tintypes experiments

 
 

title

Tintypes, 4x5in, 2012 - present

statement

A tintype, also known as melainotype or ferrotype, is an old style of photograph that creates a photographic image on a thin sheet of metal or iron that has been coated with a dark lacquer or enamel.

Tintype photos are created when metal plates are coated with chemicals, exposed to light in a camera, and processed with additional chemistry. This creates an underexposed negative image. When that negative is placed on a dark background, the transparent areas appear black, which makes the plate look like a positive image.