The newest old thing

YEAR 2011

The newest old thing

Three seconds for the pose, ten minutes for the chemical exposition and what you get …

Three seconds for the pose, ten minutes for the chemical exposition and what you get is a unique and one-off image impressed on a metal plate. That’s instant photography according to Michael Shindler, who challenges the Hipstamatic era by going back to tintype, a Nineteenth Century technique capturing a person’s image directly on a tintype or stainless ferrotype plate.

But this is not a mere provocation. Along with his associate Vince Donovan, in his San Francisco Photobooth studio Michael Shindler brings back to life this awesome technique that he honed through the years by spending long hours in the darkroom.

And the results are undoubtedly superior to any possible digital reproduction. It is probably because of the comparatively long pose, that creates some sort of intimacy with the subject; or maybe because of the high contrast, drawing out the features, the imperfections and the details of a face. Whatever the reason, tintype photography really seems to attain the goal of “stealing the soul”.

Photobooth studio is located along Valencia Street, in the Mission district. Expect to spend $50-80 for an everlasting portrait, depending on whether you choose a tintype or a stainless steel plate.

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YEAR 2011