Why I Love Photographing People With Tattoos

We are BACK on the blog and today we’re talking about my favorite topic, like, ever. Yes, that’s right. This entire blog is about the love of my life. 

Tattoos. 

(Yes, everyone. I love my husband. But I don’t have him needled into my skin. So I think we all know who I love more.)

Some of my friends think I have a slight obsession with tattoos. They would be wrong. My obsession is way more than “slight.” I mean, cmon, just look at me. 

 

But that doesn’t answer why I’m writing an entire blog post about tattoos on my photography website. 

Well, first of all, this is my blog and my website so I can write about whatever I want. But secondly – and more importantly – I’m writing this because I want the world to know that photographing people with tattoos is fucking awesome. 

I’ve shot a lot of weddings in my day. And I’ve been shocked by how many little comments I overhear during the ceremony and reception. An uncle commenting on how the server should have covered their tattoos. A great-aunt saying that the bride’s tattoos looked dirty. A second cousin whispering they would never get a tattoo like that. 

Besides being deeply offended on my couple’s behalf, of course, I was honestly just confused. 

Tattoos are beautiful, often deeply meaningful pieces of art that are so important, impactful, or inspiring that we have decided to have them live with us full-time. These words or images are so valuable that we want them to be part of us. So why on earth wouldn’t we want to show them off?!

Why Do People Get Tattoos? 

In my experience, people get tattoos for a few different reasons: 

1. Art. 

I don’t care if you have a full sleeve in vibrant color or a single word. Tattoos are art. 

They are a way to live and breathe art. A way to give art new meaning. A way to support and spread the love of art. 

Sometimes tattoos have deep meaning, and other times they’re just fucking cool.

“Because I wanted it,” is more than enough justification to get a piece of art on your skin. I always think there’s room to add beautiful things to our lives. And if it makes you happy? That counts. That 100% counts. 

2. To Commemorate Someone or Something. 

This is probably the most common reason I see people get tattoos. Or at least, their first tattoo (IFYKYK). 

Think of matching tattoos (which are basically my love language), tattoos to celebrate a loved one passing, tattoos to remember a particularly impactful event or season of your life, that stick-and-poke your friend gave you in college because you were drunk and thought it was the best idea ever… the list goes on. 

The truth is, tattoos are special. They let you hold memories closely because they’re literally on your skin. If there’s something you want to remember, there is no greater way to honor it than to get a tattoo. 

Why I Love Tattoo Photography as a Wedding & Portrait Photographer 

Maybe you got your first tattoo to remember someone you love. Or maybe you saw something and thought it was the coolest fucking thing. Whatever reason you had for getting your tattoo, know that I am here to celebrate it. 

I love tattoo photography for so many different reasons. But for the sake of this blog, I’ve narrowed it down to three: 

1. Tattoos Tell Stories 

Photography and tattoos have one super cool thing in common: they are both visual ways of telling your story. 

Each tattoo – no matter how small or silly – tells me more about you. It tells me what you value, your sense of humor, your taste in art, music, or books, and how you view the world. 

So of course I love tattoo photography. 

Photographing someone with tattoos allows you to get to know them in an even deeper way. I cannot count how many times I have gotten to hear an incredible story from someone’s life because I’ve asked about their tattoos. 

These conversations have allowed me to get to know my clients better than I could have otherwise. 

As a wedding and portrait photographer, my goal is to capture a piece of my clients’ personalities. I want to tell their story in a new way. 

So I take extra care in capturing details of my clients’ tattoos, because to me, that’s the same thing as including a detail of their story. Some things just can’t be left out! And in my opinion, tattoos are one of them. 

2. Breaking Down Stereotypes 

If you know me, you know I’m a rebel at heart. I love nothing more than making stuffy, judgemental people have to rethink their opinions. 

Which is another reason I love tattoo photography. 

Thankfully, the stereotype that tattoos are ugly and dirty is dying out (and it’s about damn time). But I still love to photograph tattoos because it’s a way to show how incredibly beautiful, detailed, and intentional tattoo art is. 

Because yes. Tattoos. Are. Art. I’ll take you out back and fight you on this one.  

Taking photos of tattoos lets me appreciate their beauty even more, and I hope that it helps every single person who views the photo notice the incredible handiwork that goes into tattooing. 

There are still so many stereotypes about tattoos, but I truly believe that by treating tattoos as the art they are and sharing our love and excitement about them, we are helping rewrite the way tattoos are viewed in Western society. 

Plus, this is a great opportunity to bring back one of my favorite memes: 

(Thanks for this one, Reddit) 

3. It’s Just So Damn Cool. 

Okay, this might not sound like a legitimate reason to you – but cmon. Photos of people with tattoos have incredible depth and detail to them (not to mention the HISTORY!). 

Plus, tattoos in photos give you more to look at. More to spark your imagination. More to inspire. 

Each tattoo photo I take feels like a stunning game of eye spy. What new detail will I notice? What color pops out next? What story does this tell? 

You cannot come here, look at these photos, and tell me tattoos aren’t an interesting visual element. 

And hey – maybe this is just me. If tattoos aren’t your thing, that’s totally okay! But I will leave no room for anyone who thinks tattoos say anything negative about the body they adorn. 

Upcoming Tattoo Photography Events! 

I guess I’m talking about tattoos so much today because my VERY FIRST Flash & Photo Event at Lovestruck Annapolis happened on September 8, 2024! This event was wildly popular and sold out in just a few minutes! 

Which means that we will definitely be hosting another one 👀. 

Lovestruck Annapolis is one of my absolute favorite tattoo shops in Maryland. They have a large team of incredibly talented tattoo artists who pour so much love, energy, and intentionality into every design they create. 

Our last Photo & Flash Event included a flash tattoo with the owner of Lovestruck Annapolis, Sam Ford, and a 15-minute time slot for a portrait photoshoot with yours truly. I am SO stoked for these events, and cannot wait to have more in the future! 

If this is something you’re into, give me a follow on Instagram. That’s where you’ll get all the juicy details and be able to snag a spot at the next event in November 2024!

I can’t wait to see you there!

Laura 

P.S. Is a 15-minute time slot not enough for you? Don’t worry, my books for 2025 will open soon and I’ll pick up again in February 2025. Fill out this form to book your shoot!