Don't take my picture!

[inked photography]

My job as a photographer at any event is to obviously find ladies and gentlemen with some amazing artowork for my photography. Not only floor shots but studio shoots as well. I consider myself to be polite and personable to all. The first day of any convention I wonder the floor without my camera collecting cards, introducing myself, and generally getting a visual of the layout. At that time and others I let artist know who I am and what magazine I am shooting for. I generally get a good response.

As I scout and look for individuals and artist alike. Generally when I tap an indivdual or speak to an artist and say, 'Hi, I am Ernie with Tattoo Magazine. Is it ok that I take your picture for the magazine?" Usualy I get an exciting, YES!, which is why I am there. However, I am surprised from time to time I will get a "no", my artist doesn't like me to have my picture taken. Or the, please "no pictures" from artist who are tattooing. The first time I was told no I was sort of shocked. In my mind I was, does this guy know who I am? Doesn't he know his work can possible be published in a magazine for all to see. What's the deal? I have never asked any artist or spoken about this with anyone. But I have given it thought. Here is my thinking on why I would get a no.

Maybe the artist has custom work on their client and doesn't want it copied.

Does the artist feel he/she is not at a place where they want to be with their work?

Maybe their client work is unfinished as in a full sleeve or back piece.

I would love to here from artist. Cause in my thinking. All promotion is good promotion.

Thanks!

[Scott R]

hey ink is that big joe in your album from our forums?

also from oklahoma boomer sooner

[Julio Avila]

Once a tattoo you did or have on you is printed, you run the chance of it not being yours anymore. Every tattoo shop gets people bringing in magazines with images they want copied on them. I find this practice tacky and frustrating. I try to get them to let me redraw the image. Customers are usually pretty cool with getting something custom. I know there are plenty of shops that will just try to copy the tattoo verbatim. The copied tattoo usually turns out to be some watered down bootleg lookin crap.

And that's why people dint want their stuff in magazines. If they really want it in a magazine, they'll just send a package of photos out.

Nice of you to ask your subjects before snapping away

[inked photography]

hey ink is that big joe in your album from our forums?

also from oklahoma boomer sooner

Yes it is. He is having a show in March 2012 in Orange. I will be there for that.

[inked photography]

Nice of you to ask your subjects before snapping away

Thanks! I always do unless I know the artist and they know me. I may be immune cause I do not own a shop. However I am at my friends shop at least three times a week. I haven't seen anyone bring in magazines to copy. I have seen it at shows. Someone even bought one of my posters and took it to an artist cause she liked a tattoo that the model had and wanted it. So I can understand where you are coming from. Do you find that most people who do that are not collectors and don't understand the etiquette?

[blessedmatter]

i had a pretty funny moment recently where i asked a tattooer (whom i've been tattooed by several times and have a fair rapport with) if i could take a pciture of part of a painting he had hanging up from another artist and he said no, only to ask me a few hours later if he could take a picture of a tattoo on me from another artist. i said yes, but the thought crossed my mind to be a dick and say no.

people are too touchy these days.

[Ursula]

I'm not a tattooer but I think this stems from people not wanting to be immediately copied, especially if it's unfinished. I know with my back I have only shared photos here and one other place. The reason is because it's not finished yet and I figured the guy who did it might not want all kind of photos floating around of an unfinished tattoo, I'm sure he also wouldn't be super happy to see some asshole walking around with an obvious lesser quality rip off before the one he did is even finished.

As far as telling people they can't take my picture, well, sometimes people are just assholes about it so why would I want them having my photo? I find it really rude when people try to take my photo at a convention or otherwise without even asking, those people usually get the fuck off before I hurt you glare which seems to work. If someone comes up to me and asks politely to take a photo I usually say yes. I sometimes say no and it's usually because it's someone I feel is going to just take it to a shop and ask to have it copied. So basically, tattooers (who aren't douches), professionals from a magazine or other publication and collectors who just like to look at cool tattoos - they get a 'yes'. Random people at conventions who don't even have tattoos - usually they get a 'no'.

As far as people not wanting to be photographed working - maybe they just don't want to be distracted by a flash or someone hovering around them. Maybe they have some sort of secret they don't want getting out that would show in a photo. I'm thinking probably the not wanting to be bugged thing though.

[inked photography]

If I eneter a booth at a show to try and take pics. My number one goal, aside from a nice capture, is to stay out of the way and not disrupt. 99% of the time. I do not have issues. Some of them will even stop to pose. lol... Or move their machine so I can get more of the tattoo in the pic. Generall I do not have issues at all. Its just that .00001% that somehwat surprise me. As far as studio settings. I explain the process and how it works. As far as the shots I need to get. But I alwasy let the collector determain what pieces of artwork they want me to shoot. That way there is no misunderstandung or me taking a pic of a tattoo that is not finished. Even though to me it looks like it might be.

[Ursula]

Hahaha well those .000001% might just be assholes then! Or people who don't know you and think you're just another dick with a camera.. Either way it sounds like you're trying to be as respectful as possible so I wouldn't worry about it

[Valerie Vargas]

i've been asked to have my picture taken at conventions a couple of times, mostly when i've been darting between the booth and the bathroom but ive said no, because i hate having my picture taken, i just hate it, if it's of me doing my job then that's fine since thats what i'm at convention for. my customers are free to do get pictures taken of their tattoo but i would prefer it if it was part finished if they politely declined and waited till it was completed.

There's a magazine i'm not happy with in particular and when a customer asked for my permission to have his tattoo snapped (he thought it was the decent thing to ask me anyway) by either that mag or a different one i quite like, i said he could do what he wanted but that i really wasnt keen on the first one and i explained why, he went for second one which was cool of him to trust me.

[Dringenberg and Co.]

I have a tattoo by Juan Puente, that was published in a magazine. This tattoo was inspired from an old line drawing Dan had. But Juan and I changed the design added a few things made it my own. I was totally thrilled to see it in a magazine. Then, I saw it again and agin in other magazines, only this time it was not my tattoo. Just a ripped off version of what I have. At first I was horrified and upset, why can't people think of their own ideas? But then I remembered something that Aristotle said, "there is no such thing as an original idea." Then one day while Dan and were traveling in New Mexico, we stopped in at a local tattoo shop. I picked up a portfolio to look at and low and behold, the artist had done my tattoo. It wasn't the same of course and I think mine is better, of course but I had to smile. All the way from West Hollywood California, my tattoo had made into a Japanese tattoo magazine, and on countless other people. It still is one of my favorites and still brings me joy when I see it. So if it can do the same for others, who am I to say it's mine and mine alone? Besides it was flattering to see that my Juan Puente tattoo was the inspiration for so many others.

[Stewart Robson]

I hate having my picture taken anyway but if I say 'no' it could be because:

a) the photographer is a dick/creep.

b) the magazine they work for is a shitty magazine and I don't want my work in shitty magazines.

c) maybe i'm having a rare day where I'm sick of people trying to make money from tattooers/tattooing.

In tattooing the maxim 'All publicity is good publicity' doesn't hold much water. Try 'Good tattoos are good publicity'. That's how most of us get new clients and retain current ones.

At a convention I rarely refuse photographs of me working. Sometimes if people are polite enough to ask (which is rare) I'll ask for them to not use flash.

Outside of conventions, the answer is rarely 'yes'. If I'm not working the answer is never 'yes'.

Luckily I usually work conventions next to Valerie, photographers love taking photos of women, not hairy dudes, so I'm mostly left alone.

[Joe Shit]

hey ink is that big joe in your album from our forums?

also from oklahoma boomer sooner

No,that's not me..I would probably have to go to the gym more than two times a week to look like that.

[jade1955]

I've had a couple of tattooers ask to take pictures of two very old tattoos that I have and I'm fine with that.

[gougetheeyes]

Cause in my thinking. All promotion is good promotion.

They're not Paris Hilton or a Kardashian, nobody has a net worth of 15 million dollars, so why are you surprised when a tattooer asks you not to take photos of their shit? Any publicity is not good publicity in an industry that prides itself on not being a bunch of vacuous fucking nincompoops. Also, I find it incredibly insulting when people assume they can take photos of tattooed folks simply because they have tattoos.

$0.02.

[inked photography]

I hate having my picture taken anyway but if I say 'no' it could be because:

a) the photographer is a dick/creep.

b) the magazine they work for is a shitty magazine and I don't want my work in shitty magazines.

c) maybe i'm having a rare day where I'm sick of people trying to make money from tattooers/tattooing.

a) Point taken. I know a few ladies and gentlemen that will NOT shoot with certain magazine photographers for that reason.

b) Agreed. I would hope that "Tattoo" is a favorite.

c) Those would be photographers not working for magazines. The same arguement can be said for conventions that are prepared by non-tattoo artist. Promoter shows. That's another thread.

[inked photography]

They're not Paris Hilton or a Kardashian, nobody has a net worth of 15 million dollars, so why are you surprised when a tattooer asks you not to take photos of their shit? Any publicity is not good publicity in an industry that prides itself on not being a bunch of vacuous fucking nincompoops. Also, I find it incredibly insulting when people assume they can take photos of tattooed folks simply because they have tattoos.

$0.02.

Why am I suprised when they say no? Did you read the thread? And who uses the word nincompoop? I was simply asking opinion. Not trying to get into a debate. If artist or collectors do not want their images in a magazine. Perfectly fine. However, if you are attending a tattoo convention. Wouldn't one assume there will be photographers there. Either for the show itself for promotional purposes and/or magazines. By know means am I the perfect photographer. But I do try my best to show respect to the artist and collectors alike. Hence why I posed the question.

[gougetheeyes]

C'mon, everyone loves to use "nincompoop." I did read the thread, it's good you ask and are respectful about taking photos, I'd just advise not to assume people like having their photos taken. Would the electrician's union invite you in to take photos of how they wire something? Or a salty old fisherman let you watch while he baits his hooks with his special stuff? Bad analogies. Apologies if I was a little badger-y, it was late.

[inked photography]

C'mon, everyone loves to use "nincompoop." I did read the thread, it's good you ask and are respectful about taking photos, I'd just advise not to assume people like having their photos taken. Would the electrician's union invite you in to take photos of how they wire something? Or a salty old fisherman let you watch while he baits his hooks with his special stuff? Bad analogies. Apologies if I was a little badger-y, it was late.

lol.... it is a fun word to say. lol... I can understand what you are saying about the process of his or her/artowrk. I can even understand those NOT wanting their custom work taken pics of due to not wanting them to be copied. But we are there for you. I know for me I want to shoot amazing pieces of artwork. Not just to have the images. But so people can see the talent that is out there. For that maybe not so known artist to be recognized. Let's face it. There are some sick artist out there pushing out some artwork that is blowing minds. Not only to collectors but artist alike.

But much love and respect to all you artist.

[s33ktruth]

i'd probably turn down a photographer at a convention.

[SF Dave]

i'm not a tattoo artist, but i'd like to add some thoughts from the perspective of a "collector". when an artists says no, maybe the artist is just looking out for the client's privacy. because it's not just the tattooer's art, but it's also someone's tattoo which oftentimes can be very personal. the photographer might not know the "meaning" behind someone's tattoo (nor would magazine readers), but the artist will and if it is that personal, the artist might just want to be respectful to his client.

maybe it's just me, but i wouldnt want to be photographed simply because i just dont want to show off my tattoos in a magazine, that's not my style. i got them to fulfill a personal desire and they might have a personal meaning. so not to sound selfish, but i got them for myself and i feel they aren't really meant for the world to see, if you know what i mean. in other words, showing off the tattoos was never in my intentions when i got the tattoos done in the first place. thats a big reason why i got them done on areas that can be mostly covered. if a friend wanted to see i have absolutely no problem showing because my friends know and understand me, so thats different. but like i said, that's just me. everyone's different. maybe when/if i get more visible tattoos in the future, my opinion on those might be different.

[KatieSellergren]

About 7 or 8 years ago Bill Demichele took a photo of me at a convention, and I asked him not to publish it, as I had no interest in the tattoo being seen publicly. He said he would not, yet six months later, there it was in print.

Every idiot in America has that tattoo, and it makes me sick.

[blessedmatter]

About 7 or 8 years ago Bill Demichele took a photo of me at a convention, and I asked him not to publish it, as I had no interest in the tattoo being seen publicly. He said he would not, yet six months later, there it was in print.

Every idiot in America has that tattoo, and it makes me sick.

What is it? I guess asking to post a picture is out of the question

[kylegrey]

Surely you don't mean....

[sboyer]

no offense but tattoo magazine makes me sad to look at. often times it seems to be mediocre work plastered on half naked girls and if its not that its ads for some shitty supply company or some h2ocean bs. sex sells blah blah blah. all show and no substance. my uncle buys me those things and i always end up putting them right in the trash. i wouldn't want my picture in one of those things. sorry...