How to Elevate your Tintype Portrait
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To make your tintype stand out, focus on:
Posing: Align subjects within a narrow plane for focus. Classic solo poses work best, and hands can add depth.
Props: Choose meaningful items to tell a story, but be mindful of how they’re held and their color.
Clothing: Your style can elevate the portrait, especially when considering texture, layering, and patterns. Experiment with outfits that might not work in sharp focus but shine in tintype.
These details turn a great portrait into something unforgettable.
I’m really proud of all the tintype portraits I’ve made since 2017. If I’m not happy with how one turns out, I just pour another plate and give it another go.
After making thousands of tintype portraits, I’ve figured out what really makes one stand out. I’ve broken it down into a few key ingredients that take a portrait to the next level.
Posing
I’ve touched on the topic of choosing solo or couple’s portraits in another post, but it’s worth revisiting when talking about posing. In my cozy tintype studio, posing options are naturally limited by a few factors.
To keep multiple faces in focus, everyone needs to be positioned within the same narrow plane perpendicular to the camera. This focused area in my studio is just 2–10 cm deep, so alignment is key.
As you can see in the example above, this limitation affects the poses that multiple subjects can achieve. If one person is too far forward or back, they’ll fall out of focus. This is why most tintype couple portraits tend to have similar poses.
That said, within this constraint, a couple’s portrait can still shine through the way the subjects interact. Closer is always better, and some form of physical connection adds a lot of character and emotion to the portrait.
Posing for solo portraits is really only limited by the physical space in my small studio. Just about any pose you’ve seen a solo subject strike can serve as inspiration for your portrait.
The most timeless solo poses are either facing straight on to the camera or with the shoulders angled slightly to the left or right. These classic looks were staples of original tintypes from the 1800s. The portraits below showcase this simple, iconic style… clean and elegant, with the subject’s face as the central focus.
Since these classic poses are the ones you see most often, some people might think they’re the only option.
Or maybe it’s a case of feeling like Ricky Bobby, unsure what to do with their hands!
Using hands in a pose can add either a classic or modern touch while also highlighting details like clothing, tattoos, or rings. The key is to keep it looking natural and avoid any awkward 'claw-like' positions. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to guide you through it every step of the way.
Props
First off, these portraits aren’t like those antique photo parlors with a tub of random old-timey props.
The best props brought into my studio are ones that hold personal meaning for the sitter. In the 1800s, occupation portraits were a popular trend, where subjects would bring tools of their trade or hobbies to include in the image.
A well-chosen prop can add depth to a portrait, revealing something about the sitter that might otherwise be lost to time. It’s a way to share a story that a viewer 100 years from now wouldn’t get from a standard portrait alone.
When deciding on a prop, think about how you’d like to hold it. The depth of field rules still apply: for the item to stay in focus, it needs to be close to the same focal plane as your face (not too far in front of you). Also, consider the color of the item, darker objects that don’t reflect light well might just appear as a shadowy blob in the final tintype.
Clothing
“Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.”
What a subject wears (or doesn’t wear) can transform a good tintype portrait into something truly extraordinary.
Personal style often needs slight adjustments for the wet plate collodion process, as colors appear differently than they do in visible light.
In solo portraits, the shallow depth of field means clothing is typically a bit out of focus. This softness gives subjects the freedom to experiment with outfits that might not look great in person or in sharp focus but can look incredible in a tintype. For example, in the portrait below, the Elizabethan collar is made from coffee filters, and the horns came from a Halloween store. It’s a perfect reminder that creativity has no limits.
Texture, layering, and pattern should always be key considerations when choosing what to wear for a tintype portrait.
It’s about finding the balance between expressing your personal style and ensuring your clothing doesn’t overpower the subject of the photograph… unless, of course, that’s the intended effect.
The examples below show how thoughtful use of texture, layering, and pattern, combined with carefully shaped lighting, can turn a good tintype portrait into something striking. While these subjects would still look cool in a plain ol’ t-shirt, their clothing choices helped transform a great tintype into something truly exceptional.
Have you been inspired to come into my Calgary studio to sit for your own tintype portrait? Hit the button below to see my current availability and pricing to be captured in silver.