What Is Tintype Photography? A Quick Guide to the Wet Plate Process
In an era of smartphone cameras and AI-generated portraits, there’s something unforgettable about a photograph that exists physically as a one-of-a-kind artifact. That’s the essence of tintype photography.
Tintype photography is a 19th-century photographic process that captures an image on a piece of blackened metal. It’s part of a larger family of historic methods known as wet plate collodion, and it’s enjoying a quiet but powerful revival today… not just as nostalgia, but as an experience.
A Brief History of Tintype Photography
Tintypes first gained popularity in the 1850s, offering a more affordable and accessible alternative to daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. They were portable, fast to produce, and surprisingly durable. They were even often carried into battle by soldiers during the Civil War.
Unlike modern digital photos, tintypes weren’t made in a lab or printed in a batch. Each one was created by hand, on the spot, by a photographer with a portable darkroom, a plate of metal, and a whole lot of chemistry.
How the Wet Plate Collodion Process Works
The tintype process is called wet plate for a reason: everything must happen while the plate is still wet.
Here's what goes into each image:
Coating the Plate
A sheet of aluminum (or sometimes blackened iron plate) is coated with collodion, a sticky, syrupy chemical mixture.Sensitizing in Silver Nitrate
The plate is placed in a bath of silver nitrate, which makes it light-sensitive. This part happens in a darkroom.Exposure in the Camera
With the plate still wet, it’s loaded into the camera, and the image is captured using natural light or studio lighting. Exposure times vary from a fraction of a second to several seconds, depending on conditions.Developing Immediately
The plate is rushed back into the darkroom and developed using iron-based developer. The image appears like magic.Fixing, Washing, and Varnishing
After the image is fixed and washed, it's dried and often coated in a traditional lavender varnish to preserve it for generations.
The entire process from pouring chemicals to handing you a finished image takes about 10–15 minutes, but the result is timeless.
Why Do People Still Choose Tintype Photography?
In a world where everything is instant, tintype photography forces you to slow down. It’s unfiltered, imperfect, and real. The chemicals don’t lie. You see yourself as you are, and in a way, as you might have appeared 150 years ago.
Some people choose tintypes because of the visual character: the silvery tones, the ethereal contrast, the haunting sharpness in the eyes. Others are drawn to the experience itself. Sitting still, holding their breath, watching the plate transform in a tray of developer just inches from their eyes.
How Tintype
Photography
Compares to Digital
Tintypes aren’t about megapixels or editing apps. It’s about craft, chemistry, and connection. Each image is:
Handmade — there’s no batch processing or auto-correct
Truly one-of-a-kind — there is no negative, no copy
Archival — properly stored, tintypes can last over 100 years
Yes, tintype sessions typically cost more than digital portraits. But you're not just paying for a picture — you're commissioning a work of art created with metal, glass, light, and human hands.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tintype Photography
Q: How old is the tintype process, and where did it come from?
The tintype process comes from what's officially known as wet plate collodion photography. It's called "wet plate" because the entire photographic process must happen while the plate is still wet with chemistry, and "collodion" refers to the syrupy solution used to coat the plate before it is made light-sensitive.
Wet plate collodion was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. It offered a sharper, faster, and more affordable alternative to the daguerreotype, which had been introduced in 1839 by Louis Daguerre. Early versions of this process were made on glass plates and are known as ambrotypes. While the material differed, the underlying process was the same.
Not long after ambrotypes became popular, photographers began using thin sheets of blackened iron to create images. These became known as tintypes or ferrotypes. The blackened iron provided a natural dark background that helped define the image without needing a backing plate.
Because ferrotypes were quick to produce, affordable, and much more durable than earlier methods, they made photography accessible to a much wider audience. Soldiers carried them into war. Families kept them as keepsakes. Traveling photographers could make and deliver a portrait in minutes.
The tintype wasn’t just a new photographic method…it helped democratize photography by making it available to everyday people for the first time.
Q: Is tintype photography still used today?
Yes. While it dates back to the 1800s, tintype photography is still practiced by artists who value its timeless look and hands-on process. I use the same core techniques to create physical, one-of-a-kind portraits using metal, chemistry, and light.
Q: What makes a tintype photo different from a digital image?
A tintype isn’t an image file you download or print. It’s an original photograph made directly on metal. There’s no copy, no negative, and no Photoshop. Each one is made by hand and meant to last for generations.
Q: How long does a tintype session take?
Each plate takes about 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. That includes preparing the chemistry, capturing your portrait while the plate is still wet, developing it in the darkroom, and varnishing it for long-term preservation.
Q: How long have you been doing this, and can I learn the process too?
I made my first tintype in 2011, starting with a homemade darkroom and hand-mixed chemistry in a basement in Old Hickory, Tennessee. If you're curious about learning the wet plate collodion process, feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to share insights or point you in the right direction. You can also read more about my first wet plate collodion image here.
Make Your Own Mark in Silver
Tintype photography is more than a vintage novelty. It’s a living, breathing art form that invites you to slow down, be still, and be seen just as you are.
If you're curious about sitting for your own tintype, feel free to explore my gallery, learn how to prepare for a session, or book an appointment at my Franklin, TN studio just outside Nashville.