Postcard Exchange Round 67 Comments and Feedback

[Tim Rohe]

I received a couple of nice cards today.
@mfohl "London House Detail" I like how you made that woodwork pop against the dark foliage.
@chris ellinger "Passage" a beautiful haunting image, and I like the warm tone paper.

Speaking of paper, I tried a test print on Ilford Multigrade RC Portfolio for a postcard. I wrote on the back with a Pigma Micron fineliner, and found that the ink still smudged pretty easily after drying for about 15 minutes. For anyone writing out postcards on RC paper, what do you like to write with? I also have a fountain pen with Platinum Carbon Black ink which I could try. Otherwise I might try to get a fine Sharpie pen. Let me know if anyone has suggestions. Thanks!

 

[AnselMortensen]

^^^
I use ultra-fine Sharpie.

 

[mshchem]

Today I received "MS Bridge" from Jim Christie, dramatic photo of architecture. Pedestrian bridge at night. Thanks for the great card!

 

[mshchem]

I received a couple of nice cards today.
@mfohl "London House Detail" I like how you made that woodwork pop against the dark foliage.
@chris ellinger "Passage" a beautiful haunting image, and I like the warm tone paper.

Speaking of paper, I tried a test print on Ilford Multigrade RC Portfolio for a postcard. I wrote on the back with a Pigma Micron fineliner, and found that the ink still smudged pretty easily after drying for about 15 minutes. For anyone writing out postcards on RC paper, what do you like to write with? I also have a fountain pen with Platinum Carbon Black ink which I could try. Otherwise I might try to get a fine Sharpie pen. Let me know if anyone has suggestions. Thanks!

I let my inkjet labels dry overnight before applying to the backs of the cards and then stacking. The emulsion side of the paper drinks in ink !

 

[AnselMortensen]

I received some more cards in the last few days...

mfohl's "London House Detail"...a beautifully printed architectural study. Excellent graphic composition, lots of detail!

Jim Christie's "MS Bridge"...Wow, what a beautiful image. Great tones and perspective. The patterns and leading lines really draw you in.

Don_ih's "Cars" ...a fun interpretation of a bleak landscape. A very original approach!

Thank you!

 

[Tim Rohe]

^^^
I use ultra-fine Sharpie.

Okay, thanks. I’ll probably start doing that too.

 

[mfohl]

I received a nice card from Don_ih today. "Sumac", minimalist shot of a dense leafless row of branches. Kinda rises up a little from either side, with a branch sticking out of the top center. Nicely seen, nicely executed. Thanks Don.

 

[mshchem]

I received 2 nice cards today. Ansel Mortensen, "Hatch Chili" , beautiful glossy print Ilford postcard paper, excellent lighting, well done!

And from GB-A2, Fall Photo, detailed shot of foliage, looks a bit like crab apples. Lovely tones and contrast, from Michigan, my mother's home state! Thanks

Best Regards Mike

 

[mshchem]

I received a nice print today from Michael Howard, "Tiger Cubs in Clay" statue at Greenville SC zoo.. Excellent separation of subject from background well done!

 

[Ajven]

I received:

- "Dendritic Shadows" by @mshchem - quite scary image that reminds me of The Last of Us series. Nicely printed as usual.
- "Passage" by @chris ellinger - This large 13x18cm postcard arrived in pristine condition. Even the postal barcode was positioned below the image itself, allowing the mysterious atmosphere to remain completely undisturbed. Excellent paper choice and a flawless shot. Hats off!

 

[Don_ih]

@mfohl -- I received your "Railing and Shadow" today and never would've pegged it as a pinhole photo. It's quite sharp. The shadows and lines are very well-defined. Very nice - thanks!

 

[Ajven]

Yesterday, my mailbox literally exploded when I opened it. For probably the first time since I’ve been participating in PCX, I received 4 postcards all in one day. So, what did the mailman bring?

• "Railing and Shadow" by @mfohl – It’s almost hard to believe this was shot with a pinhole camera. Perfectly composed in my opinion – the section with the stairs and that strong perspective give the shot a really interesting dynamic.
• "MS Bridge" by @Jim Christie – The tunnel roof looks absolutely magical. The print is incredibly rich in tones – the print quality is truly flawless.
• "Dream Lake in the Rocky Mountains" by @GB-A2 – Beautiful nature; it must be a unique experience to be there during the autumn season.
• If I called last time the postcard from @chris ellinger "large" - now I have a new record holder – a 21x14cm postcard from @koraks . This coastal shot titled "unfinished" falls into the "I want this as a poster on my wall" category. The two figures with extremely long shadows slightly resemble astronauts. Sand, rocks, low sun... if it weren't for the ocean, I’d say it’s from Mars. A truly great shot. The card arrived in perfect condition.

Huge thanks to everyone for the beautiful postcards that have arrived so far!

 

[Don_ih]

I agree with @Ajven above about your print, @Jim Christie . It's quite nice. The image itself is interesting and disorienting due to the wide-angle and off-kilter-ish perspective. It's very cool. Thanks!

 

[koraks]

Great to hear my print made it @Ajven, and thanks for the kind words!

Here, too, they have been pouring in to my great enjoyment.
@betamatt's precariously balanced rock emphasizes how much detail there can be in a 35mm negative. @AnselMortensen's is a delicate study in tonality, and interestingly also has that same balancing act going on - coincidence! Then there's @Jim Christie's beautiful print with leading lines and organic shapes, demonstrating how absolutely fantastic inkjet can be in the right hands.

Thank you gentlemen!

 

[rduraoc]

My postcards were dropped in the mail today -apologies to all for the delay.

 

[Rlibersky]

Just finished printing mine. Will be in mail this weekend.

 

[absalom1951]

4 more postcards in my mail. Michael Howard@ "Miss Piggy" great shot of a sow, reminds me of my youth years. Gerri Barr@ "Decked Out For the Holidays" very detailed shot of an upscaled eatery. Koraks@ "unfinished" quite large and captivating, took me a moment to figure out his statement "He still has all his fingers". Don_ih@ "Sumac" The 2 squirrels on the stamp would be right at home that thicket. Thanks everyone for more super postcards!

 

[koraks]

Good to hear my print has made it to Iowa, @absalom1951 !
Receivd one more print today as well - @mfohl's very pretty pinhole tree - thanks!

 

[drpsilver]

07 Mar 2026

My cards are printed, but need to be toned. I hope to have them in the mail by Monday. Following are my comments on cards received to-date.

"Miss Piggy" from Michael Howard reminds me of many of the pigs at Deer Hollow Farm near my home. Well exposed to keep details in the pig.
"MS Bridge" from Jim Christie is a nice use of contrast to make an image "work". The lighted roof, and median invite the viewer into the photo.
"unfinished" from Koraks has a story behind the image. The two people on the beach make the image work with the story that is told.
"Another Pinole Tree" from mfohl is a great example of the fun pinhole photography can bring.
"Balance Rock" from betamatt of a rock that looks like a large fish. They image works in several orientations.
The card from AnselMortensen is a testament to Edward Weston. A simple image of a curled pepper against a white background. Well done.
"Dendritic Shadows" from mshchem is a wonderful example of how interesting shadows can be to photograph. They give the viewer a lot to look at, and engages the imagination.
"Passage" from Chris Ellinger is both magical and mystical. There is a story behind this image, either real of imagined.
"Nothing Lasts Forever" from Tim Rohe of a beautiful mansion "taken down" by fire. This print is very nice, and I like the weight of the paper you chose. It would be nice to have a photo paper as heavy.

Thank you all for sharing your work.

Regards,
Darwin (drpsilver)

 

[mshchem]

Good to hear my print has made it to Iowa, @absalom1951 !
Receivd one more print today as well - @mfohl's very pretty pinhole tree - thanks!

I received your print "unfinished" yesterday! We didn't have any old ammunition to play with. Trying to figure out where this is? At first I was reminded of my walks in dunes around The Hague, but did the Allies land there???
Anyway very nice photo. Thanks.

 

[koraks]

Yeah, it's more to the South. There was very heavy fighting at several stages of the war, right from the start. The place was shelled, invaded, bombed the crap out of all through the war, then shelled some more, then inundated and invaded again. Not a whole lot of fun for the people living there, who were pretty much all traumatized. Makes me kind of sad looking at how carelessly we play with this kind of fire today. It's like people forgot how terrible it is.

 

[pamphoto]

I have been busy so I haven't picked out my image yet. I may choose one from last summer.

I have received two cards in the meantime:
Blending In from @Michael Howard a fun image of a young giraffe at the zoo
unfinished from @koraks, a scene of a quiet beach at sundown.
Thank you for the included personal stories with each image. These help me love the images more.

 

[mshchem]

Yeah, it's more to the South. There was very heavy fighting at several stages of the war, right from the start. The place was shelled, invaded, bombed the crap out of all through the war, then shelled some more, then inundated and invaded again. Not a whole lot of fun for the people living there, who were pretty much all traumatized. Makes me kind of sad looking at how carelessly we play with this kind of fire today. It's like people forgot how terrible it is.

Yeah, it's unbelievable how humans keep doing this thing over and over.

 

[Jim Christie]

I wanted to start by thanking all who commented on my card. You kind thoughts are very much appreciated.

A number of cards that have arrived in my mailbox:

Dendritic Shadows (@mshchem): Very nice play of shadow on a building at the University of Iowa. Going from TB hospital to a bookmaking education facility is reassuring progress!

Hatch Chili (@AnselMortensen): I love the tonality in this — beautiful high-key image. And XP2 in Rodinal is really nice.

Gated Drive (@Don_ih): I think you definitely captured the mood you described. Kind of giving off Blair Witch Project vibes .

Miss Piggy (@Michael Howard): That’s a big one. I don’t think you mentioned what lens you used, but that in conjunction with the film brought out a lot of detail on her coat.

Morning on Lago di Braies (@GB-A2): Very peaceful scene in the Dolomites. I like the layered composition with water, then boats, a chapel (?) and finally mountain. I think you are not alone in finding a photography a respite from the unrelenting craziness these days.

London House Detail (@mfohl): You caught a very nice (and well preserved) architectural detail on that house. London really is a kind of Mecca for architecture photography.

Thanks again.

-Jim

 

[mshchem]

Received fron @absalom1951 "Mail Guard" a photo of rural mailboxes, disused and unloved guarded by a tired old Teddy bear. Excellent composition, nice glossy print (I like glossy!)
Thanks so much!