10/23/2012 Astronaut!Captured with Calumet 4x5 with 210mm lens. The case was restored; first painted black, then bound with a satin ribbon. The matting was newly silver leafed and new glass was cut to fit the case.
10/16/2012 My San Diego10/9/2012 I saved one wish for you.....I saved one wish for you, tucked away in a little book so you could carry it with you close and use it when you need most 1"x1" tintype framed in a 1 3/4" x 2" wooden box finished with satin tape and a little replica door knocker.
10/8/2012 Tintypes in Balboa ParkSaturday morning I woke up early with the itch to get out into the park to make some tintypes. My loving husband was sweet to groggily drive me up to the park and help answer the questions of the many heads that popped up to ask about the type of camera we were using and 'what is a tintype?' These two were my favorite of the morning. Reflections of the Botanical Garden, 2012 Shadows in the corridor, 2012
The original photograph is a faded paper print, circa 1950. It is so badly faded that there was little image to be had. Some parts of the image I airbrushed in to create detail, especially in the faces. I then created a newly restored slide and tintype. This metal photograph is one of three, sent as a gift to each one of the little kids in the original.
10/2/2012 Tintype film cassette button pins!Wow! Just try to say that five times fast! I made a new batch of tintype button pins, plated by recycling old film cassettes and then exposing one at a time in camera. You can purchase one of your very own for $15 through my web store, or you can purchase in person at the MOPA gift shop! 10/2/2012 Digital TintypeLast year I photographed Rachel and Fred's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony at the Alcazar garden in Balboa park. Surrounded by family and friends, they exchanged vows and promises of a new life together. For their first anniversary, we made a framed photograph for Fred, and we then took that same image and created a digital tintype of the special moment for Rachel. These digital tintypes can be made from almost any image! Click here to get started uploading your own.
9/28/2012 Film cassette earrings!Open and closed loop film cassette earrings! Each set is made to be a one of a kind, a special gift for the film and photo lover! They are made from recycled film cassettes that I disassemble, flatten and shape.
You can purchase either pair for $20, this includes tax and shipping, thru my website shop (just click on the photos above to link to the earring set you prefer). In San Diego? You can purchase these locally at Nelson's Photo and at the MOPA gift shop! 9/28/2012 Restoring old photosThis in one of eight family photos that I restored this week for a client. The originals have been all different, some with water damage, some terribly faded with time. The image on the left is the original circa 1930; the image on the right is the restoration. Next, I will create a new negative of the restored image on the right, and then will print a gelatin silver photograph to replace the faded original. Now this 'only picture of grandpa' will live on for his great-great-great grand kids to enjoy!
9/21/2012 Restored tintype casesI was gifted a hoard of old tintype cases that were pretty beat up. I wanted to restore the cases and renew them in a way that I could use them to house some of my contemporary tintypes. My first step was to take apart all of the old cases. I then cleaned the individual components. The metal matting was silver leafed, and the cases were painted black. Reassembled, the cases are now ready for new tintypes! First the cases were disassembled, cleaned, and newly painted: The restored cases:
9/14/2012 Film Cassette EarringsOh what fun! I made these earrings from recycled film cassettes, perfect for the hip lady who loves film! Click on the image to purchase!
9/14/2012 Framing TintypesThis is an example of some of the custom framing I like to do for tintypes. I made this little wooden box by hand, sealing the tintype behind glass, and finishing with satin ribbon for the binding. This is a reinterpretation of the original tintype cases that would have held the metal plates. The finished piece is 3"x3" and is ready to travel with in a coat pocket or set on a dresser top.
Feel free to contact me with any questions about custom framing or tintype portraiture! 9/13/2012 Film Cassette tintype pinsThis little 1 1/2" pins are made from recycled film cassettes. The cassettes were first broken down, flattened and cut into shape. They were then coated with collodion and sensitized in a silver bath. Then placed in a 35mm camera, each plate was exposed and processed. Punched out and varnished with a tiny pin cemented to the back, they are ready to wear! You can buy them here in my shop, or you can purchase them in person at the MOPA gift shop. Breaking down the cassettes: 9/6/2012 Film Canister Crazy!
9/5/2012 iPhone AmbrotypesI have been following a few alternative photography blogs lately that speak to working with different materials to create wet plate collodion images. The inspiration!
Here is my offering to the collection, two iphone ambrotypes and one gold iphone tintype. The ambrotypes were first coated with an albumen layer and were then exposed using my 4x5 Calumet camera with 210mm lens. It was a little tricky to make the image; I had to take the entire 4x5 camera into the darkroom to unload my 'plates', but the hard work was well worth all the effort! The images are of my favorite polaroid land cam 250, and of a Brownie box camera. This was a great experiment and I will soon be plating more iphone ambrotypes of other images! Do you have any suggestions of what you would like to see captured to this medium? 8/31/2012 Film canister pendants!I spent part of yesterday breaking down a bag full of old film canisters. Now flattened and cut down to size, they are ready for wet plate! Click here to order!
8/31/2012 Butterfly in the ashesThis series of gelatin silver photographs was shot a few years ago with my friend Kristen and my Mamiya 645. We drove out along the sunrise highway, chasing the charred burned path left by the fires that burn naturally in that area every year. The butterfly is a symbol of new life and new beginnings. We were in this area before life had a chance to begin a new, hopefully Kristen left a little of her butterfly spirit behind to feed the land.
These images are offered in limited quantity. Email me if you would like to arrange for a photograph of either one of these images. 8/22/2012 AmsterdamFour years ago Simon and I rented a houseboat on one of the canals in Amsterdam. We floated along with the locals for two lovely weeks, and took in as much of the city as we could. I made a collection of prints from some of my favorite quiet corners, all shot with my Mamiya 645 and printed to chamois paper.
Join me this Saturday at JDC fine art for the opening reception of
Proof of Life, a story of tintype portraiture. 2400 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA Saturday, August 25th 5:00 - 7:30 pm 8/22/2012 Video: The making of Empty VesselsEmpty Vessels is a 32" x 96" series of 9 8"x10" tintypes mounted to 4 metal frames. This video shows the process of making the first tintype and the final piece. This video will help you to modify any Polaroid back and allow you to shoot miniature tintypes using your medium format camera. When ready to shoot, simply pad the back with cotton to hold your plate in place. Happy shooting! Today I made tintypes out of old film canisters. First I flattened the film canister, then cut it down to fit the camera. Once the tintypes were washed and dry, I used a round punch to form the circles. Up next is to varnish these mini's and make some fun pendants with them!
8/15/2012 Woman of the moonThis 5x7 tintype was created last week, shot in studio with a 4A century studio camera and a Copal 3 360mm lens. The pearl has long been a symbol of unblemished perfection. To some ancient cultures the pearl was a symbol of the moon and it's magical powers. In this tintype, the woman of the moon is wrapped in pearls to link the unique perfection of the gemstones with the unique perfection that lives in each individual human spirit. No one pearl is like the next, and no one soul is like the last.
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