"The instrument is not the camera, but the photographer." Eve Arnold

All Vintage Vignettes photographs are museum quality prints. We use special, silver-infused paper imported from Canada and England. This paper is not available in the United States. Unlike the paper used in digital photography, our paper contains real silver, which creates a radiant luminosity in our photographs. Our pictures literally reflect light back at the viewer.
 
Our hand-tinting process is a vanishing art. First, we sepia-tone each black and white print. This creates the warm, brownish tone so familiar in beautiful, vintage photographs. After the toning process is complete, the surface of the paper is prepared with a special linseed oil mixture. Our hand-tinters then add color with oil paint using a variety of brushes and high quality cotton to create a subtle, dreamlike coloring. We do not rely on snapshots in order to recreate real-life colors. Instead, Dana records all hair, skin, eye, clothing and scenic colors using the artist's language of color description.

Sepia-toned

Hand-tinted

Since digital photography is quick, easy, and cheap, almost all photography studios are following this trend at the expense of quality. Without the light created by true silver-infused paper, digital prints can never be more than glorified Xeroxes. In addition, the longevity of digital paper and ink is questionable. In most cases, the end result is hardly worth its beautiful framing. Vintage Vignettes photographs are archival photographs. Like a fine painting, they will live in your family for generation after generation.

First we "spot" the print	Then we prepare the surface of the print for hand tinting.
Next we add the skin tone and hair color to the sepia-toned print.
Then the color is applied to the clothes.		Finally we enhance the background.