65th Annual New England Camera Club Council

Digital Silver Imaging exhibited at the 65th annual New England Camera Club conference in Amherst, MA this past weekend.  Despite the heat and economy, over 1,100 enthusiastic photographers came to learn, share, enjoy and talk about photography. According to NECCC staff, there were also 165 new registrants at this year's event.

The DSI Booth featured black & white print samples from our true silver gelatin printing process.  We showed examples of the RC and fiber prints from a variety of photographers, including Ron Rosenstock, Andy Ryan, Brian Marcus, and Herbie Greene.  Visitors were interested in learning about this photo chemical process as an alternative to inkjet printing.  We had some great examples of infrared photographs taken by photographer Ron Rosenstock.  We had converted his Canon 5D to the 715nm wavelength and had 3 large 20x24 black & white silver gelatin prints on display in our booth.

William Barnett's presentation "Beyond Human Vision - Infrared Photography" drew large crowds.  His knowledge of this creative art form is spectacular.  He explained many of the unique aspects of how cameras can be converted to capture in IR and the various wavelengths one can select for their camera.  He favors cameras with an electronic viewfinder, or live view, that make it easier to preview the image in infrared. Digital Silver Imaging is offering infrared camera conversions at a reasonable prices.

Victor Ha and Janice Wendt from Nik Software were also there doing presentations on the various plug-ins for Photoshop and Lightroom.  DSI sold copies of our favorite B&W plug-in, Silver Efex Pro and will have it on sale through the end of the month.  Photographers like the ease of the U-Point technology and control points and the black & white film grain works very well.  DSI had a drawing for a free copy of Silver Efex Pro and the winner will be announced on Monday the 19th.  Nik is also sponsoring a black & white photo contest in July.

The exciting news from Nik is their new HDR plug-in that is expected in early September.  The presentation on the software looks great and I'm sure this will be another great product from Nik.

I also spent some time talking with Alicia from Shuttbug Bag Designs. She just started her company in January and NECCC was her first trade show.  Her booth was very active for most of the show and photographers liked her new bag concepts.


We enjoyed being there again.  I got to hang out with my friend Paul from Lens Pro To Go and test out some of the great Nikon and Canon gear he is renting.  Call and ask him about his new "equestrian" lens!

Feats of Grandeur

Andy Ryan’s serene images of the sleek and mind-boggling-massive landmark projects of Beijing sparked awe-inspired conversation well past the viewing hours of the opening last night at the Griffin Gallery at Digital Silver Imaging.

Architects marveled at the scale and scope of Steven Holl’s Linked Hybrid complex including sky bridges containing a suspended swimming pool, gallery, theater and auditorium.  The bird’s nest design of the Beijing National Stadium, home of the 2008 Summer Olympics, was dwarfed from a distance. In comparison, the close-up capturing the broom-welding harnessed workers cleaning the façade brought home the magnitude of this $500 million feat of engineering and was a favorite among viewers.

Photographers marveled at the 3 sepia-toned prints from Polaroid Type 55 negatives which exemplify DSI's mission of the art of B&W in a digital world. The fairy tale quality captured in "Heaven" belies the gritty reality of this dangerous construction site. Kudos to our intern extraordinaire, Anna Rotti, who mastered this tricky technique.

The talk of the show were the fiber based prints flush mounted to aluminum. The unique sizes and ability to have the print float off the wall make for a stunning, clean and modern presentation. It amplified the starkness of the cutting edge architecture.

DSI had our own feat of grandeur in creating the workflow to provide these beautiful pieces. We are excited to add this output option to our services.

Andy provided a comprehensive presentation of the landmark projects in a digital slideshow. The show will be up for the summer and Andy will have a gallery talk on September 9th. Don't miss it.

Digital Silver Imaging
Belmont, MA

NH Wedding Giveaway

A free wedding you say? What is included in this wonderful wedding giveaway?

One of our clients, Kendal Bush Photography, told us about this idea. An independent group of like minded wedding professionals located in the Monadnock region of NH have joined together to donate time, space, products and services to create a beautiful winter wedding for one deserving couple at the elegantly rustic Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH.

The comprehensive wedding package will accommodate up to 100 guests and will take place on December 11th 2011. The contest kicks off May 5th 2010. Entrants will be required to write an essay introducing themselves and their fiance. Entrants must also explain why they deserve to win a wedding. The deadline for entries is January 23rd, 2011 at Stonewall Farm’s annual bridal show. The winner of the contest will be announced on February 14th, 2011.

http://nhweddinggiveaway.com/

Tradition: Innovated

Our new show featuring photographs by Charles A. Meyer captures a slice of life rarely seen by anyone not buying or selling a mule. Vintage in feel and intimately voyeuristic the images were shot over the past five years at the Dickson Mule Auction, the countries oldest and largest, held outside Nashville TN. Meyers’ explores the intersection between commerce and community, tradition and innovation, supply and demand, humility and profit.

Who knew these sterile crossbreeds to be such a complex and current topic? See Susan Orleans’ New Yorker article, Riding High: Mules in the Military, in the February 15 & 22nd issue.  Alongside the Mennonite, Amish and Mid-American family farmers buying and selling these exceedingly strong, intelligent, and endlessly tolerant, pack animals is the U.S. military - looking to fly some to Afghanistan.

Our opening was full of it’s own intersection of tradition and innovation, including friendship and state-of the-art technology. Charles A. Meyer taught Digital Silver Imaging’s owner, Eric Luden, traditional darkroom photography at Boston College twenty-seven years ago. Meyer shoots with a traditional medium format Hasselblad fitted with a 645 back and Ilford Delta 3200 film. DSI scanned his negatives to create digital files and used Nik Silver Efex Pro to retouch, edit and enhance the detail of his warm and moody images.

The crowd was filled with fellow photo professors: Peter Laytin, Lisa Kessler, and Rachel Loischild. Barbara Hitchcock, former Director of the Polaroid Collection and painter, Mark Cooper, joined Griffin Museum staff and Griffin family members at the show.
We were pleased to welcome newcomers to our gallery including the in-coming PRC director, Glenn Ruga, Stan Trecker, Director of The Art Institute of Boston, and freelance writer Delia K. Cabe. BC students came to see Meyers’ work and were introduced to the new technology by DSI production manager, Christopher Bowers. They stated; ”It smells like a darkroom in here” and were “blown away” by the capability of DSI’s Durst Theta.

The exhibit is on display through June 6th and the gallery is free and open to the public Mon - Fri from 9 - 5:30.  All of the images are custom framed by Ava Art of North Andover, MA.

It's INFRARED season

Now that New England has finally thawed out, the trees are beginning to show signs of life and the warmer weather is bringing new growth.  For some, this is time to start gardening and preparing the lawn.  But for photographers, the photosynthesis and all that heat energy make us want to shoot infrared photographs.  Shooting in infrared is another way to create stunning black and white images.

© David Fronapfel

Once Kodak stopped making the infamous HIE-36 Infrared Film, many photographers were left with few choices to create infrared photographs.  Many people have tried to recreate the IR look in Photoshop, but these are not authentic infrared images. With the advent of digital cameras, many photographers are discovering that they can convert an older model digital camera to capture in true infrared. The IR blocking filter is removed from the camera's digital sensor. It means that once the camera is converted, it becomes a dedicated IR camera. But, the advantage is that you don't need any special filters on  the lens (like we did with film) and you can shoot at any ISO, handheld, and be able to see what you shot on your camera preview!  If you have a newer model DSLR with liveview, you can actually see the image before you shoot.

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of infrared photography.  The interest in this medium continues to grow and more photographers are looking to find reliable and affordable ways to convert their cameras to capture in infrared.  Digital Silver Imaging has been chosen by Precision Camera as their key partner in Infrared conversions.  Precision is able to provide top notch conversions with spectacular service and turn around times.  As their largest customer of infrared conversions, Digital Silver Imaging's IR Conversion Service is competitively priced.  Compact cameras are only $149 and DSLR's range from $299 -$349. We can convert in three different wavelengths, depending on the photographer's interest.

The chart shows 2 different wavelengths, 665nm and 715nm.  The 715nm is your typical Infrared Conversion. It blocks wavelengths shorter than 715nm and allows those longer than 715nm to go through. It is a true Infrared filter that should primarily be used for B&W photos, although very limited color Infrared pictures are possible. Conversions performed with the 715nm filter are capable of rendering beautiful and rich Black and White images with a dramatic Infrared look to them.

The 665nm is a specialized Infrared Conversion. It blocks Wavelengths shorter than 665nm and allows those longer than 665nm to go through. This conversion is especially well suited for color Infrared Photography because of its broader transmittance properties. With this conversion a more saturated color infrared image is possible. B&W Infrared is also possible with the 665nm although the results will not be as dramatic as the 715nm.

The 830nm is also now available.  Deep Infrared Filter which allows for a very dramatic B&W IR look. Not suitable for color work. Filter has a cutoff point of 830nm, which means that only wavelengths over 830nm will expose the sensor. Since visible light cuts off at 720nm, the 830nm will give you a deep infrared look which is reminiscent of the old IR Black and White films.

Once a camera is converted, the file is still captured in RGB, so some post production is always necessary.  We have been working with Nik Software Silver Efex Pro   for all of our black and white work at Digital Silver Imaging.  DSI's exceptional silver gelatin prints are enhanced by the power of Nik Software's Photoshop plugins.  Silver Efex Pro has become our standard for all of our black and white printing at DSI.  It does an excellent conversion from color RGB to black and white RGB by preserving all the values in each of the 3 channels.


We have found that the Infrared files out of any of the 3 choices work very well with Silver Efex Pro.  One of the presets provided in their software is called "High Structure" and this does a very good job of enhancing the file.  The software works with Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture and most versions of Photoshop Elements.  It is easy to learn and use.  We recommend downloading their 15 Day Free Trial and trying the software.  But remember to save some money, buy the software from Digital Silver Imaging!

As an authorized reseller for both Nik Software and IR Conversions from Precision Camera, Digital Silver Imaging has been leading the way in providing exceptional black and white workflow solutions for today's digital photographers.   Combine these two creative black and white digital solutions with our true black and white silver gelatin printing and you can recreate the beauty of classic black and white photographs without having a darkroom.

As part of our ongoing campaign to help educate our clients about the benefits of Nik Software, we are sponsoring a free 1 hour webinar on Silver Efex Pro on Wednesday April 21st.  Vistor Ha will be leading the online seminar and the best part is, you can join in right from your own computer! Registration is required for the online training.

Black & White workflow using Nik Silver Efex Pro-Wed April 21st

Digital Silver Imaging is pleased to announce our 2nd FREE Webinar on Nik Software and Silver Efex Pro.

When: Wednesday April 21st 1PM Eastern Time
Where: Your Computer

Registration Required at the DSI Site

Join Victor Ha of Nik Software and Digital Silver Imaging for an in depth training on the award winning Nik Silver Efex Pro. Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software is the most powerful tool for creating professional quality black and white images from your digital files. For the first time, all the advanced power and control required for professional results have been brought together in one convenient tool. We will demonstrate how to work with your digital files from RAW to print in an easy to follow online training.

Digital Silver Imaging's exceptional silver gelatin prints are enhanced by the excellence of Nik Software Photoshop plug-ins.  We have been using Silver Efex Pro in our lab since Nik Software launched the software in July 2008.  It has revolutionized the way we worked and saved us many hours of wasted production time.  It provides an excellent conversion from color RGB to B&W RGB and preserves all the necessary information in the channels to provide smooth transitions form highlight to shadow in our silver printing process.  In addition, the Upoint Technology developed by Nik Software makes use of the Control Points in their plugins for precise control of specific areas of your files, without having to make multiple masks.  In addition, the film grain simulation that is built into Silver Efex Pro is phenomenal!

We have printed images for Nik Software, for their trade show booths, and made many successful black & white prints for clients around the world.  As a result, we have become a reseller of the Nik Software and have excellent pricing on all of their plugins. 

Be sure to join us for the free webinar training on Thursday April 21st at 1PM Eastern Time.

Intrepid Visitors from Maine Media Workshops

Facing south and driving through a few hours of torrential rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of this Maine Media Workshop class visiting Digital Silver Imaging yesterday. Professor Brenton Hamilton brought this international group of shooters to learn about the process of creating silver gelatin prints from digital files.

Their interests range from street photography to portraiture with the majority deep in exploration and hopeful to find a career path at the end of their intensive study. A few are dedicated to creating silver prints and one is using Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro and happy with the Dfine plug-in that reduces noise from digital files available in the Nik Complete Collection. One teacher and some students are multi-media focused with still imagery just one piece of their portfolio.

Owner Eric Luden gave a brief overview of his vantage point of the digital revolution and it's impact on classic B&W output solutions. They received a hands-on demonstration of DSI's blend of traditional silver gelatin printing practices and new technology solutions.

Students took in our present show by Jonathan Spath.

ASA Photographic Portrait & Wedding Lighting Workshop with Dan Doke

My friends Gail & George Lucozzi are sponsoring a workshop at their studio in North Billerica, MA.






Details for the lighting workshop:

Sunday April 25th or Monday April 26th
Time: 8:30 on both days

Course Description:

Doors will open at 8:30am so come on in, grab a coffee and muffin and chat with the other participants—network, network, network! 

The morning, a lecture style class, will begin at 9am.  Dan will discuss how to find light, balance different types of light and how to make the best out of any location. 

We will break for lunch at noon, pizza and salad will be provided though you are welcome to bring an alternative of your own.

In the afternoon, models will join us for a hands-on demonstration.  Participants will see Dan in action and have opportunities to put their new found knowledge to the test!  We will explore the renovated mill building with our bridal couple, find the light and create dynamic portraits!

This training is geared for the advanced photographer.  Participants are encouraged to bring their camera and a fast lens, flashes are optional.  Please label your gear.

Be sure to visit their site for complete details and registration.

Competition Printing Services

Digital Silver Imaging is pleased to announce the launch of our new Competition Printing services.  We have added this service to meet the growing demand for black & white printing.  I have seen an increase in black & white prints at the regional PPA competitions and noticed that many of the prints are on color papers.  Many photographers had moved away from printing b&w images due to the color cast they were getting from their professional color labs.

We recently did two true black & white competition prints for Dan Doke at the Professional Photographer's of Massachusetts convention and this is his response to our printing:

 "Man they look awesome.  I used to be a pretty good black and white printer...Then digital set in 10 or so years ago and I did not touch my darkroom. I got used to the bluish grey color my lab put out.  I sent those same files to my color lab and they said that the contrast was off and would not look good.  So I called you right away and had Digital Silver Imaging do  them.  They look awesome!!  I forgot about the real blacks and mid-tones in a real print. I am blow away."

Dan earned two blue ribbons, including an 82 & a 90 for his two images.

Digital Silver Imaging's Competition Printing services are reasonably priced and provide a great solution for your print.  We use true Ilford B&W silver gelatin papers and chemicals to produce neutral tone, archival prints.  These are mounted to the appropriate board for PPA competition requirements.

A Pulitzer nearly Missed? Jan 2010 News Photographer

 

Photographer Stanley Forman came to Digital Silver Imaging a few months back to discuss his images and "brainstorm" about how we might work together.  He has been successful at selling some of his singular Pulitzer Prize  winning photographs, including Old Glory and Fire Escape Collapse. We suggested creating a digital contact sheet from that fateful day when he captured the images that make up Old Glory.  As you look through the images, the sequence that appears rolls like a film.  The brutality is not easy to look at, but the images, the bystanders, that lead up to the final frame are important in the context that Stanley Forman captured these images.

This month, NPPA's News Photographer Magazine ran a feature story and they used our digital contact image that we created.  Following is an excerpt from the full article:

Forced busing was in its’ second year the Spring of 1976 holding steady a sense of outrage and heated passion for citizens of Boston. A pleasant April day I reported to the City Room and was cleared by my editor, Al Salie, to join Gino (Gene Dixon) at the latest anti-busing demonstration at City Hall. I found a parking spot on Cambridge Street, grabbed Glossy, my dog, two Nikon F’s with 3 lens and 2 motor drives.

Anti-busing proponent and City Counselor, Louise Day Hicks, had hosted a group of students in the Chambers for a salute to the flag, served with cookies and milk. Pouring onto the Plaza steps after the reception, this group of demonstrators confronted a second group of students invited to tour the Hall. Tempers flared and some shoving began.

I had a 135mm lens and motor drive on one camera and a 35mm on the other. As the shuffling began I switched my 35 mm lens to a 20 mm. Over my shoulder I saw a Black man (later identified as Ted Landsmark) approach the Plaza from Washington and State and immediately thought he would be a target.

I felt like I was watching a Clint Eastwood movie, witnessing the slow-motion moment when the gauntlet is tossed before igniting the outbreak of violence. I started taking photos with the 20 mm lens. Detecting a sound I realized the motor wasn’t transporting  film. I stopped shooting continuous shots and pressed the button for one frame at a time. 

The victim, Ted Landsmark, was transported to the Mass General Hospital. The crowd worked it’s way to the Federal Court House in Post Office Square. Once there I was told to run my shots into the Herald by reporter, Joe Driscoll. I did not grasp the magnitude of what I captured until later that day.

AP and the Globe had tried to cover it from a bad angle and before the real action began. I had the best shots. The demonstration had come to me. I took my chances and developed my film in the unreliable Kodak Versamat at the office, known to shred film like a pasta-maker. It developed just the way it should have. 

The editors were very frightened by the series of images captured on my contact sheet. It was a volatile situation, it was busing, and this was Boston.  As fate would have it, Howard Hughes had died that day. Appeased by sharing front-page space with other big news, they no longer feared showing the racism that rang out that day on the top of page one.  

We were the first paper in Boston to get motor drives and the whole staff got one Nikon F with a motor drive and 4 lenses: 20, 35, 135 and 200.  We had community lens in the locker for longer telephotos.  I bought my own second Nikon F camera. I was always prepared and I got my shot.

Working with Digital Silver Imaging I have reprinted the original contact sheet. It allows me to show the full impact of the photo series. The full story did not run then but can be viewed in new light today. For prints contact www.digitalsilverimaging.com.