TINTYPES

discontinuity is a wet plate collodion tintype studio based in Los Angeles. Sessions are by appointment, and I work with people across the LA area — Downtown, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Highland Park, Pasadena, and beyond. Book a session to grab a date.

A plate of metal is hand-poured with collodion, dipped in silver nitrate, then exposed and developed while still wet — the whole thing happens in about fifteen minutes, start to finish, with you in the room.

It's a one-time photograph. There's no negative and no file — the plate in the camera is the final object. We can't reprint it or perfectly reshoot it, which is exactly the point: you walk away with the original.

Plan on 30–45 minutes per session. The exposure itself is only a second or two, but pouring, sensitizing, and developing take time — and that's half the experience.

A 5×7 fits up to 3 people; an 8×10 holds up to 5.

Everyone in frame has to hold still for the same exposure, so smaller groups tend to come out sharpest.

Collodion is colorblind to red and sensitive to blue, so colors don't translate the way you'd expect: reds and warm tones go dark, blues and whites go bright. Lean into solid, saturated colors and rich textures — denim, wool, leather, deep jewel tones.

It'll look like a timeless, slightly otherworldly version of you. Because of how the chemistry reads color, skin tones, freckles, and eye color shift — blue eyes glow pale, blemishes vanish, texture sharpens. It's a stylized portrait, not a literal snapshot.

Yes — a steady second or two. If you're bringing young kids or pets, please let me know ahead of time so I can plan accordingly.

Bright. Wet plate needs a big, fast studio strobe, so expect one strong flash per exposure — no staring into a continuous light, just a quick pop while you hold still. If bright flashes bother you, just let me know beforehand.

The original varnished plate, hand-finished and ready to display. A high-resolution scan is available if you'd like to share or print it digitally — but the metal plate is the real artifact.

Each plate needs to dry, get scanned, and be varnished before it leaves my hands. Most plates are ready for pickup at the studio the next day — sometimes same day, depending on the schedule.

Your high-resolution scan is delivered within about a day. Can't make it back to the studio? I can ship the plate to you instead.

Almost certainly — and that's the point. Every plate is hand-poured, so swirls, streaks, dust, and soft edges are signatures of the wet plate process, not mistakes. No two plates are alike, and those marks are part of what makes yours one of a kind.

Yes — sessions cover up to two tintypes max. Pricing is per tintype, and your second plate is $25 off (see Pricing).

Both are one-of-a-kind, varnished, and yours to keep. See Pricing for rates.