About
Tintypes are one-of-a-kind photographs made directly onto a sheet of metal (I currently use aluminum). The tintype (or 'wet-plate collodion') process dates back to the 1850s when it was first discovered by Frederick Scott Archer. The light-sensitive emulsion for each tintype is created during the session just before each image is made. Because the chemistry is wet (hence the moniker ‘wet-plate’) the final image has a near grain-less clarity that sets it apart from other photographic mediums. I offer everyone who comes through the studio the chance to join me in the darkroom to experience your image being made from start to finish.
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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, and I've been making plates continuously since that weekend.
I love this process for its simplicity and focus. One image is made at a time, slowly and considered, in an almost meditative way. Tintypes are adorned with chemical artefacts and imperfections, each one completely different from the last, which juxtapose wonderfully with their stunning quality and sharpness. The result is an image-object of timeless beauty, a collaboration between the present & the past--and between myself, the chemicals, and each individual I work with.
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Plates are washed, scanned, & varnished after our session. I'll typically have plates ready for you within two weeks of the session, unless we plan otherwise in advance. If you are unable to pick them up, we'll work out a delivery method that works for you.
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All ages, occasions, costumes, and ideas are welcome! Keep in mind this is a long-exposure medium, meaning exposure times are more than one second long––typically around 4 seconds. I see this not as a limiting factor but as a aspect of the process that promotes creativity and intention, and allows for a kind of magic to occur that we don't often encounter with modern photography.
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I ask for a $50 deposit to book, which goes toward the cost of the session.
If you need to reschedule, no worries! Please give at least 48 hours notice to reschedule or the deposit is non-refundable.
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I ask for a $50 booking deposit for gifted sessions as well, which I will refund upon arrival.
About Me
My name is Kyle McMillin and I make pictures using the wet-plate collodion process, commonly known as tintypes.
I live and work in Seattle, Washington.
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, Washington, 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.
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.