Pixels? Presets? Never heard of ‘em. We make tintypes the same way they did over 170 years ago. Your picture on a tintype is made with light, chemistry, and finesse. Every portrait is raw, unedited, and one-of-a-kind. Sure, you could imitate a tintype with a filter, but you can't hold a digital picture in your hands, or pass it down to your kids and grand kids.
Most modern photo booths leave you with the same product: silly photos on small, cheap paper that's easily lost or torn.
But tintypes are different. They're hand-made using a historic process that helped pioneer the ubiquity of photography we enjoy today. And the experience of getting your tintype taken is just as magical in the 21st century as it was 170 years ago.
That one-of-a-kind experience, coupled with the long-lasting metal photos you take home with you, is why a tintype photo booth will truly blow you and your guests away.
Lights, camera, backdrop, dark box... here's where all the fun happens, from start to finish.
Lights, camera, backdrop, dark box... here's where all the fun happens, from start to finish.
A collodion and silver solution creates a light-sensitive film on the surface of the plate.
Step in front of the “old time” camera! If you have a pose in mind, we’ll go with that. If not, I’ll direct you.
Step in front of the “old time” camera! If you have a pose in mind, we’ll go with that. If not, I’ll direct you.
I’ll count down from three and snap the photo. The picture will be instantaneous—no straining to hold still for several minutes like the old days!
Now I take the plate we just exposed into the dark box for immediate development. Here’s where you see your portrait appear from nothing!
Now I take the plate we just exposed into the dark box for immediate development. Here’s where you see your portrait appear from nothing!
We require a 50% non-refundable retainer fee at the time of booking to secure the date. This allows us to procure the materials needed for taking photos and make travel arrangements if appliable.
Great question! Tintypes are one of the earliest kinds of photographs ever invented. They were developed (no pun intended) in the 1850s and quickly replaced their predecessor, the daguerreotype (which they’re often confused for). Tintype photos are taken on metal plates using multiple chemicals that all work together to produce the final sepia image. For several decades, tintypes were extremely popular, and it was common to find photographers traveling the country in horse-drawn darkrooms, taking people’s portraits. Tintypes were made obsolete by film (made popular by Eastman Kodak) in the early 1900s, and have only been shot by a handful of enthusiasts ever since then.
The tintype photo booth is perfect for parties, family or class reunions, fundraisers, corporate events, and more. Events where people are dressed up (like costume parties, galas, or themed events) are especially great, because unique outfits make people look amazing in tintype photos!
Please visit this page for information on wedding tintypes.
At maximum capacity, we can take 6 photos per hour, so with the included 2 hours of photo booth operation, that works out to about 12 photos. We can have up to 2 people in a photo, so if all photos are of couples, that’s about 24 people.
Due to camera and lighting limitations, we can fit no more than 2 people in each photo. Large group shots are not possible.
It's totally up to you! The "traditional" way is to have a straight face, but we want you to have the experience you'll love most.
Our tintypes are 4x5 inches.
The booth requires a minimum of 10x10 feet of space if indoors, or 13x13 if outdoors. An indoor location is highly preferred. If the booth must be located outside, we charge an additional fee. However, we cannot operate outdoors in rain, wind, or excessive heat or cold. Finally, we'll need access to at least one electrical outlet.
We primarily operate in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, but we can travel anywhere within the continental 48 US states (we’re unable to fly overseas). Travel outside of the Tulsa area will require additional travel and lodging fees, which will be estimated when you contact us.
