For the past decade, I worked in video, but after my last gig with a hip hop artist, my wife and I took a summer off to travel in our self-built van. During that break, she did her first vintage pop-up (@shopknockout—check her out), and while I was there for support, she told me about a photographer set up nearby. That guy was shooting tintypes, and from the moment I watched him prep a plate and work in the darkroom, I was hooked.

I spent the rest of that summer researching the wet plate process, but the cost of new gear put it on hold—until 2024, when another photographer sold me his setup. I jumped in headfirst and haven’t looked back.

This process reignited my creativity after years of burnout in video. It’s humbling, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. Just when I think I have it figured out, tintype reminds me there’s always more to learn.