Many engaged couples have portraits done to celebrate this special time in their lives. Matt and Lauren recently got engaged and they wanted to have a portrait, too. They were looking for something different, so they booked a tintype engagement session. They were fascinated by the historic wet plate collodion process, the soft, antique-look of the images, and the idea of a one-of-a-kind portrait of themselves.
![Front door of Maundy Mitchell's studio and the tintype area at the back of the studio](https://maundymitchell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NH-portrait-photographer-Maundy-Mitchell-studio-door-and-tintype-area_0158-720x479.jpg)
A tintype is also known as a ferrotype. It is a handmade portrait on a metal plate using the wet-plate collodion method. This method, invented in 1851, uses different chemicals to coat a sheet of aluminum (“plate”) to make it light-sensitive. The plate must then be exposed and developed immediately, in a process that requires many steps.
![Matt and Lauren, behind the scenes during their tintype engagement session.](https://maundymitchell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NH-portrait-photographer-Maundy-Mitchell-behind-the-scenes-at-Matt-and-Laurens-tintype-engagement-session_0162-540x720.jpg)
Aside from the studio lights and darkroom safety measures, I create these portraits the same way today using a Deardorff camera from the 1920s and a Dallmeyer 3A brass portrait lens, made in 1867. I enjoy sharing the process and its history with all my clients. I was happy to make a tintype portrait for Matt and Lauren!
![The upside-down view of Matt and Lauren through the antique camera](https://maundymitchell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NH-portrait-photographer-Maundy-Mitchell-view-of-a-couple-through-the-tintype-camera_0161-720x540.jpg)
![Matt and Laurent, scan of a handmade tintype](https://maundymitchell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NH-portrait-photographer-Maundy-Mitchell-handmade-original-tinype-for-Matt-and-Laurens-tintype-engagement-session_0159-1024x819.jpg)
“We both absolutely love [our tintype portrait], and we felt so welcomed and at ease with the experience. Thank you so much for creating this special memory for us and for involving us in the process.”
Matt & Lauren