous round of this exchange and made contact prints. (Cutting down 5x7 film to use the camera one-shot.)

Thanks! And I envy your 5x7 enlarger ...

 

[Don_ih]

I envy your 5x7 enlarger

You don't envy how much space it takes up - especially since it's hardly ever used.