About...
About Me
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My name is Kyle McMillin, thanks for being here. I was raised in California but I currently live and work in Seattle, Washington. I currently make tintypes portraits for a living using the wet-plate collodion process. I learned this process in 2019 at a workshop held by Mike Chylinski of Modern Tintype and Brian Cuyler of UV Photographics at Mike's studio at the edge of downtown Los Angeles. I've been making plates continuously since that weekend. My current studio is in Seattle’s lower Queen Anne neighborhood, a crow’s swoop away from the Space Needle.​​
Making photographs in a long-exposure medium from the 1800s requires presence and patience—it’s more like sitting for a painting than a modern photographic snapshot. Though not a painter myself my tendency and thought process is often more along the lines of painting than photography as it exists in our modern world. My intention is to create an image with you that represents and honors the present moment in your life, and connects to you personally. In short, I aim to honor every person I work with.
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With tintypes as my primary starting point, I also explore various forms of print-making, often transferring images onto materials such as wood, canvas, glass and discarded paper, mostly gathered from scrap-piles and second-hand sources.
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Post-Session & Policies
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Plates are washed, scanned, & varnished after our session. I'll typically have plates ready for you within a week of the session, unless we plan otherwise in advance. If you're unable to pick them up, we'll work out a delivery method that works for you.​
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When you book with me here on the site, your payment is a deposit that holds your session time, and this goes toward the total cost of the session. If you need to reschedule, please give at least 48 hours notice or your deposit is non-refundable.​
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I also ask all participants to sign my Model Release Form, which gives me permission to use the photograph(s) we create on my website/social media/etc. If you have any questions or concerns with this, I'm happy to discuss in advance of the session.
The Red Room
The Red Room is the result of the love and support of so many people over the years, some of which are mentioned above, and many others can be found in the gallery section of this website. Thank you so much for your time, your energy, your attention, and your kindness. The Red Room has grown from a small studio at Gasworks Gallery at the north end of Lake Union, to a basement studio in Tacoma, to a portable darkroom setup that has travelled with me across the western US, to my current studio in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.
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My studio is located in an old tax office building that now operates as a shared space among creatives. Next door to my studio room is a small art library that everyone is welcome to peruse during sessions for creative inspiration.
I look forward to sharing this medium with you.
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If you want a tintype made and you cannot afford a session, let me know.
Money won't be the reason we can't make something together.
Reach out and we'll make something happen.