Lindsey Ross will be shooting tintype portraits with her 8 x 10 inch camera in the Thomas VanDyke Gallery sculpture garden, June 7th, 8th, 14th, and 15th. This is an entirely analog process using light and chemistry to create an image on a metal plate. Portrait sessions last 45 minutes, during which Lindsey will explain the process, frame and pose subjects, then capture and develop the image. These are natural light portraits, so exposure times may range from 1-3 seconds.

A tintype, also known as a ferrotype or melainotype, is a vintage photographic process that creates a direct positive image on a thin sheet of metal coated with a dark lacquer or enamel. 

Wet Plate Collodion Process:

Tintypes are made using the wet-plate collodion process, where a thin sheet of metal is coated with a collodion solution (a mixture of nitrocellulose, ether, and alcohol) shortly before exposure. 

Direct Positive Image:

Unlike traditional photography where a negative is created and then printed, tintypes produce a direct positive image on the metal plate. 

Historical Significance:

Tintypes were popular in the mid-19th century, particularly during the Civil War, as they were relatively inexpensive and easy to produce. 

Material and Appearance:

The metal plates are coated with a black enamel or lacquer, which gives the image its characteristic appearance. 

Hand Coloring:

Tintypes were often hand-colored to enhance their appearance. 

An ambrotype is essentially a positive image created on a glass plate using the wet collodion process.

How it works:

A glass plate is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposed to light, and then developed, resulting in a negative image. This negative image is then placed against a dark background, such as black varnish or a dark material, which makes the image appear positive.

Popularity:

Ambrotypes gained popularity as a more affordable alternative to daguerreotypes, which were also positive images but on polished silver plates. 

Usage:

They were commonly used for portrait photography, and the images were often placed in protective cases or frames. 

Distinguishing features:

Unlike daguerreotypes, which are on a polished silver plate, ambrotypes are on a glass plate, and they are backed with a dark material to create a positive image. 

Hand-coloring:

Photographers often added color to ambrotypes by applying pigments to the surface of the plate, particularly to tint cheeks and lips red and add gold highlights to jewelry, buttons, and belt buckles. 

Durability:

The glass base of an ambrotype is more durable than the silver plate of a daguerreotype, which can tarnish if exposed to air. 

Etymology:

The term "ambrotype" comes from the Greek word "ambrotos," meaning "imperishable" or "immortal," likely referring to the durability of the glass base.