It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the second in Gillian Grace’s series profiling artists participating in the Danforth East Arts Fair on September 17th and 18th (that’s this weekend!).
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Everyone has heard of slow food. Some of us — depending on our fondness for the New York Times travel section — have heard of slow travel. But what about slow photography?
Riverdale photographer Horst Herget has recently started taking portraits using tintype, a process developed in the 1850s. Think: a lensman working behind a bellows camera in a period movie; a silvery-hued likeness in an antique locket.
Herget describes tintype as a counterpoint to both his corporate photography work and to speedy, digital shots. Each photo requires varnishing a plate, which takes about 5-10 minutes. The plate must be used while wet, and only once, and require an exposure of at least two seconds. Because of all the hands involved, the result has a unique texture, with “telltale swirls” on the border from preparation.
In an age when every cell doubles as a camera, tintype requires an unfamiliar commitment — both of time, and, on the part of the subject, involvement in how the final image will turn out. “Because the process is much slower — you can take four portraits an hour — the subject becomes a participant,” Herget says.
At the Arts Fair, Herget, toting a team of assistants, will offer up 4” x 5” portraits for $35; each works best with one to two subjects, although he can accommodate larger groups. Plan to spend about 15 minutes taking the shot, then another 45 minutes or so exploring the other booths while the tintype is prepared.
“ There’s a tone to it, definitely a softness to the image,” says Herget of the end result. “There’s something timeless about them.”
Wow, these are beautiful! I’m fascinated. Am I understanding correctly, that you sit for 15 minutes while the photo is being taken? I’m trying to imagine being so still.