News and Information from
Camp Tintype
Contents and What's New
2012 Workshop Information <<< All Classes are full! Standby list available.
2012 Just Tintypes Workshops <<< All Classes are full. 2013 dates now available.
2013 Workshop Information <<< Announcing the 2013 Workshop dates.
Jamboree 2012 - July 27, 28, and 29 <<< Announcing the dates of the 2012 Jamboree
Jamboree 2011 - July 29, 30, and 31 <<< More photos are now posted.
A NEW VIDEO is now posted - October 2011
Horse Hairs in My Soup - eBook series by John Coffer <<< Chapter 4 now posted - April 2011
New MythBusters articles <<< Two new articles posted and an addendum
Brief Overview of the Wet-Plate Process <<< Scan of a letterpress handout
Manuals and DVDs Now Available
Wet-Plate Collodion Follow-Up Kit
Contact Information
Biographical & Camp Tintype Information
Coffer Historians! Check out this BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Post your comments in the Camp Tintype Guestbook
John Coffer and his old traveling horse, Brownie, at Camp Tintype.
Albumen print from a wet-plate collodion negative. ©2001 by John Coffer.
2012 Workshop Information
NOTE: All 2012 workshops are now full. However, you can put your name on a standby list and should someone cancel out (or more workshops are scheduled later in the year), you could still get in. Just mail your name and contact information to John and you will be put on the list on a first-come first-served basis.
********** Now in our 17th year of teaching wet-plate workshops! **********
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Featuring three solid days of hands-on training in the making of:
2012 Regular All-Around Workshop Dates: |
2013 Workshop Information
********** Now in our 18th year of teaching wet-plate workshops! **********
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Featuring three solid days of hands-on training in the making of:
2013 Regular All-Around Workshop Dates: Policy on Deposits for the Workshops:
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! If you send in your $250 deposit before January 1, 2013, you will receive a 10% discount on any workshops offered in 2013. Full price after that.
Includes a comprehensive manual with instructional DVD set. Each student will receive "The Doers Guide", a complete, 165 page, fully illustrated workshop manual covering the entire wet-plate process, including the making of albumen photographs. Manuals can be purchased separately for $75.00 ppd. USA, refundable toward workshop tuition, and includes DVDs (4 hours total). The DVD set is available separately for $45.00 ppd. Contact John Coffer by regular mail for details. Don't delay - class size is limited to only 4 students
For details and registration, write: NOTE: Private tutoring is also available for $650 per day as to your schedule and individual needs. I have more than 30 years experience as a professional wet-plate collodion portrait photographer and am well prepared to teach you the correct time honored methods that work consistently and the best. -JC EXTRA! EXTRA! Free Play Day! For those taking the above beginner/intermediate wet-plate collodion in-the-field workshops, you are invited to stay at no extra charge an extra day! You may shoot wet-plates with our gear and supplies to your heart's content. We have found over the years that after the third day of the workshop, all the students have the routine down pat and are chomping at the bit to keep right on shooting fun images around the farm. You may even shoot plates as large as 8x10 (limited in number) if you like. Also, remember that students are encouraged and welcome to check in the day before the workshop officially begins to settle in if they are camping, but also to look over the wet-plate gear we will be using, or have us look over any potential wet-plate gear they care to bring along for evaluation or would like to try to shoot with. Further, be it known that workshop days are very full at Camp Tintype. When the sun shines we make wet-plate hay, and after supper we usually varnish plates and mix some chemistry into the night. In short, if you are seeking as much wet-plate bang for your buck as you can get, look no further than Camp Tintype! |
Just Tintypes Workshops
NOTE: The 2012 "Just Tintypes" Workshops are now full. However, as for the regular workshops, you can put your name on a standby list and should someone cancel out (or more workshops are scheduled later in the year), you could still get in. Just mail your name and contact information to John and you will be put on the list on a first-come first-served basis.
ANOTHER NOTE: 2013 dates now available! See below.
The popular "Just Tintypes" workshops are a continuing favorite
If wet-plate tintypes are what grabs you the most, this is the workshop for you. If you are an experienced wet-plate photographer but want to specialize in tintypes, this workshop will put you on the right path. If you are a total beginner but don't see yourself doing anything but tintypes for the foreseeable future, there is no better way to start off with learning wet-plate than with making tintypes.
2012 Just Tintypes Workshop Dates:
FULL! June 7, 8, 9 FULL!
FULL! July 12, 13, 14 FULL!
Tuition for 2012:
$785.00 per student...No lab fees!
A $250.00 deposit is required to secure enrollment.
2013 Just Tintypes Workshop Dates:
June 13, 14, 15
July 25, 26, 27
August 29, 30, 31
Tuition for 2013:
$825.00 per student...No lab fees!
A $250.00 deposit is required to secure enrollment.
This class is sure to be productive and exciting!
We will be shooting mostly authentic Ferrotype (not the aluminotype) tintypes in sizes up to 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" (traditional whole plate). Everyone will get a chance to black japan their own plates by the original baked on asphaltum paint method. Hand coloring will be practiced on plates of your choice for spectacular image results. Stereo tintypes and round badge tintypes will also be a couple fun options. Without a doubt more plates will be shot in this workshop than any other!
And remember....
All "Early Bird Specials" from the 2013 beginner/intermediate workshops section apply to these 2013 workshops as well. The extra Sunday "Free Play Day", as described above, will apply to these workshops, too!
Class size is limited, so register soon.
To sign up for this unique class, write to:
John A. Coffer
1236 Dombroski Rd.
Dundee, NY 14837
Manuals and DVDs Now Available
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This manual has cost me way more money than it's made. Why? Because it’s so utterly thorough and complete. And especially so, with its three and a half hour instructional DVD set included with it! Many a would-be wet-plate photographer has bought it, taught themselves the process, then gone onto making award-winning wet-plate images without ever setting foot in my workshops or anyone else's, for that matter. That said, do keep in mind that a workshop experience at "Camp Tintype" is something beyond just a workshop. It is a life changing experience. -JC
The Complete Wet-Plate Instructional DVD Set
The Complete Wet-Plate Instructional DVD Set (4 hours) is available for $45.00 ppd. This comprehensive set covers all aspects of wet-plate photography, including chemical mixing, managing, and maintaining.
The Doers Guide to Wet-Plate Collodion Photography
The Doers Guide to Wet-Plate Collodion Photography manual, with the complete DVD set, is
now available for $75.00 ppd. (Canada cost is $95.00 ppd. and overseas cost is $110.00 ppd.)
Now you have a choice between a hand-written (xeroxed, of course) or computer-typeset manual (Please specify)
Please note the following payment information
- Payment for U.S. orders may be by check, cash, or money order.
- Payment for foreign orders must be by international money order, cash, or U.S. check.
- Money sent from overseas via Western Union cannot be accepted.
To order any of the above material, write to:
John A. Coffer
1236 Dombroski Rd.
Dundee, NY 14837
Your Wet-Plate Collodion Follow-Up Kit
Finally, a reliable kit for the beginning wet-plate workshop student
You are now able to take this home for an uninterrupted flow of wet-plate fun!
For only $250.00* (see note below), this kit includes the following:
> 500 mls of ready to pour Ol' Workhorse Collodion.
> One liters worth of Potassium Cyanide Fixing solution.
> One liter of Ferrous Sulfate Developer ready to use.
> 500 mls of Silver Nitrate Bath Solution all ready to sensitize your plates.
> 200 mls of Gum Sandarac Varnish.
> Two sheets of 12"x24" "peel & pour" plates ready to cut down to whatever sizes of positives you want to make.
> 100 mls of Calcium Carbonate glass cleaner.
Additionally...
Follow-up kits can be had now with glass hydrometer and glass cylinder for calibrating and maintaining the silver bath for an extra $20.
This kit is only available to workshop & tutorial students at "Camp Tintype"
No other workshop or tutorial anywhere offers this extra service. Yet another reason why "Camp Tintype" workshops are the Best!
Price Rollback!
You can now purchase a half pound of Potassium Cyanide for $35. This is sold only at Camp Tintype and not by mail order. Another good reason to do a workshop or tutorial, or come to the Jamboree!
* NOTE: Kit price increases to $300.00 starting in 2012
Unfortunately, due to the ever-rising cost of chemicals, follow-up kits purchased after the start of 2012 will be $300.00.
Jamboree 2012 - July 27, 28, and 29
2012 Jamboree dates have been announced
Keep checking back more more information and updates on the 2012 Jam!
For more information and authorization to attend, please write:
John A. Coffer
"Camp Tintype"
1236 Dombroski Rd.
Dundee, NY 14837
Jamboree 2011 - July 29, 30, and 31
Post Jam
Once again, another Jamboree is over. But photos by participants are now being posted. Keep watching for updates.
Contact Information
E-mail address:
Click here to email John
Please note that since John does not have Internet access at Camp Tintype, all email sent here will be
printed and mailed to John once every couple of weeks. To receive a reply from
John as soon as possible, please include your mailing address in the email.
It will be faster to write him a letter at…
Mailing address:
John A. Coffer
1236 Dombroski Rd.
Dundee, NY 14837
Biographical & Camp Tintype Information
Having started out using commercially available, at the time, dry plate tintypes and glass negatives to make his living, he eventually was able to glean enough information from historic archives and gather up the necessary chemicals from different sources, that by 1982, he was able to do the much more desirable wet-plate collodion process. That spring, he immediately began making wet-plate collodion Tintypes (the real Ferrotype kind), ambrotypes, and glass plate negatives for his patrons, as he camped on field and farm and small town back lots along his way.
In 1985, after more than 11,000 wagon miles and having passed through 36 different states, John and his horse "Brownie" settled down on their own 50 acre farm in the heart of the beautiful "Finger Lakes" country of up-state New York.
Tintype of John Coffer by Tom DeLooza, 2005
"Brownie" went on to graze in the big pasture in the sky at the ripe old age of 34.
Here are twelve reasons why "Camp Tintype" workshops are the best wet-plate collodion experience to be had anywhere:
1. Highest student teacher ratio.
The class is limited to only four students and will be taught regardless as to any fewer than that should arrive.
2. Students make a lot of Pictures.
Typically, a workshop student goes home with ten to a dozen or more plates. Each student will be making Tintypes, ambrotypes, glass negative, and albumen prints.
3. Ideal span of Time.
Three days has proven to be just right for this immersion experience.
4. The Price is Right.
Shop around and you'll see that "Camp Tintype" workshop and tutorial prices are very competitive and more so, considering you get a bigger bang for your buck!
5. Free Camping!
Save a bundle on lodging and campout! There are on-site Teepees or bring your own tent. For the less adventerous, there are a number of B & B's and motels in the area. Also, plenty of restaurants and grocery stores.
6. Close to photography mecca, Rochester, NY.
Camp Tintype is about 90 miles south of Rochester. Call ahead to the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and make an appointment to see their behind the scenes collection of rare old wet-plate images and equipment, if you like. Cost is only the standard price of admission to the museum.
7. The workshops are specifically taught, as is necessary to do the wet-plate process in the field.
Most see themselves going outside or on the road to shoot wet-plate, at some point in time. This requires a certain know-how and set of gear unlike the generally less challenging modern walk-in darkroom and studio situation other wet-plate workshops and tutorials tend to be taught in. After learning to do the process in the field and becoming comfortable with that, it is an easy transition to doing it in a studio. Not so, the other way around!
8. Camp Tintype is laid back.
The rooster starts sounding off at about 5:30AM, but class doesn't start till about 9:00AM. All take a short lunch break at about noon (bring your own snacks and beverage) and then resumes till about 5:30PM or whenever. The class is often still talking wet-plate on into the night while roasting hot dogs and smores over the big evening campfire.
9. Totally experienced Teacher.
John Coffer has been doing wet-plate collodion photography professionally for more than 27 years and been teaching workshops and tutorials for over fourteen years. He has had many apprentices over that time and is ultimately the teacher to the teachers of the teachers of the teachers. His personal work is well known in the art photography world, having had numerous shows of his Tintypes in some of the most prestigious galleries in New York City and the country. He has been favorably reviewed and featured in top publications such as the New York Times, The New Yorker, Village Voice, People, Wired, Aperture, and Forbes, to name a few.
You can expect plenty of patient help from John at the workshop or by correspondence afterwards.
10. The world's best wet-plate Manual and Instructional DVD.
At a whopping 165 pages, no other contemporary manual compares! And, it comes with a 4 hour DVD set, that features the process in detail, the many equipment options, black japanning Ferrotype plates (for making authentic Tintypes on) and many other must see to appreciate vital aspects of wet-plate collodion photography. And, if that isn't enough, you receive your copy as soon as you sign up for a workshop or tutorial. It's mailed right out to you. Many get a big head start that way. No other wet-plate workshop dares to provide so much!
11. We have TeePees for students to stay in!
As well as other 19th century-style very comfortable and fun tentage.
12. Top-notch cameras and other equipment
We do not use original mid-19th century era wet-plate cameras in our workshops, but rather finely crafted, very serviceable reproductions with original wet-plate era lenses and also, and very importantly, an assortment of 20th century cameras of all shapes and sizes, adapted to doing wet-plate. You will be able to relax and not live in fear that you might harm an ultra rare fine original 1860's or 70's wet-plate camera. Actually, those cameras are so scarce now they should never be used but rather carefully preserved for future generations to study. With our repro and otherwise cameras you will be able to shoot way more plates, having nearly unrestricted mobility about the farm setting up your compositions. Yes, I know, not as sexy as being able to say you shot a couple plates through an all original wet-plate camera, but far less stressful and way more productive. You'll soon find out Camp Tintype workshops are very much about doing and not about pomp and pageantry.
Reproduction of an 1850's 11x14 field camera with original Darlow lens.
Camera and tripod made by Tony Miller, 1998.
Image is a 5x7 albumen print by John Coffer from a 5x7 wet-plate nagative
Note: There are no phones or E-mail at "Camp Tintype".
Correspondence
is, by preference, done by mail. Write:
John A. Coffer
"Camp Tintype"
1236 Dombroski Road
Dundee, NY 14837
Website updated on: 10/9/2011
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