Tintype portraits available for purchase at Blueberry Festival
June 2, 2015
Ron King, SFA art instructor, holds a tintype portrait of himself.
Tintype portrait sessions will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 13, inside The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches. Cost is $20 per portrait.
A process popular in the 19th century, particularly during the Civil War era, tintypes are one-of-a-kind direct-to-positive photographs shot onto a piece of blackened metal, explained Neal Cox, SFA art professor.
"Characterized by extremely high resolution, creamy tones and a mirrored image, tintypes, along with many other 19th century processes, are experiencing a renaissance in this digital age as a highly sought-after novelty of sorts," Cox said.
Historically, tin is used in the process, but anodized aluminum will be used for these portraits, he said.
Customers will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. Materials are available for just over 100 portraits.
"We will shoot until we exhaust those plates, or until 2 p.m., whichever comes first," Cox said.
Some props will be available.
Proceeds will go toward funding grants and scholarships the Friends of the Visual Arts awards annually to students in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art.
Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-5500.