Experience Tintype Portraits with CJ Harker
Step into the past and capture your essence with CJ Harker’s extraordinary tintype portrait sessions, where modern meets vintage artistry. Witness a process steeped in history, as CJ brings 19th-century photographic techniques to life with a touch of modern innovation. Here’s what makes this experience so captivating:
The Art of Tintype Photography
Your tintype journey begins with CJ carefully preparing a photographic plate by hand. Using collodion, a viscous substance, he evenly coats a black metal plate before sensitizing it with liquid silver in his portable darkroom tent. This meticulous preparation ensures the plate is ready to capture your likeness in exquisite detail.
While the plate undergoes its first darkroom transformation, CJ works with you to compose the perfect image on the ground glass of his nearly century-old camera. This step blends artistic vision with technical expertise, as CJ finds the best composition to highlight your unique character.
The Magic of Exposure
Once the plate is sensitized, it is loaded into a cartridge and prepared for exposure. Modern studio flashes—the only contemporary adjustment to this time-honored process—shorten the exposure time from over a minute to less than a second. This innovation ensures a comfortable experience while maintaining the authenticity of the tintype method.
A Glimpse at Your Negative
After the plate is exposed, CJ returns it to the darkroom for a short development process. Within minutes, the plate is no longer light-sensitive and can be viewed outside the darkroom. At this stage, you’ll see a bluish negative—a tantalizing preview of your final portrait.
From Negative to Timeless Treasure
The final chemical step fixes the plate, revealing a sepia-toned image made of metallic silver. This “coffee and cream” effect lends a timeless elegance to your portrait. However, the plate is still fragile at this point. CJ applies an all-natural, extremely durable varnish to protect and preserve your image, ensuring it will last for centuries.
Your Keepsake
While the varnish cures, CJ digitally photographs your plate and emails you a high-resolution file of your portrait. He will also confirm when your plate will be ready for pickup—typically the following weekend—making this a cherished keepsake you can treasure for generations.
Why Choose Tintype?
CJ Harker’s tintype portraits offer more than just a photograph; they provide a deeply personal and historical experience. From the tactile process to the final image, every step is imbued with care and craftsmanship. Whether for yourself or as a unique gift, a tintype portrait is a meaningful way to celebrate the artistry of traditional photography while creating a legacy for the future.
Book your session today and let CJ transform a moment in time into a work of art that will last for hundreds of years.