These photos are from a wet plate collodion workshop held yesterday at the Chicago Photographic Center. We plated miniature tintypes in three different camera types, a Hasselblad, a Mamiya 645, and a 35mm Minolta. Above are one student's tintypes, and below is the set up and the students shooting and varnishing plates. 9/27/2013 Tintype WorkshopThe attached plates were made at a large plate workshop I hosted last weekend. We made tintypes in 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 sizes in both indoor and outdoor settings. I want to thank you for Sunday's workshop and for letting me share it with my husband. He loved the experience, loved witnessing the magic of the moment the image reveals itself, and loved his down and dirty portrait. We talked last night about how seeing one's self photographed like that creates a sort of detachment from the person we think we are and makes us feel like part of history. We could be anyone, from any time period. It is simultaneously humbling and empowering. We also commented on how open you are to sharing your craft. Instead of keeping it to yourself, you let it live and encourage others to take to up. You do your best to demystify it and assure us that we can do it on our own, but let me tell you, we still see you as a modern-day wizard! Can't wait to pick up our portraits! - Hilary G
9/13/2013 SecretsThis tintype was plated with my 8x10 century studio camera and copal 3 lens. I've got a secret, I cannot say 
Secrets
8x10 tintype Jen Jansen 2013 9/12/2013 Photographic RestorationThrowback Thursday: Here is a restoration I made last year that I wanted to revisit. I get a lot of phone calls about all that is possible with photographic restoration, most calls speak about the photograph as a precious family treasure. Often the image to be worked on is the only image of that family member. I start slowly with each photograph, I sit with it for a few minutes just looking at the damage and think about where to begin. This photograph is like a lot of images that I restore. It has damage to the face, as well as texture to the paper to work around. I created a new negative, then printed a silver gelatin fiber print. I then sepia toned, painted with oil, and varnished the final photograph. 
9/10/2013 DaryaThis tintype is a part of an ongoing series of portraits. They are cropped in tight so that the viewer can look directly into the sitters eyes, finding a common human ground that we all share. -JJ 
Darya
8x10 tintype Jen Jansen 2013 9/6/2013 Under the veilthese parts of me are chosen to be shown, the thoughts behind these eyes are secrets that remain my own 
Under the veil
8x10 rose gold tintype Jen Jansen 2013 4/8/2013 The road ahead is bright and clear
The road ahead is bright and clear
Jen Jansen 2013 5x7 tintype 3/27/2013 A proper lady, 8x10 tintype sessionThe beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, These three 8x10 tintypes were created this past weekend in my home studio. 
Covergirl 8x10 tintype Jen Jansen 2013 
A proper lady 8x10 tintype Jen Jansen 2013 
Held within
8x10 tintype Jen Jansen 2013 3/22/2013 Photographic Restoration
Restoring photographs will always be a great love of mine. To be able to breathe life back into an old photograph can be a gift to the family that receives it. This image was restored by first creating a new gelatin silver negative and photograph. The photograph was then sepia toned and painted with oil. The frame had seen some wear with time, so it too was given some new paint. Now back together with it's original frame, this painted photograph allows the family to see a face that had long ago faded giving back what seemed lost to time.
3/3/2013 Published in Seities debut!Excited to share my work with Canadian publication, Seities. My piece Red Curtain #1 is featured in their in their debut edition themed Identity. A limited edition of the work can be purchased here 
2/22/2013 Rock and roll lifestylePure rock and roll, I was very grateful to meet Mr F in December and create this tintype portrait. 
Mr. F
Jen Jansen 2012 8x10 tintype 2/17/2013 Published in Lumen MagazineI am very honored to have my work 'Bodie Boxes' published in the lastest issue of UK's Lumen magazine. This series of 6 works were created amidst the historical landscape of Bodie, CA. An abandoned mining town, Bodie is frozen in time. Preserved as a park, you can walk along the city paths and enter homes that were once thriving, now abandoned but eerily unchanged by the passing of time. You can view the work on pages 38-47 of issue 7 of Lumen magazine. If you are interested in owning one of these pieces, please contact me directly. There is a companion series to this work titled 'Ghost town'. A limited number of prints from the series 'Ghost town' are currently showing and available at 1805 gallery in San Diego. 
2/15/2013 Replicating tintypes
The above is an example of an original tintype and it's subsequent gelatin silver paper prints. The tintype is on the far left, the original is a 5x7 created in December. To make the additional photographs I first create a negative and then print each copy by hand in the traditional wet darkroom process. I am happy to create the new print in any size from a tiny locket size, to 20x24. I stick with the traditional printing to continue the silver story from the tintype to the print, also to keep the maker a part of the photograph and analog alive!
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© Jen Jansen Photography. All rights reserved.
All images by Jen Jansen unless otherwise stated.
All images by Jen Jansen unless otherwise stated.