I Told My Mom I Got a Dolphin:
I had an interesting conversation with my tattoo artist on Saturday. Jim is apparently rather opinionated in the arena of tattooing culture, and hates (I'm using the word "hates" here) how the culture has evolved. For a slight moment, it made me feel about a foot-and-a-half tall as I sat opposite of him while Jim worked his magic on my arm. But then I remembered why I drank the punch and became a member of the tattooed cult in the first place, and why I'll always harbor a desire to go back for more. Upon Jim expressing his annoyance for people in the tattoo market to piss off a parent, because that's just what you do at 18 years of age, to show off, or just because a butterfly on the lower back will look hot, I shrugged my other shoulder and said, "I don't do this for anyone but me."
I now have five tattoos, each one carefully, patiently, and thoughtfully chosen for my body. Each one bearing a great deal of meaning to me. And I have absolutely no doubts that I will love them until the day I die. Sometimes my tattoos are visible. Most of the time they're not. It makes no difference to me. Most of the time people understand and appreciate the artwork on my body. Sometimes they don't. Again, I'm unaffected. I know where they live on my body, why they live there and how they came to be a part of me. And they are absolutely a part of me. I told Rhonda on Saturday night that I can't imagine my body now without those tattoos. I would feel like a piece of me is missing were they to disappear.
That said, I finally got myself inked with a tattoo design that I'd been working on and mulling over for more than a year.
My very first 35mm SLR camera. The camera that taught me all about photography, shooting fully manual and only in B&W film. The camera that opened up a love and passion for life through a view finder. I owe a lot of my fervor, my drive and my sanity to that camera. The Minolta SRT-101.
Many hugs and thanks to my friend and fellow photographer, Becky Cochrane for documenting this event. The full set of images can be viewed HERE.
I now have five tattoos, each one carefully, patiently, and thoughtfully chosen for my body. Each one bearing a great deal of meaning to me. And I have absolutely no doubts that I will love them until the day I die. Sometimes my tattoos are visible. Most of the time they're not. It makes no difference to me. Most of the time people understand and appreciate the artwork on my body. Sometimes they don't. Again, I'm unaffected. I know where they live on my body, why they live there and how they came to be a part of me. And they are absolutely a part of me. I told Rhonda on Saturday night that I can't imagine my body now without those tattoos. I would feel like a piece of me is missing were they to disappear.
That said, I finally got myself inked with a tattoo design that I'd been working on and mulling over for more than a year.
My very first 35mm SLR camera. The camera that taught me all about photography, shooting fully manual and only in B&W film. The camera that opened up a love and passion for life through a view finder. I owe a lot of my fervor, my drive and my sanity to that camera. The Minolta SRT-101.
Many hugs and thanks to my friend and fellow photographer, Becky Cochrane for documenting this event. The full set of images can be viewed HERE.