Information

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• Located in Sunshine Canyon, only 5 miles from central Boulder, the The Tintype Company's (home) studio offers multi-light modern tintype portraits as well as outdoor, natural light portraits in a mountain setting.

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• Each sitting takes at least 2 hours to complete, longer if you wish for additional poses or reshoots.  The first half is the sitting itself, the second is the finishing of the plate (washing, drying, scanning and varnishing).  I highly suggest, during the second half, that you drive 15 minutes up the road to Gold Hill and have lunch at the General Store (closed monday and tuesday). You can also hang out here on the porch, feed the chickens, and use the wifi.  I can also mail the plates to you at cost; let me know if that is what you prefer. 

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• The first reshoot is included, each additional reshoot will incur a $25 fee to cover the costs of chemistry.  Want to keep the reshoots? Each is $25-off the original price. ​ Changes to the people or the set reverts charge to the original fee.

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• Sign up for a Monday - Thursday session at the studio and get 10% OFF your final bill...!!!

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• *Outdoor Natural Light Portraits should be photographed in the afternoon for the best light.  After 3pm April - September  :: After 1pm in Winter.

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• Studio portraits can accommodate up to two people and your infant (or pet - please feel free to bring it) if you have one.  Want a family portrait? Your best bet is to opt for an afternoon natural light portrait.  A wall display of individual studio portraits of your family members looks pretty cool too!!!

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• Tintypes are an antique handmade art form using equipment and techniques more than a century old.  As a result, chemistry artifacts will occur. Don't think of these as bugs, but features, giving each plate a unique - dare I say magical - quality.  That being said, if said artifact negatively obscures the focal point of the image, a reshoot is no cost.

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• Keep in mind that natural light portraits are long exposures, requiring the subjects to sit still for seconds at a time.  Exact time will depend on time of day, weather, and lens choice, but expect to have to sit perfectly still for a minimum of 2 seconds.  Ever wonder why folks didn't smile in 19th century photographs?  Chemistry used to be even less sensitive than it is today. Try holding a natural smile perfectly still for 10 seconds... Seriously, try it right now!!!  It's harder than you might think.  Is anyone staring?

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• Natural light portraits are also heavily influenced by the weather and time of day.  Umbrellas may be required (but they do make for good props!) Here at the studio we get the best outdoor light in the mid to late afternoon when the sun is lower on the horizon to the west. 

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• Come with ideas.  Wear something intriguing, or nothing at all.  Dress up.  Be formal.  Put on a hat.  Bring a prop. Go vintage. Go nude. Be you at your most wonderfully unique!! Everyone is welcome, and so are your ideas.  

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• CARING FOR AND DISPLAYING YOUR TINTYPE:​

  • Display your tintype under a bright, specular light source for best viewing results.  I recommend propping them up under a lamp.

  • Let people pick up and hold your tintype. Tintypes are robust.  Baring any physical damage they will last hundreds of years.  ​

  • When fingerprints show, wash with cool water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.  Don't use windex or other chemical cleaners. 

  • Tintypes are varnished with a natural substance called Lavender Sandarac.  Is it amazing stuff, but not as hardcore as a poly.  

  • If you choose to frame your tintype, make certain there is an air gap between the glass and the plate.  If the plate touches the glass, given changes in humidity and temperature, over time the varnish will adhere to the glass. 

  • I recommend shadowboxes or frames without glass. Mount it 1/4 inch away from the back of the shadowbox for a cool 3D effect.

  • Tintypes are glossy, so is glass, so you will get a double the glare with glass.

  • Got any other questions or concerns, holler at me!

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