Common Questions

This isn’t your everyday photo shoot and I get a lot of questions about what to expect. Please know this is a rare difficult practice and I try my best to make the best possible tintype that both you and I enjoy. This often takes time and collaboration to make great art.

What do I wear? This is the most common question, the answer is always “bring options, bring accessories”. Colors in this process is different. Blue is white, yellow and red is often black and green does all kinds of weird things. Factor in the background and it sounds like a mess! No worries though, as the surprise of what color does what is just another fun thing about tintype photography. If you bring options and accessories we can always change up if something isn’t desired. I love it when people have creative ideas for shoots, please share them with me before the session so we can both be prepared.

How long do I have to stand still? Depends. For studio shoots the actual shot is instantaneous with bright strobe lights but often you must remain in a similar position for up to a minute before. This is best for young children and pets as outdoors is a bit trickier in this regard. Outdoor sessions involve the sun and it’s intensity varies with the weather, shade and time of day and even year. It is common to have to stay perfectly still for 1-5 seconds but we often find a way of grounding the individuals to help with steadiness.

How long does it take? It is tough practicing a historical process in a fast paced expectation of the modern world. It is important to remember that I am not only the photographer but also the little factory building the plate and the one processing the results on location. Each tintype is done one by one; start to finish, and this does take some time. I have become very good at being efficient in this process but I also have learned that if you rush this process it is going to be a bad day. Please leave ample time for your session so that we can enjoy the process and do it right.

After we have created the tintypes, they must be washed extensively then varnished. I often have them in a sleeve ready to go by the next day and we can chat how to best get them to you the day of your shoot.

Can I have multiple copies? One thing I find extremely special about tintypes are that they are one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated. Think of them like the original oil painting which makes them all the more valuable. If you would like a *digital scan please let me know and I will include it with no extra charge. (*this may delay the process of returning the tintype to the sitter)