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.
Howdy, I’m Jesse! I have 3 passions in life: Disneyland, making video games, and shooting tintypes. Weird combo, I know, but they all share something in common: They’re about creating incredible experiences for people.
They aren’t just "fancy old-time” photos… they take you on a journey back in time and give you a glimpse into the magic of photography in the 19th Century (Little Women era). And that’s what I want to give you and your guests on your special day—and of course, some awesome looking photos.
My other non-photography talents include:
In the 21st Century, snapping a digital photo is as easy as tapping a button. But tintypes are made entirely by hand. They combine artistry, science, and skill to produce stunning images that can’t be faked.
Each tintype portrait is taken directly onto a plate of metal, so there’s only one original. And the intricacy of the chemical process means that every portrait will have its own nuances that will never be replicated.
That’s right, IMperfection. Digital photos may capture reality flawlessly, but tintypes depict a more impressionistic interpretation of our world. Each portrait bears distinctive artifacts that add character. It’s these analog quirks that digital filters attempt to mimic.
In the modern age, we’ve lost the magic of taking pictures. Snapping a photo has become as familiar as breathing. But tintypes let us experience the wonder that people felt 170 years ago when photography was a new, mystical artform.
For all the artsy-fartsy talk, tintypes are just plain cool, too. Not only do they have an incredibly unique look, but only a few people today get the chance to take them. And let’s be honest… part of the reason you want them is for your Instagram feed, right?
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!
During a consultation call, we'll go over our full pricing guide with you. Based on your budget, wedding timeline, and list of must-get portraits, we'll work out the best package for your wedding.
Get In TouchWe 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.
That’s entirely up to you, but the thing to keep in mind is we’re limited by the number of tintypes we can take. Most traditional wedding photographers might take hundreds or even thousands of photos during your wedding. Those photos can be posed or candid, and can be taken practically at any location. Tintypes, on the other hand, must be carefully posed, exposed, and developed one by one. Since we’re using an authentic 1850’s process, we are limited by time (it takes at least 10 minutes from start to finish for each photo—that adds up very quickly), location (we must take the photos at our photo booth), and style (all portraits must be carefully posed—candid shots are not possible). Most couples choose to have tintype portraits in addition to traditional wedding photos, but if you desire a tintype-only photo experience (understanding all the limitations above), then more power to you! Either way, careful planning must be considered to ensure everyone you want to get a tintype portrait is able to.
At maximum capacity, we can take 6 photos per hour, so with the included 4 hours of reception operation, that works out to about 24 photos. We can have up to 2 people in a photo, so if all photos are of couples, that’s about 50 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.
We're located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but we love traveling! We can travel anywhere within the continental 48 US states (we’re unable to fly overseas). Depending on the distance traveled and time of the wedding, we charge additional travel and lodging fees, which will be estimated during a consultation call.
