Earlier this year I did a shot one of my favorite models, Charlie. She’s the one featured in my post titled Girl with the Phoenix Tattoo.

While I sought to try out and experiment with different styles on that shoot, as time progressed, it inspired me to begin exploring the subject of body ink. The culture [if any] behind it. I wanted to see things through the mind of my subject. My mulling finally led me to a theme/subject I felt I could pursue seriously, but more on that later. Suffices to say, I recently started my first official foray into this relatively new [for me] territory. My subject was a great model “Holly”.

She maintains an impressive array of body ink and artwork. She also made for a great subject to work with. She was very responsive, creative and clearly had experience in front of the lens. This would be the second in series I am hoping to release by next summer. The theme and subject of this series is to present the best body art I can find to a mainstream audience in a fashion that highlights the intricate art of their detailed tattoos.

For the photographer in you, I shot the entire session with my Canon 5D Mark III and my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. There is just no better lens for the job! This is why you see me sitting outside of my studio space so as to better frame my shot. Not all lenses are built equal and this lens warrants the extra accommodations. The whole shoot was handheld. I used two Canon 430EX speedlites in full manual mode with RF wireless triggers without E-TTL. This seems to have become my setup of choice – full and complete manual camera and flash lighting. It makes for very precise control. I used various Interfit Strobies flash filters and accessories. The photos you see in this post were taken with my Canon 7D with Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM with the help of our hair and makeup artist Amber. The 7D still delivers in low ambient light as it was always known for. The wine was a Syrah from Australia.

I am yet to do my final cut edit of this shoot and as such do not have any finished shots for you to view at this time. I may also only make them available at the time of publishing/exhibit. However I thought I might share this shoot with you. I hope you enjoy this post no less and share your thoughts as feedback with me.