Paige Whitcomb

The wet collodion method of photography began in the 1860s, and is one of the oldest forms of photography in the world. The photos this historic method captures directly onto thin metal plates are most commonly known as tintypes. Compared to earlier photographic processes the wet collodion method had a faster processing time, which rendered an image within minutes as opposed to hours in the past. Tintypes became very popular during the Civil War because it was a quicker and less expensive way for people to have a photo of their loved ones taken before they went off to battle. Today, Paige uses the same chemical processes as the Civil War era photographers. Paige uses authentic cameras from the 19th century. There is a certain grit about the appearance of a wet collodion photograph that the 160 year old cameras and chemicals are able to draw out of the subject. In the past people called tintypes "soul photos" and it is easy to understand why.