A little care package arrived in the mail today...
Many gorgeous prints! Mind if I share some thoughts about my favorites? (no particular order):
Night Office (Philipp Derganz) - A beautiful low-key semi-abstract. The repeating patterns are mesmerising!! I love how the fluorescent lights on the rounded part of the building on the right seem to radiate out; contrasts nicely with the flat receding lines on the flat part of the building on the left. The green stairwell lifts the dark tones for me, with all the class and intricate interior, I feel almost like a voyeur looking into this building at night trying to see what's going on.
Moonrise Over Observation Deck (Alan Brandt) - While the observation deck structure as a subject doesn't really work for me, the composition placement, depth of field, toning and other aesthetics combine beautifully in this piece. The lighting/burning/dodging is very nice.
Svalbard Raindeer (Ronny Nilsen) - Ronny, what a lovely print! The texture of the matte paper really makes the reindeer appear soft (not in appearance, but to the touch). Combined with the salt-and-pepper blending of his coat, the overall high-key presentation of this scene really works for me. My wife also commented that the beauty of nature comes through so easily in this piece! I think she's right.
Festival of Cultures (John Schweikert) - I love this image. The sillhouette is just light enough to hold a little detail. Great job with the selective focus, too. This rendering communicates a sense of the spirituality of his dance--I love this. The tones range from full black to full white which is great, but there is somewhat of an unflattering (to my eye, at least) greenish-yellow tint to the print--I don't know if that was deliberate or not, but regardless, I really enjoy this piece--thank you!
Untitled (David Karmeli) - What appears to be a scene with a young girl lit from underneath with a bound, nude woman in the background. What an arresting piece! The on-screen JPEG does not do this image justice. From the on-screen version, I thought the girl was a doll, but in the print, her skintones are so subtle; there is a translucent quality which quickly convinced me she is real. As for what is going on in this scene, I am trying to piece it together, but cannot! I'm enjoying the mystery. I'm disturbed, intrigued, confused and impressed all at the same time. I consider any piece which can do that a very successful piece of art. What is in the girl's hand??
Untitled (Greg Shapps) - I am an avid cyclist, and somehow I never, ever thought to do anything like what you've done here. I like how this print becomes abstract at a distance and very recognizable up close. Perfect tonality throughout--this is gorgeous work!
Untitled (Arash Moallemi) - Did you know I just spent a fortune on medium format gear over the past two years, only to return to small format?? Your print is a stupendous example of what I was seeking when I made the transition--it leaps off the page with its crispness and exquisite detail. Although I'm quite sure you didn't, please, please tell me you did this with small format gear! Gorgeous rich colors--the blues, the red accent, the whites, the ultra-fine shadows, the symmetry, and those clouds!! This print is just--well, sorry to overuse the word, but it's the only one that fits--exquisite.
I am relatively new to print exchanges, but I very much enjoyed participating. Thanks to everyone who participated, and again to Chris for organizing and handling all the logistics.
Kind regards,
-Brad