Clendon House: Tintype Portrait Sessions

Join me at historic Clendon House in Rawene, overlooking the beautiful Hokianga Harbour, for a unique portrait experience on 13 & 14 February 2027.

Built in the late 1860s, Clendon House was home to Captain James Reddy Clendon, an early colonial figure, and his wife Jane Takotowi Clendon. Rich in history and still retaining much of its original character and family collection, it's a wonderful setting for a portrait made using one of photography's earliest processes.

I'll be bringing my mobile darkroom to Rawene to make traditional wet plate collodion portraits, just as photographers did in the 1850s. Each portrait is made by hand on a 5 x 4 inch aluminium plate, developed on the spot in the darkroom and finished as a one-of-a-kind photographic object.

There's something rather special about having your portrait made in a place with such a strong connection to the past. No negatives, no digital manipulation, just you and a little piece of photographic history to take home.

Please feel free to bring along any traditional Kakahu or Taonga for your portrait session.

Limited to two people per plate.