BLACK INK in the French Quarter

I've been working on my latest photo project BLACK INK since September 2015. I knew that when I started it that it would be a long endeavor, which is great because I have this to look forward to for at least the entire year of 2016.

The story of BLACK INK began with my fascination with tattoos. Although I don't have many of my own, I'm interested in the stories people have about their work. It's been fascinating. More often than not, people have tattoos that represent their relationships with family or friends, such as an old frigate tattooed across the chest to represent a grandfather's occupation as a sailor or a nickname given by a spouse etched onto a lip.

Amber, who is featured in this post, is comfortable with her body. She's proud of her body art and its symbolism. There are references to her family, struggles, her light, spiritual beliefs and more. I am so very grateful that she allowed me into a private world and let me photograph her. I tried my best to totally capture Amber in a portrait. I felt very excited when she exclaimed, "Oh my god! You got me! That's me!" It's like music to my ears.

The final process of these images is printing them using platinum and palladium to continue the theme of permanence.

For information, email: info@carlosdetres.com