Kish, the humble guru.  5x7 tintypes made in my studio. 

This original is a small photo booth image circa 1940, perhaps costing only $0.25 for a sheet of four.  Over seventy years later, it is a priceless memory.  The video above walks you thru the painting part of my restoration process.

a few new 8x10 tintypes made this past weekend

It's fun to imagine color into a black and white photograph.  The technique I like to use for hand painting photographs was first made popular in Europe and Japan in the mid 1860's.  This method of painting is applied with brushes, and cotton strips.  Oil paint is painted onto a sepia toned silver photograph to create a permanent color picture.  My approach to hand painting images is very similar to that of these traditional techniques, but I also like to varnish my finished work to seal in the color and add a protective layer of topcoat. 

This image came in to my shop in a bit of a state.  Age was not kind to the original, which had been folded in half and had dulled over time because of all the cigarette smoke it was exposed to.  I painted the restoration to be a bit more lively than the original.  It was told to me that the man below had crystal blue eyes, and I wanted to capture that in the reproduction.  The original is about 2"x3" in size and the reproduction is 8"x10".  The new photograph is now on the way to my frame shop where it will be built into a custom frame to hang on this family's photo history wall. 

Come check out a new collection of faces in an ongoing series of portraits by Jen Jansen.  Available for viewing every Saturday from 11-3.

One White Wall Gallery 1815 Main Street Suite B-10 San Diego, CA 92113

What a whole ton o fun!  If you made it out to the glashaus anniversary party and had a chance to come in to the shop, thank you!  I was a crowded night, full of music and good times.  I was busy shooting in my Polaroid booth most of the night, attached are some of the fun shots that didn't get taken home!