Date: Saturday 29th of April, 10:30-4:30pm.

Cost £180. 

lunch and refreshments included by Kitchen at 44. 

Tintypes use a photographic process called Wetplate Collodion, invented in 1850 by Fredrick Scott Archer.  This process not only democratised photography, but the formal portrait as well. Because of this process, virtually anyone of any class could afford to have a portrait made. The Tintype became the most ubiquitous form of photography, until the mass adoption of the Dry Plate process in the late 1890’s.

The process of making tintypes is hugely satisfying, both to experienced photographers, novices and those just interested in image making. In this workshop, you will learn the basics of making a tintype portrait, from coating the metal plate with collodion, sensitising it in silver nitrate to exposing the image and developing it by hand in the darkroom and then watching the magic moment when it turns from negative to positive right before your eyes. We’ll then finish the plates with either varnish or wax.

On the day, we’ll start at 10:30am, covering the history of the process, as well as health and safety. We’ll then take you through the process of making a portrait step by step, using a period camera, as well as a more modern camera. You’ll make some portraits on your own and then break for lunch. After lunch, we’ll go over two ways to finish your images with Varnish and Wax. The rest of the day will be spent making more images.

We’ll rotate roles with someone making the portrait and a person posing so everyone gets the chance to learn each part of the process. 

You will come away from this workshop with a basic working knowledge of the Wetplate Collodion Process as well as several of your own handmade tintype photographs.