A Fake Death in 2014

Featuring Dave Smith. 3x4 Tintype

For those who don't know, every month I volunteer at Old Town San Diego. once a month doing tintypes. I always come back home with beautiful plates and do do scans and post them all at once. Lately I have been giving more thought on what else I can do beside posting them.  So I came up with the idea of a Tintype of the month! This plate is for the month of March. 

If you have seen previous posts before or know me in life, this man right here is my mentor, Dave Smith. He is also alive. Whenever I'm in Old Town doing tintypes I normally stick in one area of the park and never really taken my camera far. In this case we were going to photograph the Blacksmiths at their workshop. I went over there with my friend Fernando to assist him and hold reflector, but when I turned around I noticed there were two wooden coffins in the back of the lot behind rope bars. I asked one of the black smiths if there was any possible way we could get that down and use it for photos. It was possible. I asked Dave if he would model for me and luckliy he said yes! 

I know now that this would have been hard for some people to squeeze into a coffin. Not a lot of people see death as a positive thing. Especially as we get older. Dave was such a champ! The reason I choose this as my favorite tintype was do to do subject matter and the contrast of the plate. Earlier that day I was experiencing fog in my plates and not good separation. The lighting and the time of the day was perfect.

3x4 Tintype. F/stop unknown
4 seconds.