Are you sending out any greetings for the New Year?

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

Do you send out any New Year's correspondence?

I don't send out anything for Christmas. But 7 years ago, I started sending out RPPC's a few times a year to keep my name out there. The New Year's mailing is generally my largest. I send them to museum curators, photo galleries, preservationists and other related fields.

People tend to hold on to post cards for some reason. (Although things may have changed and I'm going by the old timers when I say this about post card's retention value.) Another benefit of RPPC's is they are a cheap way to send out an original print. You can even edition them if you like.

Anyway, for New Year's 2022 RPPC mailing I'm sending out this old gal I shot in Hollywood, CA in 1973 when I was 18. 

Cornered, Hollywood, CA 1973

I think I shot it with an old Nikon F, although I also had an old Leica M3, I don't remember. As a kid starting out in 1969, one of my favorite photographers was Irving Penn. My other favorite photographer was Cartier-Bresson. I liked Penn's corner photo series, but I didn't pose this gal with Penn in mind when I shot this.

irving penn corner photos - Google Search

I was talking with her, and she just gravitated towards the corner. When I raised my camera to get a shot, she struck the pose. Later I found out she had a background in modeling in the 1940's. You can see some of her experience with the posing of her fingers and foot position. Eventually it sunk in that I had no talent as a studio photographer, so I gave up following in the footsteps of Penn and became a disciple of the Gospel according to Cartier-Bresson.

Sometimes I send out RPPC that need to be in an envelope due to content. I learned the hard way that inkjet prints on fine art paper have to be plastic sleeved if in an envelope. The rough handling abrades them, and ink can flake off. It is very fine faking, but still, it detracts from the image.

Postcards get really messed up if mailed direct, but that is to be expected. You would not think a print would get messed up in a stiff envelope / mailer unless it was bent up. That was one of the benefits of silver gelatin prints. The surface of wet darkroom prints was not as delicate as an inkjet print. If you use RC inkjet paper, they are more durable than fine art paper for inkjet prints. Fine art paper is composed of more loosely compressed fibers than RC paper and has a tendency to flake off it is rough handled. But fine art paper offers a nicer looking print than RC paper, generally speaking.

I started to print the post cards today. Every year I try to go through my mailing list to see if people moved jobs or galleries shut down. I hate that work the most. Even if they are misdelivered, that are like babies. Hopefully some survive somewhere. You just got to give it your best shot!

...all the best for 2022!

 

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.