Fotograf na plech – Wet plate collodion portrait studio in the centre of old Prague

SILVER.
ETHER.
YOU IN THE
SPOTLIGHT.

tintype portrait studio
in the heart of Prague

Hi, my name is Honza,
welcome to my world.

I am a tintype photographer who spends most of his time at a tiny studio in the very heart of old Prague, Czech Republic, surrounded by ancient cameras, two dog assistents, a huge and rather moody inkjet printer and, first and foremost, by all the lovely people who started coming in for portrait sessions one day some six years ago and somehow never stopped.

Oh and I also do all sorts of exhibitions, workshops and lectures.

In case you might be wondering, the name of my studio, Fotograf na plech, translates as “Tintype photographer”, but also “Drunk, wasted or high photographer”. Not that far fetched when you consider all the alcohol involved in producing wet collodion plates…

TINTYPES

A tintype is an analogue photograph shot directly on a metal (tin) sheet. No enlargement, intermedia or printing is involved, everything happens in-camera. Think Polaroid, but 100 years older. The process, wet plate collodion, dates back 170 years. This wikipedia link has more information.

How is an ancient technique like that still relevant today?

Because it represents the complete oposite of

the digital, super fast, over-saturated world we live in today. Everything is hand made. The whole process requires you slow down, really think things through and put your best effort into the one exposure. Not hundreds, not thousands of exposures. Just one, made on the very tin plate you will bring home with you. Also, the plate will last for hundreds of years, (which, one might say, has already been well tested since the 1850s).

How do I book?

If you would like to come in for a portrait session, please get in touch through the Contact section and let me know which date and time would work for you the best. I will always do my best to make your session happen.

What's included?

– spoken introduction into the history of the wet plate process

– full presentation of all the steps and chemical processes

– your final portrait plate, varnished and packaged for safe travel

– archival reproductions printed in handmade carbon pigment inks can be ordered separately

Session length

A typical tintype portrait session with one final plate takes between 60 to 90 minutes. The plate is ready to be picked up within 60 minutes after we finish (a bit longer if you also order a printed reproduction).

What should I wear?

Anything you like and feel comfortable in, really. I would probably advise against wearing plain white as it gets overexposed easily, and also watch out for text and logos as those will be inverted in the final image. Any other color, patterns, accessories – go crazy! (Just note that collodion “sees” blue color the most and does not see red at all. This means anything blue will turn out very light and anything red will be black.)

Studio location

My studio is located in the historic centre of Prague, Malá Strana (the Lesser Side). The Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Lennon Wall, Petřín hill with its viewtower – all within a short walking distance. (I also live in the neighbourhood an know it quite well. I can give you local tips on things to do and places to see in Malá Strana.)

Can I bring other people with me?

Sure! I will be happy to include anyone you bring with you into the shot, as long as you can all fit in front of my camera. My current record is a group of 36 students in one image.

my cameras

What my clients say about me:

We stumbled upon this photo studio by accident, and we were not going to have a photo session. But the photographer was very welcoming and described the process thoroughly, so we decided that we need this kind of photo. I think this is a unique place, because the photographer uses original technology from 19th century, almost everything is handmade. During the process, he described every step, and this was like additional excursion, so the cost is 100% justified. And, of course, we got a great photo!

I can't recommend this experience highly enough. It was awesome! Had a great time with Honza. He explained the whole process to us and involved us in each step. It's magic! He's got a great eye and took stunning photos of myself and my partner. The plates are unique and beautiful.

If you find yourself in Prague for any reason at all and are looking for something original to do I highly recommend spending an hour or so with this wonderful photographer and artist and having your portrait taken with this wonderful, very different Tinotype process. The end result is an image on a metal plate that is a unique and beautiful object in itself. Honza is a fascinating, gentle person who will involve you in the whole process including the darkroom and processing of the image. He has a lovely little studio in a very nice part of town on the way up to the castle. We also had portraits of our children taken that were absolutely stunning and beautifully captured a moment in their lives that will be treasured for generations to come.

Great service and very nice photographer. We got 3 pictures of our family couples. Whole process was very professional and adaptable. Hopefully we are able to come back some day and take more pictures. Thank you for great service!

A different and unique experience, a real record and much more exciting than any souvenir youill buy at stores! warmly recommended. You should coordinate in advance. We arrived uncoordinated and luckily he was in the area. Suitable for photography enthusiasts but not only:) I came with my partner and it was an exciting experience! Will suit for all types of groups, families couples or good friends 🙂

Very talented artist who makes you think not only about the way the photography arises, but also about the meaning hidden in visual aspects of photo art. His personal approach gives the session unexpected frame. I´m convinced, he will have very successful future. Highly recommended.

My friend and i were really lucky to get a photo in this studio. He was really nice. He explains all the process and it was really interesting. Highly recommend!

Having an old camera taking a black and white portrait of us was a fun, interesting experience. The photographer, Honza, was an interesting wonderful person to meet. He explained his technique. We did not feel hurried and could enjoy the moment.

From beginning to the end Honza was lovely. We sent an inquiry for a photo shoot quite short notice because we only discovered Honza when we were already in Prague for our holiday. He replied to my email promptly and the communication was great and uncomplicated. We were lucky enough to get an appointment and were looking forward to have our photo taken. Honza answered all our questions and the atmosphere while we were in his studio was very relaxed. We could watch the whole process how he developed our picture. For everyone who wants an unique photo taken from a person who is passionate about his art and craft we highly recommend Honza! Thank you so much Honza for fitting us into your schedule, we enjoyed it a lot and love our special picture.

The whole procedure takes about an hour. It's an atmospheric trip into the past. The pictures are just wonderful. And the studio as well.

This stuff was like birthday gift. Bunch of emotions! The plate in real life looks much doper than on pictures, try it!

Honza took us back in time with this process and we loved it! Our portrait is amazing. We will do it again the next time we are in Prague.

If you want really something special and have some great memories from Prague, you should definatelly visit this place and let make some "retro" pictures from Honza. He is very, very talented guy and his pictures are made with special technik and also details. Im higly recommending this service. He is located in city centre, not far from Charles Bridge. Honza is also very friendly english speaking guy 🙂 Enjoy it.

We had a joint portrait taken and were so entranced by the alchemy and so impressed by Honza's skill and passion that we immediately booked to go back to have individual author portraits done the next day. All three are marvellous images and it was a privelege to spend time with Honza and to be shown this extraordinary and authentic process.

You get your photo taken like they did back in the 1800s, using an authentic 1800s camera. The photo is made on a tin plate, which means a unique look + an everlasting quality (will not fade out). Honza (the owners) is a really great guy, and gets the best out of you while taking the photograph. In addition, he also explains and shows the process of making the photo (before and after the shot), which is really interesting.

Thank you Honza for giving us a memory for life from our trip to Prague. Not only the photograph we get to take home, but also the memory of a conversation with a great guy who showed us the whole process and spent some time talking to us.

We stumbled on Honza's studio while walking around. I saw his photographs outside of his door and peeked in. He was very kind and took a photograph of our daughter without an appointment. Honza showed us how the process works, start to finish. My family is a bit camera-shy and we are not used to professional photographs, but this was a different experience altogether. Watching him use a 100+ year old camera and combining the old (the camera, the process) with the new (my daughter's clothes, the studio lights) was fascinating. But, the best part is the photo hung on the wall. My daughter at age 12 is captured perfectly, freckles and all. Beautiful and perfect--highly recommend making an appointment on a visit to Prague.

Honza takes you back in time with this process and the results are stunning. We love our portrait and hope to have another made the next time we return to Prague.

We had the best time with Honza. After being referred by a friend with a similar experience, we knew we had to schedule some time with him to have our portrait done. He shared his insight and artistry, and made the whole thing a true experience, explaining the history and chemistry of the process. This is more than just a keepsake portrait, it's a history lesson and artistic experience as well. A must for anyone looking for a more unique, custom-side of Prague.

I had a photo of my children done and we thoroughly enjoyed our session with Honza. He is genuinely one of the nicest people we have ever met. The photo turned out beautifully and it was an experience learning about the entire procedure that goes into this method of photography. The passion he has for his work is wonderful. We would recommend this to anyone interested in photography or in having a very special keepsake and, quite honestly, to absolutely everyone.

If you ever wondered how they used to take photo portraits in the 19th century and if you want to leave Prague with a unique souvenir, then definitely visit Honza's photographic studio. Honza is a very talented photographer who will take a portrait of you using a technique long forgotten. You will sit in front of his antique camera and follow him in his darkroom to witness the interesting procedure of having your photo developed on a metal plate. Whether you are a photographer or not, Honza will explain you all the details of the procedure in real time. Finally you will leave his studio holding a unique and artistically perfect personal souvenir from Prague. It is located just a 5 minute walk from Prague Castle and is easily accessible.

If you want a wonderful souvenir from Prague, spend one hour at the Honza´s atelier. You will see how to make photos of a century ago. clean craft. Take away the wonderful portrait and memory from Prague

I'm a photographer myself and it's amazing that the job of making and keeping memories is alive. I will return for sure and the best thing I can say is that a visit to Prague is worthy just because of this business. Keep on going!!

We found Honzas studio by a little research already on our way to Prague. He was super flexible when we requested him and we got an appointment the next day. Honza showed us all steps on how we makes an aluminium plate and now we got this wonderful photograph. The BEST souvenir from Praha ever.

We have had our antique outdoor wedding photo done here, plus a studio Foto. It was wonderful, and the pictures looks great. Perfect service with lots of additional information all around that photo technology of the 19th century. The pictures will get a special place in our house. Very professional. We just can recommend it!

SILVER.ETHER.YOU IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

tintype portrait studioin the heart of Prague

Hi, my name is Honza,welcome to my world.