If you’re having a tintype portrait made outside using natural light you will have to be still for about 4-6 seconds while the exposure is made depending on how bright out it is. I do have a head brace to assist and I will provide tips on how to be as still as possible. The more still you are, the more sharp you will be in the photo.

In studio settings I use high-powered flashes to make the exposure instantaneously.

In both situations you will have to also be still from when I complete the final focus to when I take the lens cap off to begin the exposure. Movements backward or forward could cause you to be out of focus in the photo.

My advice for wardrobe is to wear something that you like and feel confident in. You can wear your wedding dress, bat mitzvah suit, speed-o, t-shirt, vintage pantaloons.. really anything or nothing.

Clothing with patterns, little details and textures look really great in tintype portraits. In single portraits, your clothing will typically be a bit out of focus.

Bring any accessories or props that you want included in the portrait. This portrait will last hundreds of years, let’s make it really special.

Collodion sees colours differently than digital or film. Reds and colours with strong red tones like yellow or orange will appear quite dark. While blue will appear very light. How much a fabric reflects light will also determine how bright or dark it is.

We will reshoot a plate for no additional cost if you blink, the exposure isn’t ideal, or if there are some kind of chemical anomalies that takes away from the subject.

The very bright flash makes everyone feel like they blink but only a small handful of people actually do.

During studio sessions you will leave the session with the finished plate. After we shoot it, it will wash for 20 minutes and then be scanned, dried, varnished and boxed up.

At events & markets I will finish the plate afterwards and it will be available a few days later for pick-up at a pre determined location, or for an additional fee it can be sent via Canada Post.

In both situations you will receive your digital copy by email within the week.

Yes. The varnish has to cure for about 10 days after the session, then it can be put into a frame.

They look great 'floating’ in a shadow box but I think the best way to display them is in a small wooden holder so they can be seen as the physical object they are.

I sell small wooden holders for $10 or you can make your own if you have a table saw and some scrap wood hanging around.

• 4”x5” - 1 to 2 people.

• 5”x7” - 1 to 3 people.

• 8”x10” - 1 to 4 people.

The difficulty is ensuring everyone’s face is in the same plane of focus. Using large apertures on a large format results in a very narrow depth of field. With multiple people I would recommend deciding who has priority when it comes to the focus and I will do my best to get everyone else in there as well.

As long as it isn’t sitting all day, every day in the blazing sun and it isn’t cleaned with chemicals it should last a few hundred years.

It will be a heirloom that can be passed down through the coming generations, or it will be bought in an antique store by a futuristic hipster.

The plates are 0.02” thick glossy black aluminum. The image I create on them is made of silver… yes, real silver.

Learn more about the process to make a tintype here.

Yes! Kids and pets are welcome and do require a little more work to get sharp portraits.But if your little one is extra squirmy there is a strong likelihood that they won’t stay in the focal plane during the process.

At markets & events I can only do pets that can be held by their human in the photograph. In studio sessions have more options when it comes to pets.

Currently, I do not offer workshops on the process.

Even though I have been doing it since 2017 I am still learning about it today.

If you book a studio session you will be able to follow along with the process and I explain it all as I do it. Not the same as a hands-on workshop but it will give some perspective on what is needed to get started.