I hear this every event I go to, at least once:    “So, do you just print that photo on the metal or something?  Can I send you a picture and have that done?”

Short answer:  No, I do not.  

In this era of technology and instant gratification through the use of phone cameras, instant uploads, pop-up chat apps, and faster than ever online ordering, people want something NOW.  Not in a days…they want it NOW.   That is one reason why I love the wet-plate process.  It is a process that takes some time, is labor intensive, but also allows those instant-gratification-ers the chance to have something that will last a lifetime…NOW.

I jokingly say that tintypes are like the “polaroids of the 1860’s”…and they kind of are…but better.  They are long-term photographic investments.  They will outlive the polaroids, outlive the “giclee” prints that are so popular, they will outlive your phones, CD’s, flashdrives (the ones you can still find), and will outlive you.  How is that for long-term?

My work is a way for me to help you survive.  It won’t necessarily save your life, but it may save your legacy.  You know those old photographs and tintypes that your grandmother has saved all these years….now you have your image to pass down from generation to generation.