MENU

Are they really on tin?

Tintype is a photography process that dates back to the early 1850's. They were made by coating chemicals on a thin sheet of metal and then while they are still wet exposing them to the light. 

The same process is still done today by photographers all over the world and it's one I'm excited to offer you here in my studio. 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

The entire appointment usually takes 30 mins - 1 hour depending on how many portraits you’re booking. Our exposure time is instant, so you don’t have to hold your pose for more than 3 to 5 seconds. You will need to stay in place and not make large movements for up to 6 minutes while you are in focus and the film is being prepared. After taking your portrait, you’ll receive the digital files by email within 48 hours, but the physical plate will be available for pick up on Wednesdays or we can ship it to you for a $5 fee.

DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT?

Yes! Our studio is only available by appointment unless a pop-up event happens where it will be a first come - first served basis.

CAN WE BOOK THE WHOLE FAMILY?

At this time this is not a possibility in our studio due to the restrictions with the process. Please know that this is not because we don’t want to make a beautiful picture of your entire family together. Since we are still using historical equipment, our depth of field is extremely shallow and the more people in the image the more likely the quality and sharpness will suffer. We recommend purchasing a package, and splitting into groups. You can frame or display the photos side by side so everyone is still all together. The most we can do is 2 at a time.

WHAT DO I WEAR?

You truly can wear anything! It is completely up to you if you want to look modern, get fancy, be casual, or do a theme. Novelty items (like a hat or dramatic necklace) look great, themed outfits are fun, patterns/prints/textures add a lot of depth, and you are more then welcome to bring any props you would like. Text/Logos/Badges Etc: Our historic camera does flip all images horizontally. As a result, these things will show up backwards. We don’t mind it, but if you do then we’d recommend to avoid wearing anything you wouldn’t want to show up flipped.

MORE THINGS TO KNOW...

Tones: Red tones will translate looking dark, and blue tones will translate looking light. Glasses: We will strongly encourage you to remove them. This is for a few reasons - with strobe lighting it can be difficult to not catch a reflection in the lens, any glasses with blue light blocker or UV protection will look dark (like sunglasses), dirty or scratched glasses can affect eye clarity. Since the eyes are the focal point of the photo, we do not recommend distracting from them. SPF Blocker/Sunscreen: We strongly recommend not to wear it as your skin will show up darker then it’s natural tone, double check your face makeup/cover up if you are wearing any to make sure it doesn’t contain SPF blocker. Red Lipstick: Red tones show up dark, a lot of people like the look of that but we just want you to be aware :)

WHAT SIZE IS IT & WHEN DO I TAKE IT HOME?

This is a special process and the image on the plate is the actual negative and the only copy of the image. My camera is a 4x5 large format vintage camera and this is one of the reasons you can not take your tin the day of the portrait. I will photograph your tin with my professional portrait camera and send you a digital version within 48 hours of your sitting. This will also allow you to purchase your portrait on aluminum in a larger size for your walls at home. Another reason you can not take your tin the day of is so I can seal it with a protective coating so the silver will not scratch off and it will last hundreds of years like the ones your ancestors took.

HOW DOES THE TINTYPE PROCESS WORK?

Upon your arrival we will take some time to chat with you about any of your needs/concerns, and go through the process with you. I will then pose you and adjust the camera/lighting. I will ask you to sit still while I get the camera into focus. Next I will go to the darkroom and begin preparing the film. This can take up to 6 minutes and during this time you can relax and blink etc, but not make any large movements. I will then bring out the plate coated in film, focus one more time, count to 3, and FLASH (it is shockingly bright…)

At that point, your work is all done and you can move and relax while we finish preparing your one of a kind photo. I will take it back into the darkroom to develop it for 2-3 minutes, and then I will bring it out in its negative form. You can watch and record at this point while I put it into a fixer bath and the negative turns into a positive while you watch!

After taking your portrait, you’ll receive a high resolution digital copy by email within 48 hours. The physical plate will be available for pick up on the following Wednesday or we can ship it to you for a $5 fee. We also offer metal prints of your tintype in any size, which you’ll be able to order directly from the emailed digital copy of your session. 

BOOK A CONSULT
CLOSE