Les,
I got the embossed looking white card yesterday. It is very subtle. In fact, even more so than the screen version. I have shown it to several people and it takes them a minute to see it. am gonna take it to Houston Center of Photography Saturday and actually show it to people that make images and not just civilians. We keep you apprised of their reactions. By the by, I really like it and am proud to have it.

lee\c

'embossed' has been mentioned by people who I've shown it too also!

Personally I think that there is a great value in everyone receiving all postcards rather than some receiving one image and others receiving a different image. Batch processing is a bit tedious but just imagine if you were one of several people who weren't lucky enough to get the "cowboy" print? You'd read about how others, who did get it, praise it, and you'd be left in the dark wondering what the fuss was about.

My next postcard, which will have to be mailed in a plain brown wrapper, is of a woman exposing her breasts at a motorcycle event. This event (the motorcycle one, not the exposing one) takes place every Friday the 13th (regardless of the season) in Port Dover, Ontario. I'm not saying the image is a master piece, but wouldn't you feel a bit left out if you couldn't judge that for yourself?

Frank S.

Somehow, I'm able to sleep at night. Go figure.

I'm hoping that most participants in this forum do care.

I'm with Frank on this one. At first I was thinking what a drag it is to print 30 cards, but after actually doing it, it was a piece of cake. I won't be sending a new one every week, but every so ofter isn't too bad.

Since the postcard exchange fosters a certain amount of discussion here, I'm going to stick to batch printing, as tedious as it sometimes may become, otherwise we wouldn't all be able to talk about the postcards together.

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yeah but...

People are going to participate in different amounts. We've got some prolific 'postcarders' and some dormant ones. I personally want to exchange cards with both, but I'm happy to do it at their frequency. How we come to system that suits everyone I'm not sure but I can see problems with both varieties.

For example, when do you send out a new card 'batch style' when you've received one back from only a few people in response to your last card? I personally think it needs to be an equitable exchange or otherwise it will turn sour... when do you start dropping people off your list? (I already have. Not because I'll never send them a card, but because their participation level, for whatever reason, is lower than the others who I probably owe a card to at the moment!)

Maybe a monthly rotational system might suit 'batch style' 'carding. A group of 12 people all send one card in their allocated month to the other 11 participants. Each month you'll receive a card, which as a group you can discuss. You then know in advance when and in what quantities you have to produce your cards, and if anyone in the group want's out, you recruit a new member.

them's some of my thoughts on the subject! :)

I recently got Nige's photo of the motorcycle and Les's intriguing ink jet of the tulip.

Nige, how did you know that I've been looking at motorcycles as a cheaper source of transportation? Though my preference is towards the crotch rocket and not the more traditional cruiser. It's a wonderful image that makes me want to go riding right now. Car and motorcycle shows are wonderful places for photography. My previous dwellings were right near a Harley-Davidson store and when they had meets I would find myself talking to some of the most interesting, scary-looking. and yet nicest people. Next time I plan on heading out with the 645 or maybe the 4x5 and seeing what I can get.

Les, this is quite an amazing print. I love the light, ethereal quality you've given to the tulip. I was discussing the print with my girlfriend and we were wondering if you have this print matted and framed anywhere? In this size up to maybe a 5x7 with a white-ish mat and unassuming frame this would be quite a eye-catching photo. The quiet tones would draw attention in a very dramatic fashion counter-pointing the actual photo. The only problem I would see is that in a dark hued room it would be almost overpowering. All in all and wonderful photo!

I'm in the process of deciding what my next 2 postcards will be of so I can get them out next week.

Les, this is quite an amazing print. I love the light, ethereal quality you've given to the tulip. I was discussing the print with my girlfriend and we were wondering if you have this print matted and framed anywhere?

I've made an A4 print on a very smooth matt ink jet paper and it's waiting to be matted in an antique white 16 x 20 matt and hung in a very light ash wood frame in my living room.

Les, is this size print of the tulip image too imposing? Just by the nature of the tonal scale I was thinking it my draw attention away from other images in the room. This might actually be a blessing, though. Using this image as the focal point it can draw someone in to look at it and once they are in the photographic/aesthetic/gawking-at-wonderful-photos mindset they will begin to travel to other images with a critical eye. Then again, it's your living room and not a gallery so I say live it up and have fun! Final note: I love the use of large mats on smaller images, the extra space really helps the photo while the generic "one-size-up" matting always leaves me with a sense of crowding.

Dave Goldfarb's bridge structure is the best composition I've received yet. It pays heed to Michael Smith's admonition that "the photographer is RESPONSIBLE for literally 100% of the image area....every single square millimeter".

I wish you'd made this with a view camera so that the very slight keystoning could be eliminated. But that's really picking nits. It's a swell picture.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. I photograph that viaduct a lot (NYPD haven't stopped me yet!), and that was a scouting shot. I'll come back with the big camera when the light is right and I've got the time.

Interestingly, I have photographed that bridge from different spots with the 8x10" and 4x5", and I've usually been disappointed at some slight unsharpness, and I think what it is is that the bridge is vibrating from the traffic, and my exposures are too long. Next time I'll try with Tri-X and Acufine for a shorter exposure.

Back to the darkroom...

Will try cleaning up my latest contribution before I send it off. Then print another batch of something different.

I'll keep on batch printing for a while longer - you've convinced me :)

Guys and Girls

After 25 pages of reading how you are all having fun sending and receiving postcards I think it's time I joined the party. I now have access to a hired darkroom and could run off a batch or two when necassary.

Can you let me know how to join and how many are currently participating!

Cheers

Phill

send an email or PM to Nige, he owns this project ;)

I have received so many wonderful cards in the past couple of weeks and I have nothing to send out. I have been out of town so much lately I haven't had time to get into the darkroom. I will also be attending the Bruce Barnbaun course along with Aggie at the end of the month and I still don't have the 10 prints I need to take down. Please add the suitable amount of panic in my voice when you read that last sentence!

I promise in August I will get back into the postcard production and repay my debt to the group. In the mean time when I cruise into town and get my mail from the office it is a welcomce sight to see those tremendous postcards. The staff is getting a kick out of them too.

Eric

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Now your getting me excited!

Beautiful print. Lovely photograph. Makes me somewhat mindful of San Rafael Valley, Arizona by Paula Chamlee. It's quite impressive as it is, but I hope you realize that it would be absolutely stunning printed on Azo. Just out of curiosity, why wasn't it?

Jim

C6H6o3, Thanks for your kind words. You raise an interesting question. I have never printed that image on Azo. Perhaps I should try it, now that you mention it. I wish now that I had taken it with 8X10.

Just got back from a week in the Las Vegas area to find many cards, including Les's great tulip stem that I couldn't see on my laptop monitor. I also realized when looking at it that the monitor I could see it with is set way too pink.

..

Hooray! I'm slowly deciding on the best way to put all of the postcards up on the wall (the best idea so far consists of photo corners on white seamless) and I've been wanting a full set of the farm pictures. They really give you a great sense of place--of what used to be there and what's there now.