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How many people travel across state lines to attend an opening? Apparently, several! Estimates of 100 guests filled the gallery with a tangible buzz over the toned, sepia toned fiber prints of Francine Zaslow’s collaboration with chef David Remillard and food stylist Beth Wickwire.

On it’s way to a cookbook, the work was influenced by the practice of utilizing the whole animal in foods of other cultures. The decision to print the digital images in black and white turned vegetables, fish and fowl into sculpture; a feast of texture and painterly still-life beauty. Known for her attention to detail and a Zen-quality of suspension – Francine enhanced the “otherworldly” quality of the prints with painted backdrops by Susan Strauss. The eloquent artist statement by Tom Babbitt speaks to the journey beyond food to the cycles of life, art and spirit that the images evoke.

Local photographers including Sylvia Stagg-Giuliano, Nancy Carbonaro, Randy Goodman, Meg Birnbaum, Bruce Peterson and Bob Packert joined Barbe Ennis & Michelle Tetrault of Ennis, Inc and stylist Ann Fitzgerald of Team in admiring their colleague. Guests from Maine, CT, NH and Western Mass made the effort to be part of the celebration. City Planners and Renovation Specialist Bruce Irving, who attended our last architectural show and gallery talk made their way to explore this body of work.

At Digital Silver Imaging, we celebrate the myriad connections the gallery affords us with our community.   Intended as a format to showcase our ability to make true, silver gelatin prints from digital files and exposing the art of photography to unique audiences – we have tapped a creative synergy beyond our expectations. We may ship internationally and form virtual relationships, but we continue to be grateful, honored and amazed by the cycles of relationships within our own photographic network.  We are grateful for our association with the Griffin Museum of Photography and the amazing support from director Paula Tognarelli and Frances Jacubek.

All 13 of the toned silver gelatin fiber prints are in our online gallery.  The images are 18×24, and framed 25×31 for $1200.  The diptych image is 20×30 in a 26×36 and is $1400.  Please contact Eric Luden at Digital Silver Imaging for details.

“Food Cycles” is on display DSI in Belmont through Nov 12th.  Gallery hours are Mon – Fri 9-5:30.  Francine will have a gallery talk on October 14th at 7PM at the DSI gallery in Belmont, MA.

 Andy Ryan‘s gallery talk drew an SRO crowd of Architects, MIT faculty and Photographers eager to learn the inside story on documenting the landmark projects construction over seven years. Ryan accompanied his remarks with a slide presentation of images documenting twenty years of work in China. He discussed the major impact digital photography has had on his workflow, his ability to create a vast archives of “virtual” work and the challenges related to usage rights.

He related his use of equipment and the capturing of a matrix of images to control for distortion while covering the immense expanse of these huge structures.  This attention to detail and honoring the needs of his clients is tantamount to the process. Architect Steven Holl remains particularly pleased by Ryan maintaining his favored cubed windows, patterns and shapes from becoming rectangular. Ryan shoots with a Hasselblad digital camera and has been working with their GPS metadata systems as part of his work. These massive files are stitched together in post production creating finely detailed and sharp images. Ryan chose to work with Digital Silver Imaging to produce rich toned black & white silver gelatin fiber prints using a true photographic process to maintain the integrity of his work.

Discovering, initiating and building creative relationships is at the heart of Ryan’s work. He actively courts several clients simultaneously to make the most of the time spent abroad. Dealing with the incredibly crowded, dusty, busy city is a constant challenge. The winds that create the below freezing winter temperatures also make for a crystal blue sky.

You can view the complete portfolio from our recent exhibition, Architecture of the New China: Landmark Projects of Beijing. 

All of the images from this exhibition are for sale.  Please contact the gallery for further information.  info@digitalsilverimaging.com

https://digitalsilverimaging.com/23/

Digital Silver Imaging is excited to announce the pre-launch of the latest Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture plugin from Nik Software. Nik HDR Efex Pro will revolutionize the way photographers work with HDR files and tone-mapping.  We have seen test files from the new software and think the simplified Nik experience will make this a great new product. The software will start shipping in early October.  Check the DSI site for special ordering info and pricing.

“Experience all the power, control, and creative expression HDR has to offer with HDR Efex Pro, the essential new High Dynamic Range imaging standard.

For the first time, high dynamic range imaging has been simplified and redefined to produce the highest quality realistic and artistic HDR images possible.

HDR Efex Pro includes a revolutionary all-in-one workflow with a wide selection of one-click visual presets for fast results and the highest quality possible.

Advanced class-leading tone-mapping technology, innovative new capabilities for efficient handling of image alignment and ghosting control, U Point® technology for precise selective fine- ‐tuning of colors and tonality throughout your image, and full access to shadow and highlight details make HDR Efex Pro the first choice among discerning photographers. Finishing touches like color and contrast control and vignettes let photographers enhance their images from subtle and natural looking to the surreal.”

DSI has special pricing on both of the Nik Software Complete Collections that include a FREE upgrade to the HDR Pro Efex software in early October.  If you pre-order the HDR Efex Pro software, there is a special $10 discount.

We just came back from a road trip that took us up to Maces Bay in NB Canada (part of the Bay of Fundy) and then back down through Portland, ME.  I am still editing all my infrared shots I took up in Canada.  We have a Nikon D80 that was converted to Infrared and I am still working on the files in Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro. 

The coast is amazing up there; very rustic and rugged. This photo is actually from Portland; I don’t have any of the other shots edited yet, so you’re getting one shot from the iPhone!

During our stop in South Portland (we were looking for a lobster roll!) we came across Meredith Perdue and her photo studio on Prebble St.  She had a lot of black & white photographs hanging in her studio, so we had to stop in and introduce ourselves. She does very elegant portraits and other photography.  She is conveniently located next to the best ice cream shop I have been to.  You’ll have to visit Meredith at her photography studio to find out the name of the best ice cream in Portland, ME. You can tell them Eric & Syb sent you!

I’ll have more of the infrared shots to upload here soon.

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 20×24 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!

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