A tintype of Morning of Life bronze statue. It was taken in December during our modest early Winter weather. This statue was created by Clarence Shaler in tribute to his twin sister Clara. She died at the tender age of 18 – in the morning of her life. The statue is outside Waupun, Wisconsin, and is one of a number of wonderful art works around the city.

This tintype of Morning of Dawn was quite a challenge. I had underestimated the travel time and the sunset time so I arrived much later than I planned. The sun was already setting and the statue was partially in shadow due to trees around the cemetery. I used my body to block some of the light so her face would not be in shadow. I also had to capture as fast as possible before the sun set. So I left rinsing until the end by leaving my plates in a tray full of water.

Once the sun set I went to work rinsing tintypes. Picture the scene – there I was in a remote cemetery, at night, by myself rinsing tintypes. For reasons unknown, there was no cell phone coverage. Strange because I was not that far out of town… All I could think to myself was life is an adventure!

You can see more about Waupun’s statue art on the City of Waupun’s Website

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