Meet James Denton of Bailey-Denton Photography in Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Denton.

James, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing-up, my father occasionally would go through some old photographs. The ones that fascinated me the most were the tintype photos of distant ancestors. Having grown-up in the ‘70s and ‘80s black and white, Polaroid and other film photos were still pretty common-place, but the old tintypes were different. Several years ago, I came across an article about someone who was currently taking photographs using old methods and producing tintype photographs. It reminded me of those old photos that my father had, that I now own. After having done some basic research and seeing how it was feasible to do it ourselves, I approached my wife about learning how to do it ourselves. My wife has been a photographer (both professional and amateur) since she could hold a camera. She also saw a new avenue for artistic expression. We honed our techniques through a combination of trial and error, internet research and a workshop held in New York by a man who lives like it’s the 19th century. It was also during this time we attended a lot of events we thought might be receptive to our new business.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like with any small business there have been some trials, surprises and difficulties. The cost of the equipment, chemicals and other materials can be a bit prohibitive, and yet without those, you will not be able to properly learn how to produce a quality image consistently. It can also be a steep learning curve of which equipment to spend your money on. A lot of this equipment is, or is based on, 19th century technology, designed and used by people who are long-dead. There’s also a lot of DIY you have to learn. I had to design and build some of my equipment in order for us to do business. Additionally, we had to do a lot of research with regards to the American Civil War. A large portion of our business is Civil War re-enactments. A lot of the re-enactors are very serious about what was appropriate during that period whether it was equipment, clothing or mannerisms. We have done our best to make our mobile studio look much-like the mobile studios that Brady or Gardner (two famous Civil War photography studios) would have had following the armies during the Civil War. There is also the fact that we had to make a lot of contacts to be able to set-up at a lot of different events. While most of those have gone smoothly, and we have been enthusiastically welcomed at many events, there have been difficulties and miscommunications.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bailey-Denton Photography – what should we know?
Our business is a small photography studio that specializes in wet-plate collodion photography. This type of photography is most commonly known as tintypes and was at its most popular during the latter-half of the 19th century. Most people will recognize it when they see photos of the Civil War or the Old West. We are one of only a few that still practices this type of photography in the United States and the only ones in Southern California still historically re-enact as a part of our business.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My wife and I started this business together and still run it as a team. My wife is the primary camera operator while I act as the darkroom technician. One of the greatest helps we’ve received is from the communities that we serve. We have made many friends along the way and having their support has helped make our business a success and a lot of fun.

Contact Info:

• Address: 10971 Garden Grove Blvd Suite I,
  Garden Grove, CA 92843
• Website: www.baileydentonphoto.com
• Phone: 714-715-6092
• Email: baileydentonphoto@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bailey_denton_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wetplatephoto/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bailey-denton-photography-garden-grove
• Other: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23243643@N04/

Image Credit:
Bailey-Denton Photography

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