Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tintype?

A tintype is a photograph made by using one of the first photographic processes. It was invented in 1853 by Frederick Scott Archer (according to American history, anyway). 

It involves pouring a sticky substance that has been impregnated with salts onto a rigid substrate. 

Originally tintypists would have used iron as the substrate, though most modern practitioners use an aluminum substrate as it is more resistant to the corrosive properties of the silver nitrate, which is necessary to make the plate sensitive to light.

After the collodion (the sticky substance) is poured onto the plate, the solvents in the coating evaporate and  the plate is then lowered into a bath of silver nitrate where the silver finds the salts and combine with them to create a light-sensitive molecule of silver salt.

What should I wear?

You can wear whatever you’d like and feel free to bring an alternative outfit or two in case it suits your vision better. 

Some technical rules-of-thumb:

Natural fibers (cotton, linen, silk, etc) usually appear the same shade in a tintype. A medium green can translate to a medium grey. Two exceptions are red which usually goes darker and blue which can go a bit lighter. 

Synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, spandex, etc) tend to go really really dark. Whatever color it is, it will appear much darker in the tintype. This makes it more challenging to photograph and we recommend avoiding it if possible.

Can I wear makeup?

You are welcome to wear makeup if you’d like. Over the years I have noticed that any make-up with SPF protection usually hides whatever is underneath (freckles, moles, etc). Sometimes this can make your skin look waxy in the tintype so I recommend only wearing a small amount of foundation or concealer.

A bit of eye liner, mascara, or natural toned eyeshadow can make your eyes pop though any colors like pink, blue, green, etc won’t translate well.

Lipstick can look good but it tends to go darker than the intended shade, but feel free to bring some along — we can always give it a try!

What can I expect at the shoot?

The pace of the shoot will be slower than a “digital” photo shoot. Each plate needs to be prepared shortly before every picture, and it needs to be developed right away in order to capture the image. Each step of the process needs to be done in sequential order and there are no short-cuts. This means theres a lot of sitting patiently under some pretty bright lights alone, or with your loved one. I have found that clients take this time to contemplate how they want to appear or what emotion they would like to exude in their portrait.

A tintype session is very much an experience. I will ask you how you want to be portrayed — you can say anything from “happy” or “mysterious” to “the Indian goddess of war” or “autumn'“. Many people describe the slowness of the process as very introspective and collaborative. We don’t make as many images as we would with a digital camera, it’s just not necessary — we will work together to make a very special portrait and it doesn’t take long!

What do I get from a session?

All the tintype plates! After the shoot the plates will be washed, and dried overnight. Then they will be sprayed with a protective coat, scanned, and sleeved. I will frame the image(s) we agree upon in an acrylic frame, ready for presentation! The plates will be ready within 2-3 days, I will be in touch with you about pick up. It is also possible for them to be mailed if you aren’t local.

Feel free to ask about what we are currently offering regarding framing, we might have other framing styles available. We also offer digital files and framed prints for additional costs — see our Pricing page for more details.

How do I store/present my tintypes?

The tintype plates can be stored indefinitely in the clear archival sleeves or acrylic frames that you will receive them in. You don’t need to worry about UV light (sunlight) — tintypes do not fade, in fact they appear even more magical when viewed in direct light. If you really want to wow your friends and family, take them out into the sunlight and look closely — the image might surprise you! I recommend presenting them where they get a good amount of light so you can really see the image, but definitely keep them wherever makes you happy!

Check out the Tintype Care page for more info.

Can I get enlargements of the images?

Yes! The resolution of the tintype plates and their scans is immense (yes, even compared to most digital cameras). 

Because of the resolution your images can be enlarged to 16”x20” and bigger without noticeable degradation — in fact many times a tintype’s details are revealed when it is enlarged. 

The enlargements are all printed by me with my photo-pigment (giclée) printer on archival paper and UV coated. I do not permit anyone else to print my images, they are unique works of art and each print is made with hours of work and utmost attention to detail. Please see the Terms and Conditions page regarding this.

The print can be mounted onto a rigid substrate for a clean and simple presentation, or a more traditional approach with a window mat and metal or wood frame. I can accommodate multiple images in a frame or other special requests as I do all of the framing myself. If you have a special frame (family heirloom, special gift, etc) you would like to use I can, as long as it is sturdy and clean.