Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Year End Review #4 Tattoo

                                                    Urbana, Ohio.                                          

This post is more about a theme rather than photography.  I keep looking and seeing tattoo shops as I wandered around the midwest the past year. They appeared to be everywhere. Once the mark of sailor or a biker, they now seem to be the choice of a wide variey of  people from differing backgrounds. 

From our sport hero's to everyday ordinary folks, tats are in.  Tattoos are the trendy thing.  Why is this?  Perhaps one answer could be that a tattoo implies that the person is a member of a group.  An insider - a belonger.  Has joined and is now accepted.   Another response might be - an outsider - not one of us.  Stand apart from the rest - different.
              
                                          London, Ohio 
                                                         
Not all tattoo shops are upscale.  Some are now closed or have moved elsewhere.  As with any service/retail operation, these are hard times.  Failure is more often than not, a reality not an option. 

Questions yet to be answered.  How does one become a" tattoo artist"?  Is there a school, self taught, or just do it?  Are there standard designs or does each individual artist have their unique way of working?  Questions, questions, questions.

Certain that there are additional tattoo locations in my future .

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