frequently asked

  • If you find us at a market, we will take your photo as soon as possible - we sometimes have long wait lines, and sometimes aren’t busy at all! It depends on the event. We’ll get you set up as quick as we can, help you pose, snap your shot, and you get to watch it develop moments afterward. You’ll mill about for around 30 minutes, and your tintype will be ready to take home.

    If you book a private shoot with us, you’ll get our full attention. we’ll start by discussing your visions and intentions, and then assess how to best use the light, space, and weather we find ourselves in. We recommend planning at least 30 minutes for the first photo, and 15 minutes for each additional photo process. Each photo will be ready for you to see a few moments after taking the photo, and you’ll get to watch the magic process of the image revealing itself to us. We will scan your tintypes and coat them with a high-quality varnish to protect against scratches and UV exposure, and then send them home with you. If needed, we can also mail them to you or arrange a future pick-up time.

  • Yes! Get in touch with us if you’re interested in a photoshoot anywhere other than our Port Townsend studio location. Prices will vary based on distance. We can do an outdoor shoot or bring our studio light setup (or both).

  • Yes. In-studio, the exposure is very fast so kids and pets are captured easily because they don’t have to stay still long. In sunlight, exposures range from 1-5 seconds, so kids and pets can come out looking ghostly from movement. We still love these photos, because they capture the aliveness of you and your family. Check out our gallery for examples.

  • In-studio, the flash makes the exposure a fraction of a second, so you’ll only need to be still for a moment. In an outdoor shoot, the time you’ll need to be still can range from one second to about five seconds depending on the weather. The chemistry has improved significantly since the 1800s, when subjects had to sit still for minutes at a time.

  • Each photo is handmade and is a completely unique creation. We can make multiple shots of the subjects posing the same way, but they will inevitably have minor differences. We will provide digital files of a scan of your tintype, which you can use to make prints.

  • We can make 8x10, 5x7, 4x5, and 2x3 (wallet) tintypes.

regarding tintype care

  • In normal circumstances, like indoor display, no - the varnish we use protects against UV rays and fading. If it’s in direct, strong sunlight for many years, it’s possible it could fade, but we haven’t lived long enough to experiment with that! 

  • The most important thing to know is not to press your tintype up against glass, because over many years, the varnish and glass could fuse. You could use a shadow box, a frame without glass or with the tintype spaced slightly away from the glass, a wooden stand, tacks or nails on each corner with the tintype bare against the wall, or simply lean your tintype up against a desk, plant pot, bookshelf, etc. 

  • We recommend using an acid-free, archival grade envelope, like the one we gave you your tintype in at the time of purchase!

  • Email us at badtintypes@gmail.com and we can discuss your purchase of the license/copyright of the image! 

  • Probably not, but please get in touch with us to let us know! Send a picture if you can. It’s rare, but possible, for residual chemicals on the plate to continue to impact the image after it dries and is varnished. If relevant, we’d gladly refund you, give you a credit or discount for a future event, and do what we can to make it right! We also want to know for our own records and so we can try to learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.