Classic Tintype Portrait on a Winter Day

Some times it is fun to capture some classic tintype portraits on a Winter day. Cameron and I met by the Fox River in Neenah for some cold weather tintypes.

It was a day that started with heavy fog, giving way to sunshine and finally dark clouds. But, we also saw temperatures in the 40’s which is really nice for February in Wisconsin. Wet plate collodion can be a difficult process because of the way it reacts to changing light. Light meters work really well for film and digital photography but not for collodion. So the alchemist has to guess on the light level and exposure for every plate. It also takes 15-20 minutes to see if the guess was correct – in which case the light might already have changed!

So our time together session was part experiment and part serious portrait sessions. The experiment part being doing wet plate in the cold weather. Cameron came prepared with a range of wardrobe and looks. Our first two portraits he was attired in a classic trench coat. Timeless and it could have been taken 100 years ago!

Our next look was bibs and a straw hat. I don’t know if Cameron was cold – but he sure looks cool!

The next shot is an example of the perils of long exposure photography.

Just a little movement shows up over a 5 second exposure. However,
this happy accident produced my favorite plate of the day! Something ethereal about the blur against the sharp background.

he final plate of our session was a classic pose in leather jacket and a hat. The expression is exactly what I love to capture – there is clearly something hiding behind that subtle smile and twinkle in his eyes. I wonder what it is?