Ailsa,
you will get one it just takes time for the horse to swim the Atlantic. Jeremy only lives about 40 miles from me so his was first to arrive.


lee\c

Got Jeremy's today...

I printed the next batch yesterday, and was all set to send it. Then I decided to tone this batch too. Found an old bottle of (old-type) Viradon, took everything out in the garden. Tried one first - no reaction. Went back inside to mix up some bleach. That helped! I now have wet brown postcards all over the bathroom... It's a "figure study", but should be safe from USPS: No nipples ;)

PS: I had quite forgotten how bad that stuff stinks. I remembered to do the toning in the garden, but next time I'll close the windows too..

Does the US postal service have a problem with nipples/nudity?
Frank S.

..

Just send it in a plain brown wrapper ;)

Wow, just got a bunch of cards today.

Thanks to Jeremy...a very evocative photograph and I agree with your choice of framing.

Additional thanks to Frank for his delightful image of the clown, I really like it.

Further accolades to Frank H. and his IR image, this makes my first ever IR print...thank you.

Aggie, your images just keep getting better, I particularly like the Farm #4. It entices me to explore all of the various tools and gadgets there.

Jim your image of the National Cathedral was particularly nice, I really like the patterns that you have shown, Your use of view camera movements is apparent in this wonderful image. I like it.

And last but certainly not least, John, what a nice invitation to your show. I wish I could attend. Best wishes.

It seems that I must get busy in the darkroom once again. Thanks to all for your efforts and for sharing those with me.

..

I will be printing another batch of postcards this upcoming week when I can get to it. I have 7 rolls of film still left undeveloped and 5 full film holders for the 4x5 that are just begging to be used. On top of all of this I have to work two 11.5 hour days at work next to cover people who'll be gone! Looking forward to receiving more in the mail and as soon as I get them up on the wall--I'm thinking a big piece of mat/foam/poster board on the wall to tack them onto--I'll take a photo of it and post it on here. I'm not overly fond of bulletin boards and am looking for something a little more aesthetically pleasing... any ideas?

Three more arrived today in New York, from Ailsa, Lee, and Aggie, and I've got one batch just out of the wash getting ready to go out. I ran out of postcard paper, so I printed about half on 5x7" paper to be cut down. I think in the future I'll print on fiber based paper and just cut it to postcard size.

Just got out of the darkroom. I printed a batch of cards for everyone. I'll be sending them out on Monday. It is a multi-exposure shot of Garapda Beach in Carmel, CA. It is about 2 miles from the gates of Pt. Lobos.

Slight delay here...

I discovered a lot of uneven blotches (for the lack of a better word) on the latest batch. Some of the prints are brilliant (highly subjective term meaning "I like it"), most were blotchy. I'm hoping it is Sulphur, which can be removed in sulphite. Alternatively I'll settle for uneven toning, so I can give them another go in the foul brew.
If it's uneven bleach (I didn't bleach too completion, just enough to get the toner to take), it's a bit worse. Of course, it might just be my "batch processing" of the prints, in which case it's back to square one...

You guys are much too kind. I severely misjudged the image while printing it. It needs more contrast. I've enlarged this negative to 16 x 20 with very satisfying results but until the postcards had not printed it in about 8 years. The dry down on that post card stock is atrocious, and it seems to me that what you lose when it dries is the blacks, not just the highlights. I should've dried my proof print before I started my production line. I'm thinking of reprinting it for you guys on Azo and dry mounting them onto blank postcards. I feel I owe it to you, as I love the compostition but really screwed up this printing.

I have another image which I printed that same day, ready to go out tomorrow. I made it about one month ago. It's on Efke PL100 in ABC pyro. [/b]

c6h6o3,
I know what you mean about the dry down with Ilford's RC stock. I recently purchased Les's wonderful book--free plug!--and will soon be testing my stock with his dry down technique. A day off tomorrow until about 4 pm so I'll hopefully have it tested out and a new set printed. Anyone know of any ill effects caused by using your regular food microwave to dry about 3 prints total. I'm hoping if I wash them a a little longer than usual I will be fine, but if you don't see another post from me I WOULDN'T recommend using your everyday microwave to dry prints :)

Just received two from Ailsa, I like the late evening shot Ailsa. Nige's two for one illustrate that we don't need hi-tec state od the art modern kit to make good negatives. I enjoyed Jim's choice of viewpoint in showing part rather than the whole of the Cathedral. Lee, your cowboy arrived today and I love it, I'm hopelessly addicted to western movies so this image really hit the spot for me. I think your choice of paper surface, print colour and contrast are just right for this image. I've got some printing to do this week so I'll make my next two cards at the same time.

thanks, Les. I am glad you liked it. He is a good friend of mine. Not only is he a gifted horse trainer, he is a world class guitar builder and a pretty good western singer and poet.

That paper is Forte in a developer that is made for me by a friend in Hollywood. It is based on Defender 55 and adds to the warm tone of Ilford's warm paper and the Forte stuff. The film is Tmy 400 shot at 100 and developed in Microdol-x and then Kodalk for 4 minutes and the print is split filter printed using blue and green light. Well, that is probably more than you wanted to know. I tend to ramble about that anyway.

lee\c

I got my cowboy this morning as well - love it! Possibly my favourite postcard so far.

"blushing" thanks,

lee/c

well I was going to print a set today, but those hopes have been dashed. Why is it that when you make plans for a day off you are inevitably called into work? Oh, well, happy printing to the rest of you and I will hopefully get some time later this week...

I had a pleasant beginning to this week with postcards from Ailsa, Lee, Ole, and Nige waiting for me when I went to the post office today.

Lee, I agree with Les's earlier post about your image...what a wonderful image. I really like this one.

Ailsa, your image of the church on the Faroe Islands is so well composed. I wish that I could see this in a larger print.

Ole, how did you tone the image of the church ruin? Your image is very unusual. It appears that the ruin is set among modern houses or is this a composite?

Nige, I like both photographs on your postcard. The lower (receding boats) draws me into the image. Very effective.

Thank you, to each of you, for sharing your wonderful work.

thanks Don,

what I think is unusual is that I mailed all the prints at the same time and the ones that went to England got there the same day that you got yours in Wichita that is about 350 miles from Fort Worth. Weird....

lee\c

Lee, I think that the reason must be the USPS...England apparently speeds things up once the mail leaves our shores.

USPS...Usually Sporadic Periodic Service

I ;lneed to review all the submissions I have received so far. I am so far behind in my work that way. I will do that tonight.

lee\c

Sometimes the postcards feel like a chore. But then I think of all the beautiful prints I have received, and duck back into the darkroom feeling refreshed and inspired.

And then, just when I feel I'm beginning to accomplish something, Les sends me a card. I have just received his "white print"...

All in all, I think joining the postcard list is one of the best ideas I've had in many years. So I'll carry on printing!

But starting now, I'll make sure I scan one card before I send them all off - I have none of the toned church ruin myself.

And I'm thinking of quitting the batch printing, but instead make a few postcards of whatever print I'm working on. Then I'd print out a sheet of address labels, and stick them on the cards. When one sheet of labels is empty, I'd print out another and start all over.

What do you think? There would be more different prints, but nobody would get all of them. I'm not even sure what I think myself ;)

There's no reason why each batch should consist of only one print. I've also considered making different interpretations of the same image for different batches; i.e., sending out another batch of National Cathedrals printed properly on Azo.

Let's just go with whatever seems right at the time.

I got the cowboy and the island church. I'm not worthy! anyone get my garapada shot yet?