FAQ

Wear whatever fits the look you want: modern, formal, casual, or themed. Patterns, prints and textures add a lot of depth, and you’re more than welcome to bring any props you would like.

We have a small selection of vintage studio outfits available. The selection is limited and fit isn’t guaranteed.

A few things to know before picking your outfit:

Red tones go dark in the final image. Blue tones go light.

Red lipstick will appear dark. Many people like the effect, but it’s worth knowing beforehand.

Glasses. We encourage you to remove them. Eyes are the focal point of a portrait.

Sunscreen/SPF. Skip it if you can. It reads darker than your natural skin tone. Check your foundation or concealer too, since many products contain SPF.

Text, logos, or badges. Our camera flips images horizontally. Anything with writing will appear backwards.

Appointments typically run 30 minutes to an hour depending on how many portraits you’re booking. The listed times when you book are estimates; plan for a little longer.

The exposure is instant, so you only need to hold your pose for a second or two. You’ll need to stand still for a few minutes beforehand while I set up the lights and camera. On rare occasions something goes wrong and we need to reshoot, which adds time, so build in some buffer if you can.

Every portrait includes up to two people. A third or fourth person is $50 each, since groups take real extra work to pose, light, and focus. You can set the number right on the booking page.

Four subjects is the hard limit, counting people and pets together. Our vintage lens has a shallow depth of field and softer edges, so the more faces in the frame, the more likely someone ends up out of focus. For bigger groups, splitting into smaller frames that can be displayed together gets a better result. Each extra plate only counts the largest group in a single picture, so mix and match freely.

When you arrive, I’ll go over the process and we’ll talk about what you’re looking for. I’ll pose you, adjust the lights and camera, and get everything in focus. Then I’ll head into the darkroom to prepare the plate. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes. You can relax and move around, but keep your pose in mind and be ready to step back into position.

When I come out with the coated plate, we need to shoot within a minute or two. The film is wet, and if it dries before we get the shot, the plate is ruined and we start over.

Once we’ve taken the picture, you’re done. I’ll develop the plate in the darkroom, then bring it out in negative form. You’re welcome to watch as it goes into the fixer bath and converts to a positive right in front of you.

Your digital scans will be emailed to you after your session. Turnaround can vary, so please allow some time.

Tintype naturally produces small imperfections: dust, faint scratches, chemical marks. These aren’t defects, and we don’t reshoot for them. They’re part of what makes each plate unique.

We will reshoot if someone blinks or if there’s a clear technical failure. If you’re unhappy with an expression or pose, say something before we wrap up. A courtesy reshoot is available if time allows, with a small materials fee. Once you leave, the session is closed.

For the full reshoot policy, see the Tintype Agreement.

Yes, on a case-by-case basis. Let us know when booking so we can talk through whether it’s a good fit. There’s an additional $50 fee for pets, and a pet counts as one of the four subjects that fit in a frame. If you can hold your pet while standing, that works well. Larger pets or solo pet portraits are negotiable — reach out and we’ll discuss.