About Us

Bringing the Beauty of True Black & White to Digital Photography.

Digital Silver Imaging combines the advancements of digital photography with the aesthetic and archival properties of true black & white printing. Using digital photographic laser technology, silver gelatin papers, and traditional black & white photo chemistry, we bring your photographic vision to life in beautiful, continuous tone prints that will last a lifetime.

A Black & White Specialist with a Custom Approach.

Clients upload their digital files or send us their negatives and prints for scanning. We work with each client and discuss any printing issues we may encounter prior to making your print. We wont print any files that may produce inferior results; that way there are no surprises!

Each Digital Silver Image is printed in our state-of-the-art lab, exposed with a Durst Theta 51 RGB photographic laser printer and traditional black & white chemistry. Our machine is calibrated each day to ensure consistent results and optimal dMax on each print we make.

You choose from two unique print surfaces:

ILFOBROM GALERIE FB is a premier weight panchromatic double weight 255g/m2 fibre based paper with a semi-gloss finish. Prints made on this paper have deep, rich blacks, brilliant whites and an excellent tonal rendition. It is suitable for a wide range of applications that require a fine quality printing paper, such as, archival prints for museums, collections and exhibitions; prestige applications which focus attention on both the look and the feel of the print. It is the only digital paper of its kind in the world.

or

Ilford ILFOSPEED Digital RC is a premium quality paper on a 190g/m2 medium weight resin coated base with a Pearl (Luster) finish. It has a bright white base tint and a neutral image color whether viewed in daylight or fluorescent light. ILFOSPEED Digital RC is suitable for a wide range of applications, including commercial portraiture, wedding, press, industrial, advertising, and display work.

Here are a few of the advantages:

• No Tone Disruption. Inkjet printers build black & white tones by laying color and black and white ink droplets onto the paper surface, leading to unwanted dither patterns. DSI uses a light source, exposing a silver gelatin layer within the paper to produce a true continuous tone from shadows to highlight.
• No Color Variance. Color RA4 printers rely on color dyes to replicate black & white tones, so blacks and grays often have a hint of other colors (i.e. magenta or cyan). DSI´s print process is founded on light, silver, and chemistry. Blacks are 100% black, grays are fully gray, color shifts are non-existent.
• No Ink Reflection. Ink pigments reflect light, resulting in unwanted glare or metamerism across your print. With DSI, your image emerges from the paper itself, not from a compilation of ink on paper, so there are no unexpected bursts of light.
• No Unwanted Texture. In order to address the challenges of photo printing, inkjet paper manufacturers have begun producing a special photo inkjet papers with a matte finish. However, these papers come with an issue all their own - unwelcome texture.
• No Questions about Longevity. Fiber-based black & white prints are proven to last over a hundred years. The inkjet process has existed for a fraction of that time. Why take a chance that your once-in-a-lifetime image may end up short-lived?

If you´re looking for black & white, get REAL black & white - with Digital Silver Imaging.

Don’t Settle for Anything Less than
Timeless Black & White.

Digital Silver Imaging is the first New England-based photo lab to integrate photographic laser technology and classic black & white printing. Other photo labs produce digital black & white prints on color (RA4) papers & chemicals or a variety of inkjet printers. These two processes are not pure because they utilize color materials and inks to produce a black and white photograph, resulting in inconsistent tonality, color variance and unproven longevity. Digital Silver Imaging does not.

About DSI’s Founder

Digital Silver Imaging was founded by Eric Luden, a former executive at Ilford Photo and a noted commercial and fine art photographer. In the 1980s, Eric worked with a variety of clients and exhibited his black & white photographs throughout New England. During the 90s, he served as a consultant with Eastman Kodak’s black & white division before joining Ilford, where he worked for over 12 years. In 2006, he became the VP of Marketing for HARMAN technology, the parent company of Ilford Photo. Eric’s understanding of Ilford and HARMAN papers is unparalleled. He brings decades of print experience to Digital Silver Imaging, having worked with leading inkjet companies and traditional photo manufacturers. What’s more, he has worked closely with photographers, educators, and photo labs throughout his career. Through Eric’s knowledge of silver gelatin papers, digital laser technology, and black & white printing, DSI is positioned to become the region’s premier digital black & white lab, serving photographers throughout New England and beyond.

J.Sybylla Smith: Gallery Curator

J.Sybylla Smith edits anything that is not nailed down. With fifteen years experience in the world of advertising and editorial photography, Smith's work has been published in venues as diverse as W, Rolling Stone, Architectural Digest and People. Whether her role is as Creative Director for a global luxury hotel's marketing campaign, Art Director for a classic retailer's extreme sportswear catalog, or as freelance wardrobe stylist shooting an IBM campaign with Kodak' Icon Photographer Dan Winters, Smith creates visual language. Able to distill the essence of a concept she communicates ideas by creating a beautiful image.

As curator of the Griffin Museum of Photography @ Digital Silver Imaging her bold curiosity is exemplified in her range of subjects. Her premiere show, Off the Wall:Fashion Photography in Black & White, included 11 fashion photographers from veteran shooters to new kids on the block. She led noted landscape photographer, Neal Rantoul, in a breakout departure of new work in Collections: Anatomical Studies from the 19th Century.

Smith's laser sharp vision and highly developed aesthetic search for decisive images that inform a cohesive representation of the photographer' voice. Holding a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a Masters from Columbia University she approaches her work with a blend of respect for design history and a search for a new way to see. While studying in Switzerland and Paris, she pursued her passion of visual culture with a concentration in costume history and interior design.