FEATURE ARTICLE — July 2002
HOW TO TAKE BETTER TATTOO PHOTOGRAPHS
by Charles Gatewood
Skin & Ink Editor in Chief, Bob Baxter, tells me that many photographs submitted to the magazine
show fine tattooing, but cannot be published because of poor photography. Many pictures are washed out, or orange, he says. Or there's flash burn, bad focus or poor framing. Bax asked me to offer some tips—so listen up:
CAMERAS
Buy the best you can afford. I use Nikon and Canon 35mm cameras with interchangeable lenses. My "normal" lens is a 50mm f/3.5 macro, which allows
regular shots as well as extreme close-ups. In the mid-price range, $300-$500 will buy a decent 35mm camera and lens, and good used models can be found for around $100. If you must use a point-and-shoot camera (one that demands
a minimum of technical know-how), spend a couple hundred bucks and get a good one, with a sharp (glass) zoom lens. (I carry a Nikon Lite-Touch zoom AF 35-90 in my jacket pocket at all times). Look for cameras that offer as many
controls as possible, such as manual focus, fill-flash and red-eye-reduction features. Avoid Instamatic-type 110 cameras and cameras with cheap (plastic) lenses.
FILM
Buy the best film available. Buy it fresh. Keep it cool and dry. After exposing the film, rewind and remove it in a darkened room or shady area, never in direct sunlight. Take it to the best photo processor in town (a custom lab if possible), and have it developed as soon as possible after use. Films I use include Agfa APX 100 (black and white), Ektachrome E100 SW (color slides) and Fujicolor Superia Reala 100 (color negatives for prints). These are slow daylight films (the 100 refers to the ISO, or film speed), and I like them because they give the best sharpness and richest tones. Faster films with speeds of 200, 400 or 800 and higher are good for shooting in dim light, but they yield more grain and poorer overall quality. Hot tip: If your use of slow film forces you to shoot speeds under 1/60th of a second, use a sturdy tripod to avoid camera shake.
LIGHT AND LIGHTING
Outdoors, I prefer to shoot in bright, open shade. Direct sun is dramatic, but
harsh. Indoors, I like bright skylights and soft window light. My studio has a whole wall of windows facing north, which I consider ideal. I often brighten this soft window light with one or two GE EBW no. 2 Photoflood bulbs in
reflectors. I also bracket my most important exposures, which simply means, if my exposure meter says the correct exposure is 1/60th at f/4, I also take insurance shots at f/2.8 and f/5.6. Sometimes the lighter or darker
exposure is preferable. For shooting at night, or when soft window light isn't available, the Photoflood bulbs are ideal. They can be used directly, in reflectors, or bounced (off the ceiling, for example) for softer, more
flattering light. Note: White ceilings work best. Colored ceilings may add unwanted hues to the shot.
Direct flash works relatively well when there are no alternatives (like when taking quick shots at conventions, etc.), but may produce glare, especially if a fresh tattoo has just been rubbed with ointment. To eliminate the "flash burn," a professional might use a special ring flash, but you can approximate the same effect by putting tracing paper or Scotch tape over the flash head, thus softening the light. Tattooists who want to get the best results photographing just-inked skin should let the tattoo bleed out for 15 minutes and then clean it with witch hazel. This removes any ointment and reduces the shine and redness of the new tattoo.
MORE LIGHTING TIPS
Professional photographers use expensive studio strobes, large, heavy-duty flash units made by Balcar, Norman, Calumet, etc. Usually, these are rigged
to fire a strong flash into a white, reflective umbrella. The resulting light is "perfect" (think of glossy magazine photography), but somewhat cold and artificial. Less expensive strobe-and-umbrella systems exist
too, like the Novatron Monolight. Less powerful but totally adequate, they cost as little as $300. Many pros use a large white reflector (a 4x8 white sheet of Fome-Cor is ideal) to help fill one side of the strobe/umbrella
light. Also note that daylight color films see tungsten light (from ordinary lightbulbs) as ugly orange-brown. Be sure to use specially designated tungsten film, if this is your light source. Fluorescent light is especially
troublesome—it looks puke green with most color films and should be avoided whenever possible.
BACKGROUNDS
Some backgrounds accentuate and complement the subject, but background clutter often ruins otherwise good pictures. The best way to avoid clutter is to keep
backgrounds simple. Many tattoo photographers keep a white or black wall in their studio or use large rolls of colored seamless paper from the photo store. I also use six-foot lengths of washable fake satin ($5.99/yard) in red,
black, blue, etc. They are perfect for stuffing into a small bag for traveling.
MORE TIPS
Get close to the model. The closer the better, but take care not to shoot only extreme close-ups of just the tattoos. Instead, try taking
pictures that show the subject's face and personality. Experiment with different framings that show the tattoos in relation to other body parts. Also, it's fun to take pictures of the subjects doing something, instead of just standing there. Photographer Jan Seeger is well known for her environmental tattoo pictures. She shoots fish tattoos near water, flower tattoos near leafy plants, etc. She uses her rich imagination. One of my favorite Seeger photographs shows tattooist Juli Moon in a bubble bath with her two children, her lovely tattoos peeking through the suds. Be creative! Keep it fresh!
Finally, shoot plenty of film, and don't be intimidated. Great tattoo pictures can be taken with even the simplest cameras, if you follow these simple suggestions. Have fun, and remember, send your best results to Skin & Ink!
Specific questions? Contact Mr. Gatewood at charles@charlesgatewood.com or write Charles c/o Flash Productions, P.O. Box 410052, San Francisco, California 94141.