A tintype (tin type) is a chemical photographic process dating back to the Civil War era. 

Historically made on tin (hence the name), our modern-day tintypes are made on a plate of enameled aluminum. In the darkroom, a viscous substance called Collodion is poured onto the plate’s surface to act as an emulsion before the plate is immersed in a bath of silver nitrate. The chemical reaction that takes place creates a chemical surface sensitive to light.

Once the plate is sensitized and still wet, it is loaded into a camera and exposed to a tremendous amount of light, before quickly returning to the darkroom to develop the latent image. This process must be done quickly before the chemicals evaporate and the image is lost! 

Once the development process is stopped with water, it can be brought out into the light and you will see a negative image. This is when the magic happens. Once placed in a solution called fixer, the image undergoes a ghostly transformation from negative to positive right before your eyes. Once washed and dried, the plate is coated with a final layer of shellac and baked to form a hard shell. The plate is now ready to take home. 

Yes, there are many steps to this process. But the resulting image is worth the wait. A tintype is a timeless portrait with character and depth, unlike anything modern photography can produce. They are little pieces of history; modern heirlooms to be admired, cherished, and passed on for generations.

You! We want to share the magic of this process with everyone! Stop by one of our pop-up events to watch the magic of tintypes and we know you will want one of your own.

We take private bookings and welcome ALL individuals, pairs, and groups. We cater to special events, weddings, graduations, anniversaries, etc. Props, themed sessions, or special projects are all welcome. Let us know what you have in mind and we will help make it happen. 

Yes! We have years of experience working with two-legged and four-legged family members and have achieved some amazing results. However, animals and children are unpredictable. 

Movement will cause blurring in the final image, so for best results, the subject must stay as still as possible for 1-5 seconds after the focus has been locked in. Our strobe also produces a tremendous flash of light for a split-second exposure. Some kids love this experience, others do not. Animals who can sit and stay, or be nursed tend to work the best. If you have a special plan for family portraits, I suggest booking a private session rather than attending a pop-up. This gives us more time, fewer distractions, and a greater chance of achieving magical results

Come as you are or dress for the occasion. Everything captured through this process is enriched with a certain charm.  Old-time costumes, historic reenactment groups, cosplay, LARP, and special interest projects are all welcome. 

A NOTE ON TEXT and COLOR. All text and logos will be rendered backward due to the optical principles of analog photography. This can be reversed in digital copies, but the original plate will always be reversed. 

This is a black and white process and colors don’t translate as you might think. This process is most sensitive to blue light and less sensitive to red light. So red or warm tones (orange, yellow, brown) tend to show as darker, while blue tones are bright. 

Prices for tintypes will vary depending on size, volume, and location. We charge less during pop-up events, as the creative parameters and timeframe are limited. Pricing for events will be noted on each event. 

Private sessions and special events are quoted depending on the session length, number of plates, and location. We’ve worked to keep this process accessible and to engage with the broadest possible audience. Keep an eye on our social media for special events and discounts.

The price for a single tintype may seem high, but not when you consider what you get. Each tintype is a treasure we hope will be kept and shared for generations. People pay thousands of dollars for digital photos and have endless streams of images in the cloud thanks to camera phones. But how often do you print these? Or even look at them? 

Tintypes made almost 200 years ago are treasures in family albums today. They are inherited and cared for for generations. This is what we make.

Our tintypes will be the heirlooms you leave behind when you’re gone. It’s your story, written in silver and light for all time. 

In most cases, we will provide one free re-shoot if the subject blinks, the exposure is off, or one of the charming chemical anomalies creates an unsalvageable plate. Any additional exposures (same subject, same composition) will attract a $30 fee to cover material/time costs.

I will advise you if the subject isn’t holding still during the focus process and a good plate isn’t looking likely. However, once the decision to load a plate is made, the image is locked in and paid for. If the final tintype is unsatisfactory to you (due to your child or animal being blurry, making a bad face, etc but excluding the conditions above) you must still purchase the tintype and any re-shoots at cost.

Any film camera can be modified to make tintypes. The only limitation is size. Every image is unique, created through the chemical reaction of light and silver at the moment of exposure.   The plate you load into the camera is the same one you will take home. To achieve larger plates and greater image quality, we work with a fleet of large-format studio cameras and lenses from the 1900’s.