John Coffer can be credited with how tintype photography has survived and is still an art form. He discovered tintype in the early 1970s, and after making calls to the Kodak Eastman House, the Smithsonian realized that there were few to none still using this antique photography process. Coffer decided it was worth reviving.A true “revivalist,” he has now taught, shown and exposed hundreds of photographers to the tintype process through his immersive workshop experience, called “Camp Tintype.” In June of 2025, I made the 10 hour trip to the Finger Lakes area of Dundee, New York to witness Camp Tintype for myself.To start, you have to write a letter to John to be considered for any workshops–no phone, no email at John Coffer's house. You send in a deposit, by mail, and then wait, hopeful for a return letter letting you know you are one of the lucky 4 people to experience the workshop this year around. I was the last one in for June 2025.Many people who have gone choose to camp on site at his 50 acre farm. I took the advice of a previous camper and stayed in an Airbnb so that I could at least shower each day to get the chemicals off. It felt a little weak to be honest, but I didn't miss out on anything. I stayed from morning to night on John’s property, then would head back to my Airbnb after everyone went to bed. The four of us were from a few different areas, such as Texas, myself from Kentucky, one from Rhode Island and the last from Massachusetts.

A lot of current wet plate shooters talk about “authentic” tintypes. I asked John if this bothered him at all, but he said no. He believes the process is still authentic, even if the tools most of us use are not entirely. No judgement here, because my sign I use says authentic on it too! But the fact of the matter is, you really don't know authentic until you see John at work.When he’s hand cutting a plate, black japaning it, baking, letting it cool, then finally making a photo… That is what feels like true authenticity. He does all this and then shoots it on a camera and lens made before the year 1900.Over the years, some photographers have challenged his methods or chemistry trying to tweak recipes or steps. John has tried it both his own way and theirs, and concluded they are incorrect. The only time John will engage about a process or method is when he thinks they are giving people bad advice, which could possibly set them up for failure. John’s methods are time tested. He did all the figuring out over many years so we could learn to do it the right way from the start.