About

Crystal Calabrese, tintype photographer

I’m an alternative process photographer based in Ithaca, New York. I work with the historic wet plate collodion process. Each image I make is handcrafted using chemistry I mix myself, resulting in direct-positive photographs on metal and glass.

I became fascinated by wet plate collodion photography after being a photographed by Craig J. Barber for his documentary series, "Working the Land". More than a decade later, I had the opportunity to learn from John Coffer, Craig's teacher.

Photograph by Kim Scianghetti

www.scianghettiphotography.com

The Camera

I make my tintypes with a 5" x 7" large format Seneca Improved View Camera. It was made around 120 years ago in Rochester, NY. I paired my camera with a modern Rodenstock 240 mm large format lens. It is perfect for environmental portraits and has a shutter, giving me the option to make my portraits with large format film.

Frequently asked questions

“Wet plate collodion” is a term used to describe the process of making a black & white photograph on a metal or glass plate with wet collodion chemistry. This process was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851 and is one of the earliest methods used to take photographs. Wet plate collodion is an exciting process that combines art and science to make beautiful, often haunting, photographs that are reminiscent of the past.

Ambrotypes and tintypes are two types of photographs that are made with the wet plate collodion process. Ambrotypes are photographs taken directly on glass plates, and tintypes are photographs taken directly on thin metal plates.

The wet plate chemistry serves as both the film and the photograph. You can think of a wet plate photograph as the antique version of a polaroid photograph!

A tintype is a one-of-a-kind photograph made using the 19th-century wet plate collodion process. Each image is created by hand on a sheet of metal coated with light-sensitive chemistry, exposed in the camera, and developed immediately while the plate is still wet.

The result is a direct-positive photograph—not a print or copy—so every tintype is unique. With their silvery highlights and deep shadows, tintypes capture a depth and presence that is haunting and reminiscent of the past.

An in-studio tintype portrait session lasts 30 minutes and yields 1 tintype. Please allow more time for additional tintypes. If you would like a portrait session at your home or other outdoor location, please plan for 2 hours for set-up, photographs, and pack-up.

Colors translate differently with the wet plate photographic process. In general, blues turn white in tintype photographs, and reds turn black. Plaid shirts often appear uniform in color. Black/white patterns translate well to the wet plate process, as do unique fabric textures. Wear something you're comfortable being photographed in, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

While you’ll get to watch your tintype photograph come to life during your session and see the finished image, you won’t be able to take it home that same day. Each tintype is hand-processed in a darkroom using traditional photographic chemistry and must be carefully rinsed, dried, and varnished to ensure it is archival. Your completed tintype will be ready for pickup about a week after your session. If you’re not local, we’ll mail it to you around the same time.

We offer high resolution JPG scans of your tintypes for $25/tintype.

Tintypes are $120 for a 5" x 7" tintype, with an optional digital scan for $25 extra. Please view Offerings to learn more about pricing.