Portrait of an Artist on digital and film. International tattoo artist Eric (Ink Seeker)

Part 3: THE PERSON (Shot on Digital, 35mm & Medium Format Film)

This is my favorite part of the process.

It’s more important than ever that we SEE and that we FEEL SEEN. Everything today feels performative. We monetize and mold our hobbies, lives, shopping habits, pain, and trauma to be recognized by the algorithms. We contort ourselves and our art to be discoverable and found, maybe even go viral.

I feel it, and I know many of you feel it as well, that the need for authentic connection and to be seen and feel understood in real life and in our imperfections. There is a feeling that is driving me and calling me to be more present and more analog every day. I feel like there is a synthetic layer on everything, separating actual connection with people and things, and my brain is trying to get past the layers of artifice.

These moments in photoshoots are what drive me and connect me to my passion and joy. It’s a gift I have with my camera to see people and connect in a way that feels authentic and honors the humanity and the creativity of the person. It’s a moment that’s hard to describe, but it’s a moment of seeing people as who they are, but also how I see them. I like to see the potential, the power, and the softness that we carry and sometimes never see.

Portrait shoots are so much fun, and they invigorate me, and remind me what we can be as people, as artists, and as a community to support each other and make the world a place that honors our hopes and dreams instead of reflecting our insecurities.

That’s a long way to say, I love working with artists of all disciplines, so capture frames that resonate with them and with the world, we share them with.

Eric is such a kind and creative soul. I was honored to share space and create these photos with him!

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Eric needed a library of portraits for press, website, and social media. He is moving to a popular studio, Bang Bang in NYC, and needs a variety of imagery to share, which ranges from personal to promotional.

Eric's art blends the old and the new, a modern interpretation of ancient art and techniques, so I knew I wanted to do a mix of medium format and 35mm film with digital to give his portraits some range and authenticity, honoring his perspective of welcoming the past and present.

There are layers to an artist's work, so I wanted to share a series of portraits that capture layers of who we are: the Artist, the Process, the Person, and the Art. I wanted to share each of these perspectives in context, starting with:

Part 3/4 - The Person

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