Kari Orvik Tintype Studio

Kari is simply amazing! I went with my fiancé’ for a couples photo shoot and had a blast. She has a great eye and took great shots. She is easy to work with and very accommodating. She even gave us an extra plate (photo) to keep for free. I showed my friends and coworkers the shots the next day and ran out of her business cards already. 5 stars and worth every penny.

My husband and I were visiting the city for a vacation getaway and we were so excited to visit Kari’s Tintype Studio. We had a couples session and felt very honored to watch the «behind the scenes» darkroom process as she developed our portraits. Kari took beautiful and very intimate photos that we were so happy with. I highly recommend this experience!

My wife and I contacted Kari to set up a couples shoot a week before our wedding last fall. Kari’s work speaks for itself and we enjoyed the entire process, from participating in the shoot to seeing the tintypes come to life in the dark room. We now have a timeless set of portraits from a memorable point in our lives and we hope to come back and do it all over again down the road.

Kari was great to work with! She played some nice oldies during the shoot, which I really appreciated because it added to the ‘classic’ allure of the entire experience. She was easy to talk to and did a great job with the final product. At least that’s what Facebook tells me :)
I highly recommend Kari Orvik to anyone interested in tintype photography. Her work is top-​notch.

For years, I could see my family’s portraits in the form of a tintype but didn’t know who could produce it. Problem solved! Kari Orvik is a talented and insightful photographer. She was deeply patient with my 3 year old daughter, teen stepson and husband all of whom had no understanding of my vision for them on my wall! She talked everyone through the process and turned it into an art project for all of us to enjoy. She even took me into the darkroom as I had spent my days back in college. Very satisfying! She sent us packing with the original tintypes nicely packaged and even photographed a digital copy of each for us to share with friends and family. Without question, as a fellow pro photographer, I would recommend Kari for her technical eye, attention to detail and did I mention PATIENCE?

Kari is amazing! I’m moving to Boston this Summer, and really wanted to splurge on a tintype of my Aunt and I before I left. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do or a while, but kept putting off for one reason or another. But with my move just around the corner, I knew it was time to get the ball rolling, so I decided to e-​mail Kari about making an appointment (she got back to me within the next day). And when I told her that I’m a «starving student» she even said that we could adjust the session time to fit my budget.
My Aunt and I had our session a few weeks ago, and we couldn’t be more pleased. Kari made us feel «special» from the moment we walked in. She offered us something to drink, sat us down for a conciliation, and really took the time to listen and discuss what we envisioned for our portrait. I totally thought it was going to be «do or die» and that we’d only have one chance to get a good image, but Kari assured me that this wasn’t the case – we ended up taking four different shots before we all agreed on the winner. And when I asked Kari if it was too late to take one more image of me by myself, she said «sure» and offered to add it in at a very reasonable price. I’m so glad I asked!
When we left her studio, my aunt and I talked about our session the entire ride back to the East Bay. And we both agree that Kari didn’t just create an amazing piece of art for us, she also gave us an incredible experience and memory.
Thanks, Kari!

Kari’s images of children beckoned to me from Photobooth every time I walked by. So much more depth and character than any Instagram filter. So mesmerizing. But then I would be distracted by my highly energetic child zooming down the sidewalk and think, «We could never sit still for a portrait like that.»
Fast-​forward a couple of years. The kid is old enough to sit still. Well, the chances are decent, and the toddler curls are slipping into memory. But Photobooth is closed???
Thank goodness Kari has her own studio. We go in. The kid fell asleep on the bus, is cranky and wary of new people. Kari is so calm; she puts us at ease. She is as mellow as a tintype. She shows us her darkroom, offers us drinks, almost imperceptibly shepherds us to the seat. She waits patiently and coaches her subject gently until just the right moment and POW!
The portraits are just what I wanted, and just like a kid: magnetic, imperfect, honest.
Kari was generous afterward with thorough advice on framing, but I wish she had hammered into my thick skull how delicate the images are. Being a moron, I put one of the plates face-​down on a mat and scratched the emulsion. Don’t do that.
But do take a tintype portrait, especially if you’ve got texture: a five o’clock shadow, a tattoo, toddler curls, piercing eyes. We’ve all got something for Kari to find.

I missed out on having my tintype taken at Photobooth while they were still open, so I was excited to find out that Kari had opened up her own studio in the city. I made individual appointments for my boyfriend and I on a Saturday afternoon at Kari’s studio. Kari made us feel at ease about the whole process, and even invited us into her darkroom to watch the development (so cool!) The whole shoot was extremely professional, yet casual, and our photos are truly one-​of-​a-​kind.

I went to Kari today to have my tintype portrait made and I was blown away! I walked out with an image (tintype) that I love, plus I felt really at home in her space. Considering how much I detest having my picture taken, the fact that she made me feel comfortable *and* that I liked the image was pretty amazing. I appreciated her low-​key attitude which put me at ease and her subtlety in directing our session made me know she was going to make me look my best. She’s a true professional and consummate artist. Highly recommended!