I lost my home and art studio in Altadena, California on January 8th, 2025. A month and a half later I was donated large format camera, and I returned to the ashes of my home to make a tintype self-portrait. That image helped me begin to process what had happened—and it gave me a way to reconnect with my practice.

Then I offered to make tintypes for others in my community who had also lost their homes. Since then, I have created nearly 400 tintypes in the burn zone—photographing individuals, families, and landscapes in what remains of Altadena.

This project has become a form of service, healing, and remembrance. The tintype process, with its slowness and care, invites people to be fully present. Each image becomes a way to say: I was here. I endured. I am still standing.

I’m currently working toward a book and hope for an exhibition to honor this body of work and the people within it.

BOOK ALTADENA IN ASHES TINTYPE PORTRAIT SESSION HERE:

https://calendly.com/sunshineacid/30min

LA TIMES INTERVIEW:

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2025-04-30/tintype-photography-altadena-eaton-fire?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeYKWBmY_D3qpTRGiZkras0WG8kIFVtvhqmpJO-lpv9RRxS5QJqCVEkOsiDfw_aem_JjeKcj1Y36FzGMwvrtIiGg

NBC NOW INTERVIEW:

https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/artist-uses-tintype-photography-to-memorialize-homes-lost-in-eaton-fire-242206789924?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacM3YZuQUw9o0WKcn6LsTrjoSlo2RTaAwvImxc84T_jiC03368-bDj2FfvnuQ_aem_fjJPnDoexsvVERX-q333zA