Feeler/exploration for Wanted, 10 people for 5x7 print exchange. 2014, year 1

[Bob Mann]

As Randy suggested, for those who were not in this exchange this is the image I selected. This is a negative scan, I used Ilford Art 300 paper which does not scan very well as a print.

Bob

[Tin Can]

Bob, broke the ice, so here is mine. I did show this earlier in Len Lee's 1/1 macro thread.

This was influenced and shot this month in a visual response to the 1950's Atomic bomb Test images.

I believe my print and scan are pretty close on my monitor.

[Jim Graves]

And here's mine ... and an alternate.

I shot these white tulips ... with an 8.5" Kodak Commercial Ektar on 5x7 Ilford FP4 developed in Pyro HD 1-1-100... one shot wide open (f-6.3) and one shot at f-32.

I shoot mostly soft focus and preferred the wide open shot.

The next choice was the paper ... fiber or RC ... glossy, pearl, or matte.

To me, two of the advantages of soft focus ... as long as there is an area of sharpness ... is that you can limit the area of interest and there is a perceived depth to the photo that is sort of missing when the entire field is in focus. Likewise ... and once again, this is just my opinion ... glossy RC paper seems to increase this increased depth effect ... I'm not sure why ... but the same negative printed on matte seems flatter.

So I contact printed this one on Ilford's Glossy RC paper.

Oh, and as for composition ... always nice to have a little negative space to add some imbalance, interest and eye movement.

Anyway ... here are the two shots ... the first is the one I sent in ... the second the one still to be printed:

[jb7]

Nice to meet you all, and again, thank you for all your lovely prints...

I've been looking at the print, trying to match it in photoshop but it's difficult- the walls are not neutral colours here, and they affect the colour of the print and mount- which is a bright white, to show the colour of the paper. It's about the right size on a 24" HD monitor too...
As I mentioned to Jim, the internet is great, but it doesn't do tactility.

When Randy suggested a print exchange I jumped at the chance, since I was about to test a couple of new papers- and he said he didn't mind how we were to get a 5x7, so this one is a centre crop from a 7x17.

Printed on Fomalux, in Ecoprint, I'm very impressed with the paper- look forward to using it some more when I get the time.

[jp]

Bob, your print is much nicer than the scan!

I enjoyed the variety of papers and choices on this print exchange!

[jp]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw686h-sQi8 is a video of my shared images being made.

Here it is before toning
img429 by philbrookjason, on Flickr

[jp]

To me, two of the advantages of soft focus ... as long as there is an area of sharpness ... is that you can limit the area of interest and there is a perceived depth to the photo that is sort of missing when the entire field is in focus. Likewise ... and once again, this is just my opinion ... glossy RC paper seems to increase this increased depth effect ... I'm not sure why ... but the same negative printed on matte seems flatter.

Don't be afraid to combine soft focus and Ilford Art300 paper; it's a nice match for different subjects than this. Soft photos with less dark area (and more mid-tones) look nice on the art300. It's got an alt-process look to it but it as easy as normal silver paper.

[Colin Robertson]

Prints came today. Lovely!
A real mix of papers, including Art300, Fomalux contact printing paper, and a cyanotype. Also, great range of subjects and styles. A very rich collection, and well worth the effort of taking part.
So, Randy, thank you very much for oiling the wheels that made this happen, and thanks to everyone who put in a print- there was a lot of work in that little package.

[Tin Can]

Well, I am happy to see we all got our Stacks. My job is done. It was a pleasure organizing this and seeing all the prints as they they came in. I'm pretty sure I got the 2 or 3 extra prints back to their owners.

I have shown my Stack to a few friends and they are always happy to see actual prints. Many of of my digital only friends are finally realizing the ephemeral nature of digital and the continual effort required to preserve digital files.

Prints and negatives seem to last much longer.

So until next year, I will bow out. If I do it again, it will be exactly the same. Same size, 5X7 on 8X10, with a limit of 10 people. Shipping that size is much easier, cheaper and 10 Stacks is enough to wrangle. No one will be solicited until that time, so please don't ask to join now. It will be first come, next year.

adieu

[jp]

And for the people that missed out. The stack on display:

[Sorry; I removed the image of the photos spread out on display as they are not mine to reproduce... ]

They do look cool all laid out though.