What is a Tintype? ::

Tintype photography is a classic process which was used from the mid 1800s to early 1900s. It uses a light sensitive emulsion on tin or metal substrate which is sensitised using silver nitrate then placed in the back of a camera and exposed to form a positive image. The result is known as a tintype and once varnished, the tintype can last 100s of years.

The processing of a tintype must be done immediately after the exposure (shot) while the plate is still wet. This means there must be a darkroom nearby (that's the traveller bit). The whole process from sensitising of plate to shot to final unique photograph takes around 30 minutes.

Checkout some of the cool tintype images that we have created below...

  • Vintage Car, Pennys Hill #25 - Vintage Car show Tintype, Mclaren Vale Vintage Car Festival, Penny's Hill Winery
  • Tin Aeroplane - Tintype, toy aeroplane
  • Jedd & Toy Plane - Tintype, small boy with toy aeroplane
  • TintypeTravellerRedPolesA-17
  • TintypesAtCogDiamonds-5
  • Tintypes-BaytoBirdwood2019-40
  • Still Life - Tintype, still life
  • TintypesAtCogDiamonds-6
  • Vintage Car, Pennys Hill #16 - Vintage Car show Tintype, Mclaren Vale Vintage Car Festival, Penny's Hill Winery
  • Greg - Tintype, portrait
  • TintypesFeb2017-80
  • BirdsNest - Tintype, birds nest
  • AdelaideSteampunkFestivalD2-1 - A Tintype made at the Adelaide Steampunk Festival 2019
  • SteampunkFestivalTintypes-Peter-3 - A Tintype made for the Adelaide Steampunk Festival 2019
  • Bicycle - Tintype, bicycle
  • Brent_Tintypes-6
  • TintypeTravellerFlindersRanges-11
  • TintypePortraitsJune2018-28-Edit
  • TintypeTravellerFlindersRanges-10
  • TintypesShimmerFIONA
  • TintypePortraitsJune2018-5-Edit
  • Tintypes-BaytoBirdwood2019-23
  • TintypeTravellerRedPolesA-37
  • AdelaideSteampunkFestivalD2-7 - A Tintype made at the Adelaide Steampunk Festival 2019

The Tintype Traveller :: Mobile Darkroom ::

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The Tintype Traveller is a vintage caravan that has been lovingly converted into a mobile darkroom. The darkroom is now based in the Adelaide Hills in the historic town of Macclesfield, but it regularly travels out to events, location shoots, workshops and on creative journeys. Whilst the darkroom is currently used primarily for Wet Plate Collodion Photography, it is also used for traditional Black & White film processing and printing, Cyanotypes, and regular large format photography.


NEWS :: We have also established a more permanent site in Macclesfield - a converted cubby which makes a super cute darkroom space. We have 2 enlargers, negative drying cabinets, and everything you need for traditional B&W processing and printing. It is set up perfectly for wet plate collodion work as well. There is a digitising room to convert Tintypes into digital files using a copy stand. Please contact Sam Oster for enquiries about workshops or darkroom hire.

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(above) The Tintype Traveller on location in the Flinders Ranges, outback South Australia, 2018

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We are photographers who are passionate about creating unique handmade images using traditional photographic techniques
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Video credit: Oliver Davis

This video introduces you to Cynthia Gemus, one of a group of Adelaide-based Tintype photographers who works with us at events, and she also teaches our Tintype workshops - she will introduce you to the nuances of what a Tintype is, and how it is made.