</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (David A. Goldfarb @ May 15 2003, 12:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Les, image aside, what kind of paper is that on, and is it toned? I like the weight and the surface. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
The paper is the now departed Kodak Ektalure and the print is toned in selenium.
I have about 200 sheets of 16 x 20 Ektalure given to me by Kodak UK just before it was withdrawn.

Ah, well. Ain't that always the way...

..

I received Les's tree-stump and just like David I immediately thought of Mapplethorpe. I have 4 or 5 postcards now and I was hoping to have some thoughts up on them and have mine sent out by now but things just haven't worked out that way. I'm planning to put up corkboard or something like it to cover the door in my darkroom/bedroom and post all of the postcards on (and work prints of mine) so that I can get a feel for them.

note: Les I'm waiting for the gay/erotica next! just kidding, but my girlfriend was wondering what flower was in the first postcard you sent.

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jeremy Moore @ May 16 2003, 12:46 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> note: Les I'm waiting for the gay/erotica next! just kidding, but my girlfriend was wondering what flower was in the first postcard you sent. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Jeremy,

It was a Cala or Arum Lily that was originally photographed on 4 x 5 black and white negative and scanned as a negative image. I then started to play with it in photoshop and introduced colour by distorting the curves. The diagonal movement was introduced using movement blur selectively by lassoing different areas and applying the blur in different directions. It's great fun and very relaxing, especially when I'm late with a writing deadline and editors like Ailsa are giving me a hard time. (Got your message Ailsa)

Nige,

Does this answer the question in your private email?

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Les McLean @ May 16 2003, 12:08 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>(Got your message Ailsa)

</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
So I can expect your article by the end of the day then...? http://apug.org/forum/html/emoticons/smile.gif

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Les McLean @ May 16 2003, 07:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Nige,

Does this answer the question in your private email?</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
yep! ta!

Les, have you ever tried Luminos Charcoal R? I did a little research, and it's supposed to have a surface similar to Ektalure. I may see if I can hunt some down.

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (David A. Goldfarb @ May 16 2003, 01:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Les, have you ever tried Luminos Charcoal R? I did a little research, and it's supposed to have a surface similar to Ektalure. I may see if I can hunt some down. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
I know the paper David, it's made in the UK by Kentmere although it has changed in the past 12 months or so because they had to remove certain chemicals. The surface is quite rough but it does respond well to toning as do all Kentmere papers.

Thanks, Les. I'll have to give it a go.

Thanks Les, but I'll be sure to keep that info from my girlfriend. She was with me when I picked up the mail and took the envelope out of my hand when I was halfway through opening it saying "Are these more postcards? Let me look!" She then looked at them very studiously for a minute or two and said: "I like this (the Mapplethorpe/Westonesque tree), but I like this one more (about the cala lily). I think it's a cala lily." I of course offered up a of course it's not--at this time I still had yet to look at them--but won't give her the satifaction as she already has designs on taking that one to stick up at her house.

Hi Postcard people.
I received two fine art MiniMasterpieces in the mail during the two weeks I was out on business. (Thanks Scott and Nige - inspiring work very much appreciated) I also received two boxes of Ilford postcard paper and - I am ready to roll. I figure it will be full tray of cute little plastic prints this afternoon. I know which will be the first run, a detail of one that was hanging in the local city art museum. I am now pondering the others (I figure I need to send out a few to catch up) My dilemma is, do I develop my negs from my wanderings for new pearls for the afternoon print runs or do I break out my old standby favorites. I have a few projects I have been working on, one of which is modern ruins. (Dreams that ran their course) Those are never marginal, they are either really cool or go in the trash - negs and all. (I have a big trash can.) Well - yaall will find out shortly.(sorry - was out of town and it kind of stuck)
Frank

Well, I was gonna wait until my darkroom was finished, decided that may take years so I rolled out of bed today and made 20 prints from a 5x7 neg I made several years ago. It is a very good friend of mine. Michael Stevens, Horse Trainer, Alpine, TX is the title of the print. It will go out tomorrow.

lee\c

My first run us done
It will be showing up in your mailboxes shortly!
I have two others done but will space them out a few weeks or so.

Thanks Frank.
Can't wait to see them.

..

Sometimes it feels like a chore finding something to send as a postcard and printing twenty-odd decent copies of it. Then suddenly inspiration strikes, and it's just fun again.

Now I wonder if my big beast copier will let me reduce a 5x7" negative onto a postcard paper, or whether to take a small crop from it, or go for something completely different.

And every time I feel I'm really getting the hang of this darkroom business, Les sends me one...

Ah well. I'll get there. Eventually. In the meantime you'll all get my amateurish postcards, just so I can have the pleasure of receiving yours!

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Aggie @ May 19 2003, 11:49 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Welcome to bluest_girl,&nbsp; She is the one who works at the phto shop where I regularly buy them out of the Ilford pearl postcard stock.&nbsp; Now I have competition for the paper...lol

</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Welcome, bluest_girl!!

... So you deal with Aggie ....

Let us know if you have any problems ... we will be most happy to dispense sympathy...

Seriously, WELCOME!!

I'm finally in the darkroom! I was setting up to print over the weekend when I realized that I had nothing to put my trays on and as I don't have $$$ to get a banquet table (about $30 at Lowe's) yet I tried an old flimsy desk from the garage. *Those of you who've followed my other posts: let me put your fears at rest, this is the last desk hidden in the garage http://apug.org/forum/html/emoticons/smile.gif
I tried my 8x10 trays but they were too heavy for it when the chemicals were in them. So I raided the tupperware cabinet for old tupperware that would be big enough and found 1 that would work http://apug.org/forum/html/emoticons/sad.gif I figured that would do for developer, but needed another for the fix and ran out to the local photo store. I just needed 1 5x7 tray, but he said he would give me 4 for $4 as they had been sitting there for 6 months because everyone wants to print BIG! I now own 4 new 5x7 trays (any suggestions to rough up the bottoms, they're smooth--sandpaper?) I filled up a tub to use as a holding tank and am doing a 2-fix operation. The first batch of 10 are washing right now and I'm heading back in to do another 10.

ps: Ole, I received your toned postcard and it looks great! A nice rich psuedo-sepia tone, more yellows than browns.

I got Ole's yellow toned card too. That you got MGIV RC to tone any color is an achievement!

And for those who like to compare classic lens arcana, you can put Ole's card made with a Voigtlander Perkeo I with a Vaskar 3-element lens next to my first card of the view of Grant's Tomb make with a Perkeo II that uses a Color-Skopar, 4-element tessar type lens. Ole's is on Pan-F, and mine is on Delta 400, so his shot is probably at a wider aperture (lighting conditions look similar), but even taking that into account, the difference in coverage, both in terms of image quality and falloff of illumination, is quite pronounced.

David and Ole,

I like the idea of old lenses. I have heard that the Vaskar was one of the best triplets ever, because of the use of rare earth high index glass. I have a Perkeo with the Colour Skopar but need to check the focus because the results have not been impressive. I recently bought a 6by6 Nettar with a Novar anastigmat lens and the first sleeve of negatives look pretty crisp. I also spent $10 to buy a Kodak Tourist folding 6by9 camera which has an anastigmat special 101mm f4.5 lens which is said to be an early Anastar and the precursor to the commercial Ektar lenses. I'm going to try the Kodak lens on my Speed Graphic camera as a wide angle. Do you think it will cover 4by5?

Frank S.

I bet it will illuminate the whole frame, but image quality will drop off pretty noticably.

I find the Color Skopar a bit unsharp in the corners (looks like coma), even around f:11, but it has a smooth look and is quite sharp over most of the frame. On my postcard, for instance, the top of the church doesn't bear much enlargement, but as long as I don't put anything that needs to be rendered in detail in the corners, it's good.

Thats funny you are talking about old lenses. My next postcard i'm sending out was shot with a speed graphic and a 135mm optar lens. Unfortunatly you all will be getting an inkjet print of it until I can go rent a darkroom for an evening and print some more silver prints. http://apug.org/forum/html/emoticons/smile.gif Take care.
Scott

Gee, the 135mm Optar lens is my "modern" lens!
Frank S.

So far it has been Zeiss or Rodenstock ... but there are a lot of really good lenses out there. I have a 150mm Schneider Symmar that is *just* pre-multicoat and I am debating if I should replace it. I use the 210 and the 75 most of the time.
Frank