• WARNING: Eye glasses often come out as sunglasses on Tintypes.

• Avoid large lettering on clothes like graphic tees. The image is mirrored so that can be distracting.

• All black or all white won’t show up that well but when used sparingly can look stunning.

• I love chunky textures because much of the photo will be blurry and out of focus.

• Same goes for fun, high contrast patterns.

• Necklines are a good detail to focus on. So layering or flowy fabrics can be fun to work with.

• But most importantly is how you want to represent yourself in the image.

• Hair & Makeup Artists can be availble for longer session. Message me about stylist recommendations and pricing.

• WARNING: Avoid wearing foundation it can appear much lighter than your skin tone on tintype.

• Hats are fun, but not necessary. We can wok with any size or stye hat.

• Same with jewelry or makeup but less is more. Think of the ensamble as a whole rather than itemizing.

• Updos are my personal favorite and look really nice on tintype.

• Too much hair the around the face can cast a lot of dark, unwanted shadows

• Think about how you want to pose for your portrait. You’ll have to hold the pose VERY still for a few moments so consider stable poses rather than dynamic ones.

• Know your angles. What side of your face do you prefer?

• From what angle do you like the looker to view your face? From above? From below?

• Portray a personality or character. Or embody your professional identity, romantic identity, or you’re-traveling-to-a-posh-destination-to-meet-up-with-some-fabulous-fiends identity.

• It’s usually only upper body so don’t stress too much on shoes or pants.

• Hands can be fun to incorporate but hand modeling is much harder than people give it credit.

  MOST IMPORTANTLY

• Think about your expression. Be deliberate. You will have to hold the pose for a few moments. Again think static instead of dynamic. Gaze into the eyes of the camera. Or consider what direction you want to look.

• Smiles are nice but can look inauthentic when held for too long.

Tintypes are a historic, handmade, photographic print and the medium is inherently flawed. I do my best to make a great picture within the time available. Ruined images will be reshot for free. All other reshoots are available for half-price.