Information

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• Located on Valmont Road east of Boulder, the The Tintype Company's outdoor studio is in the same vein you would find circa 1850 when photographers were traveling chemists roaming town to town setting up in town squares across the nation.  

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• Weather is a factor.  THE STUDIO IS ENTIRELY OUTSIDE.  Please dress appropriately.  

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• Each sitting takes 3-4 hours to complete, longer if you wish for additional poses or reshoots.  After the shoot the plates will still need to be washed, varnished and baked. Plates can wither be picked up from the studio a few days later, or mailed to your home for $20.  

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• Don't like the look on your face? The first reshoot is included - each additional reshoot will incur a $25 fee to cover the costs of chemistry.  Want to keep the reshoots?  They make good gifts... each is $25 off the a-la-carte price. ​

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• Modern Lit Portraits can accommodate up to two people and a baby.  Got a big kid or a dog and want a family portrait? Your best bet is to opt for a Natural Light Portrait.  

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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 2-3 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, go to the mirror and try it right now...  It's harder than you might think.  Is anyone staring?​​

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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.  I encourage you to contact me ahead of time with your ideas so that we can flesh them out for success!  

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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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