How does it work?
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This is kinda too specific/technical for an ELI5 but basically: a box camera is set up in front of a subject. In a low-light setting a photographer coats a tin plate with light sensitive chemistry. When the plate is ready its placed in a special holder with a sliding cover that prevents it from being exposed to light. The subject is readied, the camera focus is set, and then the holder is inserted in the camera. The film holder slide is pulled, and then the lens is opened while the photographer times the exposure. When the exposure is done, the lens is closed, the slide is set back in the holder, and the holder is brought back into the darkroom where it is chemically processed. After processing the resulting tintype is the only copy. Unlike glass or film negatives, tintypes area a “direct positive” process like a Polaroid, making an image suitable for viewing without a reproducible negative that requires printing.
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