High school, what a time.  A moment to capture and keep as a part of your families photographic archive.  Graduation is time to stop and celebrate all that has been accomplished to this point in life.  I love to capture these important family moments.  I've met a number of students through the years and am always excited to hear what they have to say about what is next for their future.  I never offer advice on practical things, but the one thing I like to say is that if you have a dream, no matter what, you should run toward it as fast as you can and if you are really really really lucky, you might catch that dream before you run out of energy or time.   Here's to this year's graduates!  May you run fast toward your dreams!

If you are in Chicago and want to make time for a special graduation session, just reach out!

 I admit it!  It's my favorite time of year!  The time of year I get to make presents for other people's stockings.  Here is a collection of old and digital photographs I turned into wet plate collodion tintypes and ambrotypes over at www.digitaltintypes.com.  This type of photographic preservation is something that I love to make and gift.  It is always extra special to hear back about the work and how it breathes new life into lost memories. 

This year of crazy covid 19 has had me working more and more on the techniques I use to create these restorations.  If you are finding yourself going through old photographs or a current hard drive and are finding a wealth of family photographs you want to preserve.  Let me help get those moments into your hands!  You can find more details about digital tintypes over here: www.digitaltintypes.com 

All types of photographs can make a create tintype or ambrotype.  We are able to make tintypes and ambrotypes from old photographs, digital photographs, and phone capture photographs!  If there is a special moment you want to preserve for generations, let's make something special!  It really is a unique gift and cherished photographic heirloom. 

Wow, this series of tintypes by artist Eric Retterbush will stop you in your tracks.  I was stunned when recently sent this Washington Post article.  The works are a series of tintypes of fellow Americans fighting on the front lines of covid 19. 
This year has been devastating in so many ways.  I feel lucky that my gripes are about fear of losing my business, not fear that my husband or I are on the front lines and could get sick.  This series of tintypes took my breath away for a moment as I felt the weight of heavy grief for our nation.  I hope you all are moved by these plates, honoring these civilian patriots. 

Wet plate collodion tintype and ambrotype sessions are still happening in Chicago!  Comfortable and safe, set up just for you every time. 
From last week's session:

Chelsea Blasko, the “Designated Adult” and a Partner at Iron Galaxy Studios, wants women and those who feel “othered” to reach for their dreams. She strives to make sure Iron Galaxy welcomes diversity and is a place people can bring their whole selves to work. Chelsea knows that what makes us individual is what makes us special.
She loves partnering with and highlighting other professional women who inspire her every day.
Being different is beautiful.
@JesusHotWheels #chelsea_blasko

I rarely print onto digital paper, but I restore a lot of photographs.  When I create a restoration or preserve a digital file to an analog image, the question to my client is always the same.  'Is this something you want to have for a few years or is it important to preserve this image for the next generation?'  Digital prints don't have the longevity of a traditionally processed silver gelatin fiber based photograph or of a hand crafted wet plate collodion tintype or ambrotype.  The mediums are very different.  Digital photographs are made with inks or dyes sprayed onto the surface of a sheet of paper.  Traditional silver gelatin photographs and wet plate collodion images are made as an emulsion of silver is exposed to light.   The difference in longevity comes in the mineral content of the silver vs. the synthetic nature of inks.  Not every image is meant to last a lifetime, but some of your memories are too precious to let fade away.  For these special moments I take my time and use the method I know will last the test of time.  I love being able to help people make these memories come to life and rest easy knowing I can guarantee they will live on for generations.

I am always happy to take a look at your old family photographs and see what can be done to restore or preserve.  Just email me about your project and we can see what is possible!

I love working with children to capture a special moment in their changing lives.  Silver captures a special moment that lasts for generations.  I can also make copies of your tintypes for grandma.  We launched www.digitaltintypes.com for people to take any digital image and expose it as a silver rich tintype or ambrotype.   It's with this technology that I expose tintype replications.

I'll be back with Freehand Chicago setting up tintypes in the penthouse.  This is a fun and unique experience set up in a historic Chicago building.  The tintypes are available for individuals and couples this time around.  Tickets are available for this wet plate collodion pop up through the event section!

How to stop time for just a beat to see you as you are today.   Children's tintypes and baby photographs made of silver and light. 

Wedding tintypes freeze your most special day in silver and light.  Your heirloom image, a keepsake made in an instant.  Available for weddings in a variety of different sizes and formats. 

I like to do creative things with my extra tintypes.  One thing I have been doing for about 6 years now is to pop out the eyes and lips of my 'extra' plates and to encase them in resin.  Here are three little buddies that I placed in vintage kodak lens filter cases.

Modern tintypes, made with love in Chicago!  What is a tintype?  A tintype is a precious photographic heirloom made of silver and light.  This full plate tintype was captured in studio. 

Booking modern tintype sessions!  Experience a tintype session in a contemporary studio.  Available for kiddos of all ages.

Isa stopped by to talk about restoration, saving digital photographs, and the ravages of time.  Time that slips past us as we let life run over us in the day to day rush.  Time that we want to freeze with images as we watch life grow.  Here is a moment of frozen time with Isa as she grows into this new decade of living.  I am loving this soft focus lens and asking my subject to move into focus as they move through their life.  There is something about the softness with this image that gives me a sense of motion and truly freezing vibrating life.

Tintypes at your wedding or corporate event?  I set up a tintype pop up booth for a variety of events and parties.  Here are some from a Halloween Party this year. 

This old photograph was printed in 1941 and was unfortunately stored in a tube.  Storing the image this way made it quite brittle over time and as the emulsion dried out, the photograph cracked and ripped with each unrolling of the image.  Careful attention to all the little details is given to restore these type of photographs.  It was also important to preserve the signatures on the back of the photograph in someway, so I made special care to test both the photograph and the inks before soaking the silver gelatin print. 

Thank you so much to the locals who know how challenging it can be to open a neighborhood shop.  Your investment in my studio allows me to continue to invest in our local community and offer our neighborhood a unique heirloom shop.  Thank you for keeping tintype photography a unique opportunity for Chicago families and neighbors.  We make our city thrive! 

I'll be hosting an open house on July 8th from 12-3.  Come by and say hi!