Postcard Exchange Round 15 Results and Feedback ...

[bmccarthy007]

Hello all!

I am the Brian who scribbled on the postcards, so if you get a Derek Jeter, Big Sandy & Los Straitjackets, or Lucinda Williams, thats me. I usually make labels, but decided to be more "personal" this round, which is OK, unless you can't read my scratchings ;) I took the Big Sandy and Lucinda photos at a music festival in Greenfield, Massachusetts over the summer. The Big Sandy was Tri-x (@400) in Xtol. Lucinda was Delta 3200 (@6400, iirc) in Xtol. Both taken with one of my old Mamiya D-series 35 mm with a 280 mm zoom (handheld). One of my first attempts at concert photography.

Same rig for the baseball shot w/ Tri-x. I was sitting a couple rows back from the front of the upper deck on the first base side and it was a bright sunny day, so I was able to hold the camera steady and get short exposure time. The angle was great, too.

Update on cards received since last posting, in no particular order:

John's beaver (which actually was the first card I received, but neglected to include in my prior post), Ruediger's ceiling at Tanglewood, Crispin's radiometer, Terry's quail, Heather's hugging carrots, Nanette's mast & rigging, Mick's Kenyan lady, Erik's Palatine Bridge, Rob's abandoned house, Mike's Castle, Birger's Orck and water, Adrian's cement mixer, Jon's South Dakota sphinx

Great round! As usual, a fine variety of subjects, compositions & techniques.

Brian

[Síle]

Hi everyone,

I've been buried under assignments and course work for the past while and am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. My postcards should be printed this coming week and hopefully out by the next. I do apologise for the delay, I had hoped I'd be one of the quick ones this time :(
Next round I swear...
I'll wait to post comment on the cards I've received so far, but all I can say is wow... spectacular round, congratulations to everyone.

[Pete H]

gordrob's card arrived today. It's a good grouping of the rock pillars - it looks as if they are standing there chatting. Do you have trolls in that part of the world? :p

cheers

Pete

[Pete H]

rwyoung's card arrived today. A rather strange being holding a box of gobstoppers. No wonder the dinosaurs went extinct!

cheers
Pete

[Buster6X6]

I last couple of days I received more cards.
Adrian D Cement mixer Great lighting and the contrast is fantastic.
PVia and still life with fig. Pleasing lines and tonal values , great.
Birger A "rock and water" I like the simplicity of the image.
rwyoung no info, but looks like a nice rendition of something,(sculpture?) holding a box of "Gobstopper", interesting.

Thanks Greg

[rwyoung]

It's the Great Gobstopper Monster...

Some kinda goofy sculpture they had as part of a public sculpture display here in town a while back. Happened along and saw there were several pieces of trash scattered around. Decided he should be offering candy instead to passers-by.

[sly]

I've got 36 cards now. Only a dozen more to go! It has been a wonderful round, so far. I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up with comments on all the cards as they come in.

[BWKate]

Sly,
How is it for you getting around in this weather? Been a bit hellish on the roads, eh?

[MattKing]

Sly,
How is it for you getting around in this weather? Been a bit hellish on the roads, eh?

Kate:

I was thinking of you this morning when I had to forgo a "photographic" detour on the way to the office (doesn't work get in the way of life?).

I took the River Road route from home to office, and the view of the Ice floating on the Fraser River was just spectacular!

Matt

P.S. for those who aren't familiar with this area, and might suppose that this is to be expected, it is extremely rare that it gets cold enough, for long enough, for the Fraser River to have floating ice on it.

[sly]

Sly,
How is it for you getting around in this weather? Been a bit hellish on the roads, eh?

I've got snow tires! It's not so bad. Our wood pile is shrinking more quickly then we'd planned.

Were you in Victoria in 96? Now that was snow! I went to work on Friday as the snow was starting and didn't get home until Wednesday. I was working at a group home in those days, so I was stuck, on my own, caring for 5 adults with disabilities for all that time.

[BWKate]

Yes I was around for the Blizzard of '96! My son was 15months old and we were living at my mom's. It was so quiet.. all you could hear on the highway were a couple of snowmobiles occaisonally. My car is a heavy oldsmobile with all season's and is pretty good in the snow.

Matt,
I can't believe there was ice on the Fraser!! That hardly ever happens. Must have been beautiful. Every time I drive to work I see potential photos and yes work does get in the way of my photography! I've photographed down that River Road and it can be so picturesque. Lots pf potential. Have you ever seen that half sunken wooden old ferry. I have some Xp-2 shots of it.

Will try to get my postcards out very soon!!!!!

[Rob Skeoch]

I hear Victoria got a few inches of snow... most likely shut things down.
We got hammered today... over 30cm so far.... cars moving at 10 mph.... glad I've got the Jeep.... it was fun going by them.
-Rob

[MattKing]

I hear Victoria got a few inches of snow... most likely shut things down.
We got hammered today... over 30cm so far.... cars moving at 10 mph.... glad I've got the Jeep.... it was fun going by them.
-Rob

Victoria with snow.???

When I attended UVic, it snowed during at least one of the winters.

The joke was, the accessibility of the roads depended on whether or not Victoria had lent their one snow plow out to another municipality that year.

You haven't lived until you have tried to negotiate the roads in Victoria during the snow.

Matt

[johnnywalker]

I received Birger's glowing "Rock and Water" yesterday, and Gordrob's beautiful image of the Alberta badlands. Thanks guys, they are both lovely photos.

[ozphoto]

Arrived home yesterday to 3 more wonderful cards:

Birger's Rock & Water
Crispin's 5x4 Image - I know it isn't a light bulb, but what is it??
Rob's Abandoned Barn

Looking forward to more arriving before the Christmas break!

-Nanette

[Pete H]

Valerie's wonderful "Talk to the Hand" arrived today. I love the lighting.

Pete

[crispinuk]

By your comments some of you have correctly identified the subject my card, and thoughtfully didn't give the game away :) So, as this round is coming to a close, for those still wondering it's called a Crookes Radiometer. When placed in sunlight (or other source of IR radiation) the vanes spin round (amazingly quickly in direct sunlight). Maybe I should use it for metering IR film :D

The guessing game has given me an idea for a future round.

Thank you to all who have sent me a card, they're all excellent in various ways. I don't think I can find time to do justice to commenting on each individually so will try to comment as they arrive in the next round.
I took the pile from this round and last to show a fellow APUGger friend last weekend and he expressed a wish to join in the next round, so take that as an independent vote of approval !

[kraker]

Since my last update, things have slowed down a bit; I received two cards in the last 2 weeks:

Adrian D, cement mixer, great tonality, nice subject. I'm sure the mixer has seen better days. It has a bit of that "Flintstones" look now; no perfect spheres or circles, but... well... imperfect ones. :)
BirgerA, rock and water, a landscape (seascape) turned into an abstract. Great shapes, shades, contrast.
Thank you both!

Also a thank you for those who have taken the time to comment on (or at least mention the receival of) my card.


A landscape photograph from kraker is interesting because he "broke the rules". Jacco placed one of the horizons in the middle of the print, and at the same point divided the light and dark portions of the photo. It really works quite well. Goes to show that photographic rules are meant to be broken.


Thanks, Darwin. You are right, I indeed broke the rules; I thought it worked quite well and I'm glad you agree. Besides, I couldn't get a better framing than this, so... the rule just had to be broken :D.

[BWKate]

Trust me Matt, Victoria has more than one snowplough!!! It's a whiteout blizzard right now. I have to drive to my neighbourhood video store and I'm a little scared.

Thank you very much Kraker for your beautiful infrared postcard! What a treat! I also like the fact that the image is broken up into these light and dark areas. It's very striking.
I'm not on his list but he still sends me a postcard every round!!! That is so awesome. Got a special infrared coming your way, Kraker!
I will comment on all the great cards I have received when I take some time out!! Working like a mad person right now...barely enough time to eat and sleep and feed my son....He will have to learn how to cook! I'm even working on New Year's Day.

[MattKing]

Trust me Matt, Victoria has more than one snowplough!!! It's a whiteout blizzard right now. I have to drive to my neighbourhood video store and I'm a little scared.

Kate:

1) Be careful, and be safe!
2) You have to remember, it was the 80s when I last lived in Victoria - I think I knew this anyways, but I'm glad to have it confirmed that the snowplough inventory has improved since then.

The snow is falling here too. If it helps, I'm thinking about you and all the others in the Victoria area, not least because my parents live up the Saanich peninsula from Victoria, and it's hard for them to deal with the elements.

Matt