MILT STUDIOS is a personal analog photography darkroom, collection, and creative space based in Kingston, New York — rebuilt with deep respect for history and the traditions of film photography. At its core is the original darkroom once used to preserve and print the photographic legacy of jazz legend and photographer Milt Hinton.

The darkroom has a remarkable journey. Its roots trace back to a 12th Street apartment in New York City, where David G. Berger — a close friend and longtime collaborator of Hinton — lived and worked. Alongside Holly Maxson, Berger dedicated decades to preserving and organizing Milt’s vast archive of black-and-white jazz photography. Within this workspace, thousands of negatives, contact sheets, and prints were developed, including images later published in landmark books such as Bass Line and OverTime.

The Darkroom Set was later acquired from an art conservator in Cold Spring, NY, with many original boxes and envelopes still addressed to Berger and Milt Hinton. Several of those boxes were marked “MILT’S DARKROOM,” a label that revealed how the space had once been known during its years of use. While it’s unclear if Berger and Hinton ever formally called it that, carrying the name forward is a way of honoring the legacy.

The decision to call it MILT STUDIOS reflects both that history and the possibilities ahead. The plural acknowledges that the space is more than a single darkroom — it is also a collection, a teaching space, and a hub for collaboration. It pays tribute to the history contained in those boxes while opening the door for new voices and projects.

Today, MILT STUDIOS in Kingston gives this historic darkroom new life. It serves as both a working space and a tribute — a place where history, craft, and community meet, and where the art of analog printing can continue to inspire future generations.

MILT STUDIOS is based in Kingston, NY. For more information or darkroom inquiries, please get in touch.