What is Wet Plate Collodion? 

Wet Plate Collodion, also known as “tintypes,” is a photographic process that was invented in 1851. It involves taking a thin sheet of metal, referred to as a plate, and pouring collodion directly onto it. The plate is then placed in a silver nitrate solution, which makes it light-sensitive and ready to capture an image!

How long is a session ? 

Typically the process of making a plate, posing and shooting takes about 30 minutes but I make my sessions an hour to allow for a second plate to make any changes or adjustments, and this is included in my session. 

If I’m not happy with how the image turned out? Will you re-shoot?

I offer one complementary reshoot with the session but anything past that will cost $25 per plate, I will re-shoot at no additional cost if:

There’s a chemical issue that impacts the final quality of the image.

I made a significant mistake, it happens sometimes!

How many people can you shoot at once ?

Due to the limitations and size restrictions, I can only shoot a max of five people in one plate.

How long do I have to sit still ?

You may have heard about the very scary  long exposure times! While you will have to be very still it will never be over thirty seconds. Typically exposure time can range from two seconds to thirty seconds 

What do I wear ? 

Let me preface this by saying , you can wear whatever you like, but when picking what to wear to your tintype it's important to understand a few things! 

Color values appear distinct on tintypes compared to traditional black and white film. Cool tones translate to light grays, while blues and purples look very pale. On the other hand, warm tones such as red, orange, and yellow appear as dark gray to black.

Tintype chemistry does not recognize the color blue.

Other things to keep in mind !

• High contrast patterns look great, especially in mid-color ranges.

• Clothing with texture or detail can look particularly good in tintypes, as this adds some depth

• Anything with writing, numbers or logos will appear backwards!

Can I bring props ?

Props are encouraged at my tintype sessions, so if you have a fun prop, please bring it along!

Feel free to share any creative ideas you have for tintypes. Don't hesitate to tell me about any wild ideas – I'll do my best to bring your creative vision to life!