*** Salida Tintype is temporarily closed until further notice. We have moved and are currently in the process of building a new Natural light Tintype Studio. We hope to be near completion sometime in late Fall 2026. We apologize for the inconvenience, We are presently searching for a location to temporarily work out of in Salida, Colorado. We hope to secure a location sometime this Summer 2026.

Feel free to phone 719-221-1115 for updates

The Tintype Process : The process is called Wet Plate Collodion , It was invented in England by Frederick Scott Archer in the 1850’s. Before plastic and film, photographers would prepare a “Plate” in the darkroom (metal=Tintype, glass=Ambrotype) using chemicals to make the plate light sensitive. The plate is then inserted into a light proof holder, placed in the camera for exposure, then developed in the darkroom. The process takes about 10 minutes. If the plate dries before it is developed, it will not turn out, so all Tintypes must be created, exposed and developed fast before the plate dries. After the plate is washed and dried, it is varnished to protect the plate from tarnishing and/or damaging the silver. The end result is a photograph made of silver on tin that will last 100’s of years!

What to expect: Our basic tintype package includes

3- 4x5 inch tintypes for $249.00 for up to 3 people in the tintype photograph.

$325.00 for 4 people

5x7 tintypes, add $50.00 to the above fees

8x10 tintypes, please add $150 to the above fees

Pets or Children under the age of 7; add $75.00 to the above rates

please contact us for groups large than 5

We also offer tintypes created outside in natural light. Please contact us for info and pricing.

We offer Tintype Pop-ups for your business or family friends. This is where we bring the studio and lab to you and create tintypes based on the quantity you desire.

Each tintype takes about 8 minutes to create. The whole experience takes about an hour. Exposures are 2-6 seconds so being still is important to avoid blurry images. Keep that in mind if bringing children or pets. Speaking of pets, I get alot of requests but I cannot guarantee they will turn out in focus unless your pet can be very still and not move at all from a very specific location. Pets are an extra fee depending on the difficulty to tintype.

Pets - We occasionally receive requests for pet tintypes, mostly dogs. Due to the long exposures (2-3 seconds) we cannot guarantee that your pet will be in focus if the pet cannot be still during the exposure. Most of our pet tintypes turn out good. We charge the same as people as we do for pets, ie: if there are 2 people in the photo plus a dog, you will be charged the 3 person rate.

What to wear: Anything with words, letters, logos etc will come out backwards so that’s not recommended. My personal favorite is black or darker toned shirts. This helps draw the viewers eyes right to the eyes of the model with out distraction from busy or bright clothing. But I can work with any style of clothing, what’s important is that you feel good with what you're wearing, no matter what it is. Colors - the light sensitive silver see’s colors differently…anything blue or close to blue will turn out lighter, often white. Anything red or warmer will turn our darker, often black. This is the same with skin and eye colors.

Booking a session: For more info or to book please phone Tim at 719-221-1115.

You can buy Gift Certificates here… https://tim-brown-photography.square.site once you receive the gift certificate you may call to book anytime.

Studio Location : We have moved and are currently building a new studio and don’t expect lot to be completed until at least late Fall 2026. Phone for updates 719-221-1115