What Is Tintype Photography? A Guide to the Wet Plate Process
In an era of smartphone cameras and AI-generated portraits, there’s something unforgettable about a photograph that exists — physically — as a one-of-a-kind artifact. That’s the essence of tintype photography.
Tintype photography is a 19th-century photographic process that captures an image on a piece of blackened metal. It’s part of a larger family of historic methods known as wet plate collodion, and it’s enjoying a quiet but powerful revival today — not just as nostalgia, but as an experience.
A Brief History of Tintype Photography
Tintypes first gained popularity in the 1850s, offering a more affordable and accessible alternative to daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. They were portable, fast to produce, and surprisingly durable — often carried into battle by soldiers during the Civil War.
Unlike modern digital photos, tintypes weren’t made in a lab or printed in a batch. Each one was created by hand, on the spot, by a photographer with a portable darkroom, a plate of metal, and a whole lot of chemistry.
How the Wet Plate Collodion Process Works
The tintype process is called wet plate for a reason: everything must happen while the plate is still wet.
Here's what goes into each image:
Coating the Plate
A sheet of aluminum (or sometimes blackened tin) is coated with collodion — a sticky, syrupy chemical mixture.Sensitizing in Silver Nitrate
The plate is placed in a bath of silver nitrate, which makes it light-sensitive. This part happens in a darkroom.Exposure in the Camera
With the plate still wet, it’s loaded into the camera, and the image is captured using natural light or studio lighting. Exposure times vary from a fraction of a second to several seconds, depending on conditions.Developing Immediately
The plate is rushed back into the darkroom and developed using iron-based developer — the image appears like magic.Fixing, Washing, and Varnishing
After the image is fixed and washed, it's dried and often coated in a traditional lavender varnish to preserve it for generations.
The entire process — from pouring chemicals to handing you a finished image — takes about 10–15 minutes, but the result is timeless.
Why Do People Still Choose Tintype Photography?
In a world where everything is instant, tintype photography forces you to slow down. It’s unfiltered, imperfect, and real. The chemicals don’t lie. You see yourself as you are — and in a way, as you might have appeared 150 years ago.
Some people choose tintypes because of the visual character: the silvery tones, the ethereal contrast, the haunting sharpness in the eyes. Others are drawn to the experience itself — sitting still, holding their breath, watching the plate transform in a tray of developer just inches from their eyes.
How Tintype
Photography
Compares to Digital
Tintype isn’t about megapixels or editing apps — it’s about craft, chemistry, and connection. Each image is:
Handmade — there’s no batch processing or auto-correct
Truly one-of-a-kind — there is no negative, no copy
Archival — properly stored, tintypes can last over 100 years
Yes, tintype sessions typically cost more than digital portraits. But you're not just paying for a picture — you're commissioning a work of art created with metal, glass, light, and human hands.
Make Your Own Mark in Silver
Tintype photography is more than a vintage novelty. It’s a living, breathing art form that invites you to slow down, be still, and be seen — just as you are.
If you're curious about sitting for your own tintype, feel free to explore my gallery, learn how to prepare for a session, or book an appointment at my Franklin, TN studio — just outside Nashville.