HOW MUCH PHOTOSHOPING IS HONEST.

How much is to much photoshoping a tattoo.I understand making small adustments to try to make a photo look like the actual tattoo.I have noticed that some people just go to far .This is not directed at any artist or this web site i am speaking in general.When do you people think a line should be drawn.Is it false advertisment or is it just like a food add were the food looks better than what they are selling just for the matter of making a sale.

Photoshop isnt honest or dishonest, and neither is using it as a tool. The line has to do with the artist and reality... If the user is making their tattoo look real, honest no matter how much manipulation of the image. If they are making it look better than real, dishonest no matter how small the tweak.

I think we would all be surprised to find out just how many of those awesome nearly perfect tattoos we see in photographs have been totally tweaked on a computer and not on skin.

You know, more often than not when I see a tattoo in person that is on this site I think how crappy images are on the web.

You bet...it works that way too!

I agree gabe i see some stuff that looks better in real life.But i have brought some pictures into photoshop and can see plan as day that there was alot of manipulation.Such as bluring to make them look smoother then they are.Airbrush touch ups to pump the color volume up.stuff like that.I see what your saying as far as the tattoos lossing some strenth during the photo.Thats what made me ask what other people thought.And i also understand what taz is saying.I have seen stuff in magazines and then seen them at a convention and could not beleive it.(Maybe some photos are taken as soon as there done)But sometimes is see actual changes that are definatly not the way they seem.

Yep Murph....I've seen the same thing...but ya gotta agree that there has to be some, probably a lot, of people who lack ethics (imagine that) who would have no qualms about using Photoshop to improve pictures of their work....and yeah...I saw a very famous tattoo by a well known and highly acclaimed artist at Inkslingers ball a few years back , a tattoo that had been featured multiple times in all the trade mags and when I saw it in person I was very disappointed...it had so obviously been digitally altered and I think that sucks!

I've also seen stull that I swore was photoshop manipulated and when I finally saw it in person, I was blown away, it looked that damn good!

I don't' know how many people are doing it to their photos, but I tell you guys, I can put a 17th Century Baroque Ball Gown on Taz in that program if you want! HE HE! Did you know on the most famous Cosmo cover of all time they photoshopped an inch and a half off of Cindy Crawfords hips?

Oh yeah! Thats it ...Pick on TAz ...Well I"m tired of it! I QUIT!! But can ya use photoshop to add a few inches to my........ Dammittttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Al I didn't think you were on tonight pal...I just sent you an e-mail

adjustments to the photo to corect lighting and photoghapher error is it. any mor is cheating and a miss representation . i have been tattooing for 7 years and it would be awsome to have a chance to rework an idea in photo shop or fix a poorly done tattoo to make it look awsome ...however we are tattoo artists and not in the photo retouching bizz. it is chearing like back in the day i heard stories of guys going over tribal with a sharpie and sending that in to magz or for portpholios...cheating. do a good tattoo and there is no need pure and simple be a good tattoo artist its not fair to the person who gets a tattoo from a hack who lied to them on line or in there portpholio........

Hey, nice to see you here Kelly. Your work looks excellent in photos and in person! Some of your work stopped me dead in my tracks at some convention! I was talking about this the other day at the studio and the line is very clear as Kelly put it. Towards reality = good. Away from reality = bad. Simple. the quality of a portfolio goes like this in my mind. Live tattoo years old - best gague. Tattoo will look *best* right after (1-2 years) but should stand the test of time. Gonna be hard unless you hang out at a studio or hit the conventions (great place). High quality photo - Works wonders, but its hard for many artists. Photography is a skill in and of its own! Highy quality photo web-style - Not as good as a real photo (like 1/3 as good!) but well done tattoos can get the point across to a lot of people. Magazine photos - usually even things out. Will make bad photos better and somehow they often make great photos ok. Lots of eyeballs though and there are a few good ones. Poor quality photo - Great work that isnt represented well isnt as effective. Some of the public can see through this but collectors often can. Poor quality photo web-style - better than nothing, though, that may be argueable depending on the quality of the original tattoo. In the end all you really *need* is good clients with great tattoos and with persistence and hard work overcome other problems. Obviously the better your portfolio/marketing and the better your work the more cards you have in yer hand when trying to build yer clientel. In any event, cheating only gets you so far, high quality work will always win out over cheaters in the long run.

In my opinion photoshop is an awesome tool..I use it expressly for designing coverups and its great for showing clients different color schemes...I have one of the digital airbrush pads ...only paid like $150 at best buy...my God what worlds THAT little tool opened up for me!...Every artist should have one. I think that in this age of cheap digital cameras there isn't much excuse for not taking decent pics...hell my mom , who is severely camera impaired, can take good photos!! So I completely agree with Kelly( whose work I LUST for!) retouching is cheating!! Try one of the digital airbrushes...you will be amazed!...TAz

"""""""I can put a 17th Century Baroque Ball Gown on Taz in that program if you want! """""""" Oh PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Pretty please. Do it, do it! Yes, yes!

how weird, I NEVER thaought about that when looking at tats in mags. Makes sense and I can see how it could go both ways. 1 1/2" of Cindy's hips. I gotta rememebr THAT trick!

Thank you for your comments.