Field Trip: Photobooth Shop Creates Original Tintype Portraits

There's a San Francisco retail space called Photobooth that sells camera equipment, exhibits photographs in a gallery, and takes walk-in appointments for tintype portraits (see examples above). Our Video Pick goes into the details of the business and the portrait-developing process - and we can appreciate the distinction made between digital photography (where you can make an infinite number of reproductions of an image) and tintype portraits (where there's only one image opportunity and you care more about it because it turns photography into a special object).

We love the look of Photobooth's tintype portraits, made directly on specially treated aluminum plates.

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

AUDIO LINK: WHAT IS THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? [20:58M]

Comments

[Mary Sandoval]

Wow! Great idea!!!

[Rayflower]

While the concept is interesting, it does have a much different look than actual antique tintype photos. I'm not sure that these current photos are altogether pleasing to the eye. It might look better if this technique was coupled with a revision of a victorian style subject. Maybe change the hair style to resemble an original tintype. Not an exact replica, but a modern twist on an old fave.
These are teetering on spooky and hard to look at.