What started as Brandon Schnittker’s eighth grade history project became his family’s hobby for the next six years and counting.  With their own booth at the 29th annual Cowboy Festival at Hart Park, the Schnittkers decided to spread the historical magic with collodion tintypes.   Collo dion tintypes are a style of photo that requires coating a metal or glass plate with chemicals and then taking a single photo.  “We use original chemistry, and we use original 1800s lenses … This was designed in the Civil War period, so 1860s. This particular Del Meyer was probably made in the 1880s but it’s an 1860s design of lens,” said Matt Schnittker, father of Brandon and owner of Schnittker Photography.   Matt Schnittker and son Brandon Schnittker (behind the camera) take portraits during the 29th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival at William S. Hart Park in Newhall, April 13, 2025. Michael Picarella/The Signal The process of the photos is what makes the booth so special, especially for attendees at the festival. It takes about one hour from taking the photo to having the final product in the person’s hands.  Matt added that they plan on taking about 50 to 60 photos the whole weekend, with about four photos being processed every hour.  Since the Schnittker family sources their own materials for their business as well, the whole experience feels that much more exciting.  River Schnittker explains the tintype process during the 29th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival at William S. Hart Park in Newhall, April 13, 2025. Michael Picarella/The Signal “The first thing we’ll do is pour a liquid coat of collodion on it, which is cotton, thinly dissolved in ether. It was originally designed to be an antiseptic. It was actually used as a liquid bandage in the Civil War,” said River Schnittker, one of Matt’s children. “But because it’s so sticky, we’re able to pour it onto the plate. And then we put it into a silver nitrate solution, which then sensitizes the plate from UV. So, the chemicals are reacting to UV, and that is how we get our photo.”   After the process is done, festival attendees get their own piece of 1800s history.  Shannon Schnittker (in black vest) tells guests at the Schnittker Photography tent that the wait for tintypes is an hour during the 29th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival at William S. Hart Park in Newhall, April 13, 2025. Michael Picarella/The Signal The post Collodion tintypes take Cowboy Festival down memory lane  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less