Forums >
General Industry >
Photographer's Opinions on tattoos
Dolce Acido wrote: Good Egg Productions wrote: What's your reasoning behind that? It's really simple. Jan 04 13 07:36 am Link I'm in the crowd that I typically will look for models without tattoos, or where the tattoos can be easily hidden or are not distracting. A model I've been shooting with a lot lately has a lot of tattoos - she's the exception to the rule. Jan 04 13 08:27 am Link if i want to shoot someone else's artwork i can take my fuji x-pro1 to the museum. Jan 04 13 09:01 am Link Dolce Acido wrote: My thoughts; random order: Jan 04 13 09:08 am Link twoharts wrote: +1 Jan 04 13 09:10 am Link The problem with tattoos, whether you love 'em or hate 'em is that they are limiting, especially if you're shooting nudes, pinup or bathing suits. They really do become the focus of the picture unless they are so small that you can't make them out, and have to photoshop them out. Consequently, they are one of the biggest reasons I pass up a model. In terms of your specific concept, why not find yourself a body painter who's interested in it? Then you could do the concept in a number of different ways without limiting yourself for future work. Jan 04 13 09:14 am Link Efan Bruder wrote: Exactly. Jan 04 13 09:20 am Link AJScalzitti wrote: On Model Mayhem the photographer is more often than not the client for many of the models here. GWC's, people building their portfolios, and artists hiring models for personal projects are what make up a significant percentage of model income on this site, based on the anecdotal evidence from models I have shot, and what I read in these forums. Jan 04 13 09:21 am Link For me, less is more. I prefer models with less distractions. If I need to add any additional element, I will add them (temporary) myself either on the model or afterward in the photo itself. Jan 04 13 09:38 am Link I love tattoos but a glow-in-the-dark tattoo strikes me as simply a novelty along the lines of flavored or glow-in-the-dark condoms. Sure, it's entertaining for a bit but at some point it's time to get down to business lol Jan 04 13 09:43 am Link For llamas I'm considering hiring, I hate them. It's rare a tattoo looks good in a photo. It does happen, it's just very rare. Jan 04 13 09:50 am Link If you like tattoos, get them. (but body paint is temporary) If you need opinions ask family and friends. A tattoo is a life long commitment. Asking here will get you many opinions - none that really should matter. As with any style of photography, if its shot by a talented photographer who is into that style, it will look great. Jan 04 13 09:59 am Link I never understood the argument to advise a person to go with a temporary/henna or body paint tattoo. That is completely missing the point of why someone gets a tattoo. Saying, "get a temp tattoo" is saying a tattoo is nothing more than an aesthetic or an accessory like a belt. Most people don't get tattoos because they want to look pretty right now for others. They get tattoos because they hold a special meaning to them. Presumably, and hopefully, that special meaning isn't going to change over time. If it does...like a partner's name or a anti-anything symbol...then of course there would be regret. And I don't see too many people who have bored of their tattoos over the years. Regretted the specific art, sometimes, yes. But I don't think any model who gets a tattoo now is going to look back in 10-15 years and say, "Gee I really wish I hadn't gotten this tattoo because I missed out on those 5 TF* shoots in 2013." That's far more short-sighted than the decision to get a tattoo. Jan 04 13 10:14 am Link I won't tell you to get or not get any tattoos But I will warn you that UV tattoos, unless they've been advanced recently, make a kinda terrible color that is visible when not under a black light. To get a full colored or b/w tattoo with uv ink in it, depending on the artist/design/colors, works pretty well but just a UV ink tattoo will not be invisible the rest of the time you aren't under a UV light. It'll be this weird discolored flesh brown scarred kinda color. If you get your tattoo I hope it brings you joy everyday of the rest of your life! Jan 04 13 12:10 pm Link Efan Bruder wrote: Rarely beautiful and unique, mostly just noticed. Jan 04 13 07:27 pm Link A blank canvas offers an artist more possibilities. Many times a particular tattoo has a meaning or visual association that conflicts with my concept and it is a deal breaker. In general I can use a model without tattoos in many more images than someone with a lot of ink. It can limit your range. Without tats can you do both girl next door/ingenue along with edgy urban? No different than extreme haircuts that limit your look except a tattoo won't grow out. That said I personally like body art and have been talking with a model from MM with great ink about a shoot centered on highlighting their tattoos. I love this models look but there are some other ideas I have that won't work with heavy tattoos. I agree with the above comments that if you do get tattooed, invest in a great artist, avoid people's names, think about what best works with your look and range. If you get more than one make sure they work together instead of looking hodgepodge. Consider if you can easily cover it with makeup if need be. Jan 04 13 08:20 pm Link Dolce Acido wrote: I don't mind tattoos but my housemate/landlord who does photo-shoots with me does. He thinks that they detract from the natural beauty of models. Same as those who have multiple piercings, liposuction and fake breasts. Jan 05 13 02:08 am Link They either work or they don't. It's up to the person getting one to decide. If you're asking then I might ask myself is this really what I want. If you know you want something and it 'right' for you, you will know and when you wake up in the morning your mind should not have changed other than to want it more. Anything less and I'd think about about it some more. Getting one removed can be more trouble than it's worth or so I've been told. Jan 05 13 02:18 am Link I guess it all depends on what you want to do. Most commercial clients will balk at a tattooed model, while portfolio photographers (as you're seeing here) are generally split down the middle. By getting more tattoos, and more visible tattoos, yes, you will limit your marketability; there's no question about that. There are some photographers who will tolerate a small tattoo here and there (as they're easier to photoshop out), but when they see a full back piece or a half sleeve, they're out of there. On the other hand, it will also draw in those who want to shoot tattooed models. The whole rebel/punk/rockabilly scene is big, and finding an inked model who can pull it off while still looking pretty can be a huge asset to a photographer. So really, it comes down to where you want your modeling to go. And that's something that only you can decide. Disclaimer: I have about a half dozen or so tats, myself. Cwen wrote: A few years ago, I was designing a piece involving UV reactive ink, so I got the MSDS sheet and showed it to a friend of mine who is a chemist, to ask her what she thought. She started laughing; it turns out that the science community has been using UV reactive ink to mark fish and animals for decades now. Medically, she said that it's no more dangerous to humans than normal, present-day tattoo ink is. That said, for other reasons, I opted not to get the design done, anyway. Jan 05 13 06:56 pm Link It definitely depends on what the design of the tattoo is and where it's placed. So while I don't mind it, I don't always like it. Depends. Jan 05 13 07:01 pm Link I had thought of getting glow-in-the-dark tattoos as well and didn't mainly for safety - what I read (that contradicts what Kyle T Edwards-two posts up- heard!) was that it is not safe. Jan 05 13 07:02 pm Link Art of the nude wrote: This pretty well sums up how I feel about tattoos. The model may be expressing her personality, but for a shoot, the idea is to embody my concept, or sometimes hers as well, not a tattoo artist's concept (yes, it's her concept as well as his, but it's not mine). Jan 05 13 07:11 pm Link My understanding of black light tats is that they yellow out after time or fade depending on the uv ink, then you need to get them done again with black or a dark. other issues with skin reactions can happen too, so you might want to start small and wait a few months to see if you have any trouble. Jan 06 13 12:52 am Link If it fits/looks good, awesome. If it looks horrible, then not awesome. Not really any different than any other body mod, or hell, body part. Certain looks, I might not want them for, but other looks, I might prefer them for. Jan 06 13 06:40 am Link I'm collecting tats, so just drop me a line n I'll shoot em all TF. Jan 06 13 03:30 pm Link Good Egg Productions wrote: Yup!! Jan 06 13 03:46 pm Link I love them and seek out models with them, but I shoot for a hobby and my shots are entirely of what I want to shoot. No one's making much money from my hobby. There was a women in the forums recently that expressed they were creating trouble for her getting work. She didn't have enough to be a tattoo model, but had too many for "regular" modeling. In general, every thing's more valuable if it's in "factory condition". The more modified something is, the more niche. Jan 06 13 03:58 pm Link 15 years ago tattoos were edgy and cool and almost always well done on a woman because only women who were really into it got tats and they sought out good artists. Today the overwhelming amount of ink I see is crap and tats are so mainstream now that it stands out when a models does not have them. My least favorite location for a tat is the upper chest, forget doing anything to minimize that or that necklace that would complement the outfit? Might as well just for get it. Double+++ fugly points for text tats in that area. You know it's a distraction when you realize you are reading the model. Tats are nothing but a pop culture fad that is no longer interesting or indicative of anything, certainly not rebellion. Jan 13 13 04:26 pm Link twoharts wrote: At the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Jan 13 13 04:40 pm Link The main reason why we have these repetitive tattoo threads is because MM offers no way to search for models with or without tats in the search. No matter which side you are on, one thing is clear, this is an issue many photographers have an opinion about and it is just a chore to have to manually sort though all the tattooed models to find that rare unmarked one. Add a "No Tattoos" option in search and this issue will fade away. Jan 13 13 04:47 pm Link Tatoo is art, however it would limit the style of shooting or it depend on what the final result i am trying to achieve Jan 13 13 04:54 pm Link Dolce Acido wrote: That sounds interesting. My opinion on tattoos varies depending on how it looks. I really like quite a few that are tastefully done. Others I am fine with ... but not excited about. Then there are some I just shake my head and go "Why that?" So it really is difficult for me to have a solid opinion until I see it. Just remember that tattoos stay with you pretty much forever ... a large one would be expensive to remove or have alterations done if you were to find yourself not 100% happy with it. Jan 13 13 05:00 pm Link StevesPhotography wrote: I agree that tattoos have become mainstream. It's becoming almost rare when I shoot with models who have no tats! Everyone seems to have 'em! Jan 13 13 05:02 pm Link I love tattoos Jan 13 13 06:41 pm Link I am off an age that was taught tattoos were very low class. Worn by criminals and rough sailors and soldiers. But most of my models have chosen to disfigure their bodies with large tattoos. At least they are men so it's not as bad as it could be. LOL. Jan 13 13 09:37 pm Link For most of my projects, if I had a choice between 2 equally qualified models and one had tattoos and the other one didn't, I'm going with the blank canvas almost every time. I absolutely hate the ones where it looks like someone took a rubber stamp and stamped random places all over her body though. Jan 13 13 09:39 pm Link Stanley L Moore wrote: I was taught the same... and yet... I disagreed with my father's opinion... made up my own mind, did research and got tattooed by one of the greatest traditional tattoo artists' in Japan, and continued with another known artist from Yokohama, who lives now in New York. Jan 13 13 09:40 pm Link StevesPhotography wrote: Sorry, but you know nothing about the cultural significance and history of tattooing. Jan 13 13 09:46 pm Link Why do anything that can limit your opportunities? I'm not pro or anti tattoo, and if you want a tattoo as a self identifier, or because it symbolizes who you are, then go for it if it really matters to you. Just keep in mind that tattoos will limit your opportunities because there are concepts and people that just don't agree with tats. Jan 13 13 09:49 pm Link Glow in the dark ink has not been proven 100% safe yet. Just an FYI. Jan 13 13 09:49 pm Link |