tintype portraits

Old photo portraits can be so fascinating. Photos from the late 1800s always have a distinct quality about them; the subject's often look severe. Their eyes are piercing with a suprising amount of sharpness and light. I assumed people from that time just looked different, the stern quality of their faces and the intensity of their eyes being a result of the times they lived in.

Several years ago, I heard more about tinytype photography, also known as also known as a melainotype or ferrotype photography. Most widely used in the 1860s and 1870s, the use of this type of photography waned but has made a comeback 150 years as a novelty.

When I first saw these type of portraits taken in modern day, I was captivated. Those same qualities that I had thought were unique to people from that time, were captured in these tintype photographs. I realized it was the particular type of photography and process that was capturing this vivid intensity of its subjects. Even a photo taken today, will end up looking "old fashioned".

The process itself is quite interesting. A metal plate is coated with a solution that has silver halide supsended in it. The metal plate slides in to the camera, and (to overly simplify, read more detail here) this solution reacts to the intensity and duration of it its exposure to light creating an image. A process that surely seemed like magic back then, but honestly still seems like magic today as you watch your portrait come to life - first appearing as a negative image and magically changing to the positive right before your eyes in under a minute.

Well, I had been patiently waiting for an opportunity to have our portraits done this way, and on Tuesday, Huckleberry was having a little pop-up where The Folklorist was taking these portraits with her 100+ year old camera. I booked a spot for Raffa and I without hesitation.

To have your portrait taken you have to sit still for 7 seconds - completely still. You blink quickly but otherwise you must sit completely still. I wasn't sure how that would work for Raffa, but he went first and we got the most perfect portrait of him on our first try. When it was my turn, I was surprised how challenging it was to sit so still ... I mean, it is only 7 seconds, but it was more challenging than I anticipated.

These portraits are all I had hoped they would be. And the whole process - from sitting for the portrait to watching them develop - was magic.

I am having Raffa's framed - I dropped it off at a frame shop yesterday. They will float mount the tin type on a mat. They let me come in and handwrite "Raffa 3 years 7 mos" on the mat once they had cut it; and now it is on to framing. Can't wait to see the finished piece!

raffa + chloe // black eye cap hill

Coffee shop hangs are our jam. I love coffee. Raffa loves coffee (no joke, but he doesn't get to drink it, obviously). But, we just love hanging out at coffee shops too. Sometimes we bring books to read, sometimes we bring some small toys, sometimes we watch them roast coffee, and sometimes we bring a little craft. Last week, we met Rachel of Green Chair Stories at Black Eye Cap Hill, a gorgous art-deco inspired coffee shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of downtown Denver. It isn't one of our usual spots (Port Side in RiNo and Corvus on South Broadway hold those honors), but the gorgeous decor and ridic food menu are always a treat for mixing it up.

On this day, I brought some beads for Raffa and I to work with to make a necklace. We had already a fun morning at the zoo/circus that was the Denver Flea (winter market - SO ridiculously crowded), so we were ready to snuggle up and have a little snack and some quiet time.

Raffa strung up his beads one after the other, ending up with equal number of small beads on either side of the big/main butterfly bead - what a crazy coincidence.

I wish I could take Rachel along with us at least once a month because these photos make my heart ache over how much I adore them (and even more that sweet guy in them!). Such a treasured capsule of a slice of our life right now.

I am wearing: Madewell Stitchmix Pullover Sweater (on sale!), JBrand Carolina Super High Rise jeans in Scout, Vince Blair Slip On Sneakers

Raffa is wearing: Lennon and Wolfe Henley (out of stock everywhere - annoying), Zara Skinny Trousers in Bottle Green, Vans Checkerboard Slip On, Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie 

this is us october 2016

Last month we spent some time with Rachel of Green Chair Stories so that she could take some photos of us like she did last December. She met us at our house while I was getting Raffa dressed and then we headed out to grab coffee and snack and then head to the park. Our October was ridiculously warm, so we weren't missing any chance to enjoy the 70 degree weather.

Raffa was so excited to see Rachel again, and couldn't wait to show her ALL his stuff, including his camera and map (from the pumpkin patch we went to in Durango a couple weeks prior - laminated by Mimi to make it last).

We headed to Allegro Coffee on Tennyson ... one of our go to areas. It is less than two miles from our house and over the past three years has blown up with great local spots to eat.

Above is said pumpkin patch map, which remains a favorite. Thank goodness Mimi laminated it so that it lasts! Below, pipes are always a draw ... that decided our spot to sit.

Unfortunately, my gingerbread latte tasted like soy sauce on rice... I kid you not. We all tried it, Rachel included and John insisted on exchanging it for something a little more desirable.

Again, the pipes ... gotta check them out.

Park time!

Once again, Rachel's photos are a priceless treasure - a snapshot of us in this moment in time. This is us in October 2016.