Sessions Gallery
Book a Session
In a one-hour session we'll shoot a few plates to adjust posture, lighting, framing, etc.
You may purchase additional plates from the session for a discounted price ($125, $150, $225, respectively).
If you have a question or a custom session in mind, contact me here


COUPLES PACKAGES
One 'together' shot + Two 'individual' portraits.
Perfect for couples, friends, lovers, siblings, any pair!
Package #1 - Three 4x5"s - $375
Package #2 - One 5x7" + Two 4x5"s - $425
Package #3 - Three 5x7"s - $450
Package #4 - One 8x10" + Two 5x7"s - $550
Package #5 - Three 8x10"s - $650
For Custom Sessions / Groups of 4+ / Travel Sessions
please contact me here
or email me: redroomtintype@gmail.com
About Me
Hello! I'm Kyle. I've been making wet-plate collodion (tintype) photographs for about five years, currently working out of a studio in Seattle's lower Queen Anne neighborhood, a crow's swoop away from the Space Needle. I learned this process at a workshop in 2019, and I've been making tintypes for myself and others continually since. As my process has developed, I've come to see each session as a dialogue between myself and those I'm working with. My sessions are free form, allowing for individual expression, creativity, intuition and inspiration.
Making images in a long-exposure medium from the 1800s requires presence and patience––I often say that sitting for a tintype is more like sitting for a painting than it is like a typical 'snapshot'. This is what initially drew me to the process.. there's an intentionality to it, and a directness. We're painting with light. We're sitting still. We're open to the ebb and flow of time and happenstance, never completely sure how the chemistry will dance along the edges of the frame, or seep into the image and become a new element or presence. The process speaks to both sides of our lives experience: the physical and the metaphysical.
For me, this kind of photography is as much about life as it is about death. My 20's were defined by loss, and my relationship (companionship) with death and loss is probably what led me to working in a medium that has everything to do with memory (and, therefore, death), where I hold space for the individuals I work with and all of their beautiful anxieties and strengths and pains and their complicated relationships with themselves, and with their image and their body and with death and life as it unfolds.
I also explore images through various forms of print-making, often transferring images onto materials such as wood, canvas, discarded paper, and glass––all of which I gather from scrap-piles and second-hand sources. I may start sharing these here soon.
If you'd like to work together, you may book here or email me (redroomtintype@gmail.com).
This will likely be my last summer here in Seattle, so let's work together while I'm in town.
All the best,
Kyle McMillin
The Red Room
The Red Room––what I call my studio, wherever I am––has grown from a small space at Gasworks Gallery at the north end of Lake Union, to a basement in Tacoma during the pandemic years, 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.
My studio is located in an old office building that now operates as a shared space among creatives. Next door to my studio room is a small art library (pictured below) that everyone is welcome to peruse during sessions for creative inspiration.
I look forward to sharing this medium with you.




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What is a tintype?A tintype image is an archival photograph exposed directly onto a metal plate. With the tintype or ‘wet-plate collodion’ process, the light sensitive emulsion (or ‘film’) is created using liquid chemistry just minutes before the exposure is made (while still wet), and developed & fixed immediately after. The whole process takes about 15 minutes. Then the plate must be washed, scanned and varnished. Each tintype is a one-of-a-kind original.
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Do I keep the original plate?Yes! Your varnished plate will be ready for pickup about a week after the session.
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How do I take care of my tintype?Easy! Dust it off with a soft brush or gently with a soft-cotton t-shirt, and don't display it somewhere with much direct sunlight as this can damage the emulsion over time. I prefer to display tintypes without a frame, simply leaning on a shelf or mantle so that they can be held and admired up-close. These are material images after all––image-objects, if you will––unlike paper images, or images seen on screens or printed in books. You may frame them of course, but don't have them pressed against the glass of the frame. Shadow-box style frames work well, with the plate lifted from the backing board for a nice floating effect.
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Can I have a multiple tintypes of the same image?We can shoot multiple takes of the same ‘set-up’ if you’d like, but each tintype will be a totally unique object. No two are the same. If you book a 4x5" session, I offer additional plates for half the price of the session––likewise with 5x7"s.
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Do I get a digital file to share online?Yes, I’ll send you a digital file/scan of any plate you've purchased within a week after the session. You can purchase scans of plates you don't keep for $20 each.
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How long does it take to make each tintype?Each tintype takes between 10 and 20 minutes to make from start to finish. Time permitting, we'll shoot a take or two for each setup.
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Will I have to sit still for a long time?Exposure times are typically between 5 and 15 seconds for standard portraits, but can be much longer for more involved/creative/experimental images for larger groups. Everyone in the image will have to sit still for that time to avoid a blurry image.
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Do I leave my session with a tintype?No. Your plate(s) will be washed, air-dried, scanned, and varnished.. they’ll be ready within a week after the session. If necessary I can have your plates varnished within an hour or two after the session, but this must be arranged in advance.
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What should I wear?Simple answer: Wear clothing you feel comfortable in or what you want to be wearing in the image, and bring options that we can discuss on the day. Plain and simple. Technical answer: Reds and reddish colors will appear anywhere from grey to black (darker in general), and blues and bluish colors appear grey/light-grey to white (lighter in general). I find that clothing with textures work nicely. I recommend avoiding bright whites, but if you're set on something white or that's what you happen to be wearing on the day, we can make it work––you may have seen images on this site with people wearing bright whites that worked well in the end. For couples (or groups), if one person is wearing white, I would suggest the person next to them wears something a bit darker.
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Can we make a tintype of my kids? If so, how young is too young?I’ve made images with infants (as little as 4 weeks old!) and been pleased with the results! Tintypes require an exposure time between 5 and 15 seconds on average, so everyone in the picture will have to sit still for that time to avoid a blurry image. Because kids can be unpredictable, I cannot guarantee a clear image of them––but as I mentioned, I've had success with children of all ages, and I will do my best to do what I can to keep their attention on the camera during the exposure. Some people bring toys to help with this, or a phone playing a show near the camera lens––which I can assist with. I'm willing to do what you think will allow for the best result. There is a bright flash involved, but this is safe even for infants.
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Can we make a tintype of me and my dog, or just my dog?As I mentioned in the previous question about kids, everyone in the image will have to sit still for between 5 and 15 seconds to avoid a blurry image. Dogs can be as unpredictable as children, so I cannot guarantee a clear image of them. That said, I’ve had success with dogs and cats, and am willing to work with you/them to create the best image possible on the day. I recommend bringing toys and/or treats to help hold their attention during the exposure. I ask for an additional $30 for pet sessions.
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Can you ship the plate(s) to me?Yes! I charge $20 for shipping anywhere in the contiguous U.S. If you need a plate shipped elsewhere let me know and we’ll work something out.
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Can I purchase prints of my tintype?Yes, I offer prints on a metallic paper stock or a matte photo stock. All prints come in a white 8x10" mat. 4x5” - $30 each or 3 for $75 5x7” - $40 each or 3 for $100 8x10" - $65 each 10x14" - $85 Care for these is much like that of a tintype: dust them with a soft brush or gently with a cotton shirt, and don't display them in areas with much direct sunlight. Prints can fade over time... but the tintype will last longer than we will!
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Can you come to me (home/public space/shop/etc) to make a tintype?Yes! My mobile darkroom can come to you for an additional fee. To estimate the cost of a travel session, add $150 to the prices listed in my booking/sessions page for the desired size (4x5”/5x7”/8x10”) + $30 for every 25 miles away from Seattle. Taxes and fees apply / cash is tax-free.