Tintype in popular culture - Stephen Berkman

[f/stopblues]

After purchasing the new Raconteurs cd, Consolers of the Lonely, I checked out the artwork inside (artwork included?! yeah, I didn't download it! ) Inside are some fun portraits of the band in tintype. The liner notes credit Stephen Berkman with the work.

I suppose it's not too surprising for a band like this, who are far from the poptastic plastic music so popular, would get creative with their album artwork. It's refreshing to see some work done in a traditional process that has a bit of tongue-in-cheek feel to it, as does a lot of his work.

Surf on over to www.stephenberkman.com to see some of his ambrotype work. I particularly like the photo on the home page For the tintype work on the Raconteurs, buy the cd or album.. it's good music!

Just thought I'd share. Enjoy!

 

[Brandon D.]

Thanks!

He also has some great work shown here:
http://www.trishsouth.com/SITE/Phot...an/index.php?page=Film_Projects_&_Advertising

 

[DanielStone]

He's a REEEEEEEEAAAALLLLLYY nice guy. Totally down to earth! I helped him when I worked at Samys last year. He does some teaching at Art Center, out here in Pasadena.

wicked-ass chops though! if you dressed him in civil-war generals garb, he'd blend right in .

super guy though, great photographer!

-Dan

 

[2F/2F]

Yup, he teaches at Art Center. Funny pix. I saw him give a lecture on collodion wet plate, and he brought in a lot of his salt prints from the plates, and the LP mentioned by the OP (yes, the LP, not the CD, which is way too small to really get a good look at the pix). Pretty great to be taking the old process and subtly introducing modern elements into the pix that are apparently "old school" at first glance. Best conceptual use of antiquated processes I have seen so far. Very homorous and toungue in cheek. When it comes to work made with the older processes, my usual feeling is that the processes do not serve the work, and it is just a bland technical exercise for fun, basically. I appreciate how he doesn't just use the old processes to make "fake old" pictures. I took a cool pic of him in the lecture that I will dig up. Nice guy....mean chops for sure, Daniel!!

 

[DanielStone]

ya 2f,

mean chops for sure!

-Dan