I had the absolute pleasure and honor of doing this project for Ryan in Austin TX through 2020 and 2021 both pre, during and post pandemic…. above are photos of his back and legs healed, shot on digital format with a Canon Eos R (only just healed as you can still see some flakes, this is a week after the final session.)
Below are some photos shot on film of the process, getting tattooed on this large a scale is nothing short of awful for the client, it takes time and so much patience, it is very challenging to sit for these large sessions of lining and blackwork, not to mention the mental process of accepting such a large piece of art into your body and life, a illustration that becomes part of you for the rest of your own eternity.
I wanted to try and capture some of what it is like to undergo the process for both the client and myself, lots of double exposures (an excuse to play around and be “arty”) shot on 35mm, Hasselblad medium format and a Graflex 4×5 press camera.
Thank you for looking.
