Crossing swords, my second tintype, was sculpted over the summer and fall of 2021, and finally photographed a year later on July 31, 2022. During the time of its creation, I was thinking about union, division, and civil war. The skeletons were fabricated out of Epoxy Sculpt, resin, and acrylic paint. The miniature sword props were made from steel, aluminum, wood, and acrylic paint. The Hoplite sword was chosen for its graceful leaf shaped blade and Greek origins. Greece, being the cradle of democracy.

The sculpture was photographed with my 8x10 Korona View camera and Darlot barrel lens, Paris, FR, circa 1860. Invaluable assistance was again provided by photographer Eric Baillies, who opened his studio, darkroom, and collodion skills to me.

Crossing Swords
2022. 8x10.
Tintype of an original sculpture. Photographed with an 1860s Darlot lens.

In late 2019 I began researching the possibility of doing tintypes using the original techniques developed in the 1850s. Having long been a collector of antique photographs, and I’ve tried to emulate their look in some of my design and illustration work. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly aquired the necessary antique gear and the right people to show me the techniques. The ongoing assistance and guidance of Eric Baillies and Anton Orlov make this new exploration possible. Without them I would be lost. This body of work is coming along slowly, but I am excited by it’s possibilities. I’m currently building a darkroom, and that will help accelerate the making of images.

My camera is an 8x10 Korona View, by the Seebold Invisible Camera Co., Rochester, NY, circa 1920s. I have several lenses, but the one I am most excited about is the oldest, a Darlot barrel lens, Paris, FR, circa 1860.

The Infant King is my first tintype. The figure is a sculpture fabricated by me out of Epoxy Sculpt, resin, silver leaf, and acrylic paint. It is a portrait of a figure in power who speaks lies to his trusting followers, showing them a different face as it suits his needs, corrupting their own truths and values for his own end.

The tintype was shot at Eric Baillies’ studio on May 29-31, 2021. Many thanks to him for his patience and willingness to share.

Available for purchase at my Etsy shop, is a print edition of this image, as well as three alternative takes.