Wet plate collodion photography is an early photography process that saw wide use from the 1850’s to the early 1900’s during the Victorian Era. It made photography both portable and easily marketed as the photographs are developed on site within minutes of being captured in-camera. We like to think of it as the original polaroid. Due to the image being directly exposed on tin/glass the photograph can last hundreds of years making it the ideal heirloom to pass down generation to generation.

We are currently set up at the Beard and Lady Inn in Chester, Arkansas. Located half-way between Fort Smith and Fayetteville.

It takes approximately 30 minutes from start to finish. First we establish what position/orientation the subject(s) will be in, in front of the camera. Next the plate will be coated in the darkroom with collodion and put in a bath of silver for 3-4 minutes. After it finishes in the bath it’s then transferred to the wet-plate holder. From there we get a final focus of the subject before capturing the portrait. After exposing the plate it’s taken back into our darkroom where it gets put in developer, rinsed, then brought out to you. This is where the magic happens. After bringing the plate out we pour the fixer onto the plate, as the excess silver is washed away, you can watch your image reveal itself.

Not necessary! Please breathe normally. During a natural light portrait it can take 1-10 seconds to capture your image. So that means keeping yourself as still as possible is important, but breathing and even blinking will not affect the final result. During a studio session the high powered flash exposes the plate in a fraction of a second, so whatever pose you were holding even flinching will not affect the final result.

This process is most responsive to the UV light spectrum, so some colors translate differently with a tintype compared to a panchromatic B&W film photo. Red’s will appear darker and Blue’s much lighter. Having a contrast of light and dark clothing, different textures, and/or patterns will help create more depth to the image. We also encourage you not to wear logos or anything with writing on it as they will show up backwards since this process creates a direct positive (everything gets flipped opposite).

Yes! We encourage you to get creative and bring along props you’d like to accent your portrait with. Instruments, family heirlooms, or anything that you feel represents who you are.