Wet-plate Photography Tintype Portraits 2019

In association with the NZIPP In Focus Awards, Brian and Jane Scadden return with their replica travelling Victorian darkroom for some photographic fun!

Using a process invented in the 1850s, Brian will use a bellows camera to create your very own handmade tintype photograph using the wet-plate collodion process, processed under a red light in the darkroom cart, then washed, dried and varnished and yours to take home about 2 hours later.

The metal plate positive image is made with silver and light as in Victorian times. With care, these will last for decades without fading or changing colour, even if left in the sun.

As this process is very labour and time intensive, session times are very limited and may be pre-booked with one session per 15-minute interval available. If you are lucky enough to secure a session time with Brian, please make sure that arrive with plenty of time. For those without a booked session you may still get lucky...should Brian be running on schedule, any additional sitting that can be squeezed in will be available for $50 cash on the day.

Subjects have to sit very still as exposure times are often in the range of 5-10 secs, but Brian will have a head-brace available. Children under 7 years old may not hold still long enough to get a sharp image.

If the weather is awful, there will be a studio set up inside.

Groups not catered for.

Don’t miss your chance to pose for a tintype photograph – book today as there are only a handful of artists regularly working with this technique in the world. See you near Shed 6!

Their Facebook page is @brassandglassphotographicalchemy.