(Photo by Alanah Correia, Winter 2024)
From Lewis Hirtle to John Knickle, Lincoln Street in Lunenburg has been graced by notable figures in the realm of photography for over a century. Now, it is time to add another name to this esteemed lineage: Alanah Correia.
In early April, Correia unveiled Correia Photo Tintype Studio, situated above Lunenburg’s recently-established yoga studio at 232 Lincoln St. Aligning perfectly with our town’s rich celebration of heritage, Correia’s studio specialises in tintype photography.
Tintype, a wet plate form of photography, enjoyed widespread popularity during the latter half of the 19th century before gradually fading from vogue at the turn of the 20th century.
After a personal and creative crisis while living on North Mountain in the Annapolis Valley, Correia spent a summer on the west coast. While working on a lavender farm on Cortes Island, she stumbled across a classified ad for someone giving away a large format camera.
The rest is history.
Correia sought out the mentorship of Sydney Woodward, a photographer on Salt Spring Island, who showed her the basics of tintype firsthand.
“I was feeling really hungry to learn… I spent three days on Salt Spring… It opened up my eyes to how there are more and more photographers working with this medium, but also offering it to their communities as a portrait service,” says Correia.
Now, Correia is enthusiastic about extending this unique opportunity to the denizens of the South Shore. Her studio is meticulously crafted to accommodate tailored portrait sessions while also welcoming those intrigued by the art of tintype to come see her setup.
“There’s parts of me that are super excited to be offering this historic photographic process in a place that has so much history…I’m really excited to connect more with the community.”
great legacy to amazinging artists paying tribute to an iconic landmark!