[Fwd: Traveling Portfolio Cheers]

List,
I wanted to add a few comments to the excellent write up that Rocky has
done. First of all I feel guilty for not including a good description of
my work. There were a few portfolios like that and we kept guessing to the
technical details. I have a few additional comments and if your name is
not here that means that Rocky covered most of what we had to say.

Jan Kapoor: I was captivated by the unfolding story of your pinhole
images. I have several pinhole cameras of different sizes, I am ready to
built a multiple pinole camera. I kept going back to the photographs
trying to unravel the mystery. Well done! It seems like the medium fits
the story of the picture well. This kind of imagery might even look good
in cyanotype.
Speaking of cyanotype:

Diane Bloomfield: I liked the cyanotype on fabric, silk was my favorite, I
was really impressed with the color of the toned cyanotype. Could you
share the formula for the toner? This is the blue that I could live with,
well I could even learn to like it. Off to the store to buy some fabric.

Don Bryant: VDB of the greenhouse was a weaker image. Too busy for that
small format, very contrasty ending in middle values. I liked the
kalitypes. Smooth tonal gradation, nice composition. I do not have any
experience in any of the two techniques, but it seems from the work
included that kalitype is capable of much better tonal rendention.

Keith Gerling: Bigger is definitely better! I loved all you work other
then nude#3. Pigment stain in the highlights and abrupt color transitions
were disturbing to me. The picture tried to look too much like a color
photograph, but yet there was no harmony in the colors.
The picture of the door is to me a best example of gum printing! It is
full of color nuances, great composition, high contrast thanks to the
metal underprint, yet it looks nothing like a ilfochrome. If this is a
casual travel shot we should all drop our expensive gear, buy travel
cameras and start taking travel pics.
The other nudes were outstanding as well with soft and buttery texture
imparted by the layers of gum. By the way what paper are you using?
As I said these are the additional comments that were not captured by
Rocky, so don't be offended if your name was not here. I learned a lot
from all of you. Thanks for participating.

Marek Matusz
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Traveling Portfolio Cheers
From: "Rocky Boudreaux" <rocky@pdq.net>
Date: Mon, August 30, 2004 10:44 pm
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Marek Matusz in Houston for inviting Duane Douthit and myself
(Rocky Boudreaux) to view the traveling portfolio in his home this last
Saturday. Also thanks to his wife for the excellent home treats (those who
didn't come really missed out on a double pleasure).

When I participated in the traveling portfolio I hoped each viewer would
offer opinions both pro and con in a constructive manner so I could
consider the views of others and it is with this intent I offer these. I
am trying to express the views of three different people and hope that
should I miss represent anything they would publicly correct me on this
list. It would also be good if they would post their opinions. With all
that said here goes and remember opinions are worth what you pay for them.
Please no hate emails.

Overall the portfolio is a fine example on many different styles of
Historical Processes. Thanks to all of you for sharing!

Gregory Popovitch - A daguerreotype that was very nice. Some fringing
around the edges but a better one then I will probably ever make. It may
have been our lighting but it seemed a little dark overall in the image
area. Good image but the process to me seems more important then the image
itself. Thanks I enjoyed seeing it.

Don Bryant - The Kallitypes looked very good. Made a couple of us wonder
why we do Platinum/Palladium. Personally I never see enough depth contrast
and detail in the VDBs. As I have never done the process personally I
can't say if it is the process or the print. I liked the subject matter of
the old green house or so it appeared to be. I love complex scenes with
lots of detail.

Jim Collun - Hope I spelled that correctly, my hand writing is terrible.
Platinum over Pigment is interesting but I found the colors too intense.
The scene with the pipes and guard rails worked better then the Red Button
which is actually pink. Why not a pink button, I asked? The button looked
like a pasted on sticker. Perhaps if the edges were feathered or the tones
were more muted it would have pleased me more. Little more finesse would
help but we agreed that we could all feel the dust or powder. The broad
range of gray tones was wonderful and well executed. I'll need to try the
Pigment over some day.

Ray Bidegain - Platinum/Palladium as I remember. We all like the tone
texture and detail of the older gentleman with a cane print. The technical
side of the print was good but the cropping was not pleasing. The legs on
the left being cut off and the extra vacant space on the right behind him
was awkward. We cropped it tighter so the right border came to the man's
back and the size was reduced to 5x7 or so and overall it looked much
better. I don't actually remember the nude or the hands with the flower
pedals but it seems they also were technically good and pretty well
executed. Maybe Marek or Duane can add something. I believe we all had
questions about the process, paper etc. and felt the information was a
little lacking. We wanted to know more.

Robert Cockrell - We disagreed on the 5x7 waters edge Platinum/Palladium.
I though it was a little soft and needed to be printed with more density
and contrast. The others liked the softer approach. It was noted how the
upper right corner was almost clear and as it progressed downward the
tones, density and detail increased very smoothly. We all agreed the hole
in the rock picture needed a little additional work. The deep shadow area
to the right of the hole lacked any detail and we would have liked to see
a little there. The rocks and foliage on the left side of the picture was
too light and lacked density and detail. The nude gum print was well
posed. The hand position was excellent. Often an awkward hand position
ruins a photograph, this one did well. We all would have liked to see some
detail on the highlight side of the body. I believe we all agreed the
highs were a bit blown out. I though the negative should have been more
centered in the coated area. The others said just crop it with a matt.

Grace Taylor - VDB still eludes me. Again I would have liked to see more
contrast and density again maybe I ask too much of the process. But the
coating was very good edge to edge. For enlarged negatives I, only me,
wondered why you didn't make them slightly larger. The weakest seemed to
be the close up of that cowboy's behind sitting on the fence. Maybe you
just like that (just adding a little humor, take no offense). The other
two showed good interactions and had more to say. I love rodeo and western
type pictures. Keep shooting them.

Diane Bloomfield - Cyanotypes on cloths were very well done. At first we
all leaned to the muslin toned one but the white silk one grew on us. We
finally identified that we would like to see the white silk horizontal
fabric lines more parallel with the horizon line of the image. We also
notice the cream silk fabric lines ran vertically and thought if they were
perpendicular to the horizon it would have flowed better. The angular
orientation didn't work for us. We were viewing prints on a dark table and
all your fabric prints gained substantially when a white backing sheet was
placed under them. Those were nicely done I'm headed to the fabric store
tomorrow and will also look for something to seal the edges. I am curious,
was the tannic acid green tea or a stronger tannic acid?

Suzanne Izzo - Sorry we missed the chance to meet. I wish some of your
creative ideas would rub off. Never in a million years would I have though
to print cyanotype with a graphic negative on colored paper to allow the
paper color to be the dominate color or only color (not sure how to state
that). Even a single image without mirroring would have been impressive.
The stitching threw me a bit and was OK. I like the concept with out it
probably better but I am conservative.

Marek Matusz - Chrysotype (think that's right) A gold process subject to
extreme changes caused by the humidity. Unpredictable so I understand but
leans toward reddish, purple hues. Wonderful split tones and well
executed. Feel I am walking on thin ice due to lack of knowledge but I can
say this was very artistically done. I need to learn how to do that.

Daryl Baird - Argyrotype of Stonehedge. Very interesting and caused a
little disagreement between us. Mostly positive. Not just another
"Stonehedge Picture" was one comment, ruined a good potential picture of
Stonehedge was another. Looks like you do have something to say Daryl keep
saying it your way. The grain was a bit much for me didn't bother one, the
other thought it added to the image. Great chocolate tones.

Keith Gerling - Didn't save the best for the last. It's the way they came
out of the box. But these blew us away. Best Gums I personally have ever
seen. I'll take "just another travel picture" like that Tuscany one any
time. The process added so much to the presentation it just was like icing
on a cake. We all agreed the #3 nude had the highlights blown out a
little. #4 was the best nude and was excellent. Great pose. Tones were
absolutely beautiful, smooth, we could feel the texture of the skin. Said
you were off to other things, well OK. But those were wonderful. Almost
made me want to try gum.

Thanks and hooray to all of you!!!
Rocky
Houston, TX