This 2017 Summer Issue prepares people for Conference; updates readers on the UKAPP and Italian Suscon; and introduces the subject for the 2017 Body Piercing Archive Exhibit
Continue readingPosts tagged body modification
Point 76: Tether – Creative Innovator Award & Best Single Booth
Kendra Jane: Tether Jewelry had a very strong first show at this year’s expo. Tell us how it came to be and what the line is all about?
Tether Jewelry: Tether is about creating a jewelry brand that is not only innovative and beautiful, but can reach a wide audience. Riding that line between where designs can be enjoyed and embraced by all people. No matter gender/scene/age, jewelry for all. With each piece of jewelry we hope to take you on a journey; our story is just beginning. That is why this season is called Genesis.
Spending 15 years at a very jewelry-centric studio was where I truly fell in love with body jewelry and all it’s diversity. I started asking “why isn’t anyone making this/doing this better?”
It was at that time I was blessed with the job of designing a line for the shop, I got my first taste as a jewelry designer, and began to bring answers to that question. During that time it really inspired me to explore my designing capability further.
It was 3 years ago, at the 2013 Conference that I decided I wanted to finally pull the trigger on starting my very own jewelry line. The following year was tough; I kept running into obstacles and other frustrations. All while continuing to pierce. I finally decided to take a huge leap of faith and step away from piercing last year to give Tether all my energy. Fast forward to now, after an amazing response at the Expo. It feels so good to have overcome those roadblocks and have reassurance that the leap of faith I took was worth it. The future looks very bright and I’m excited to continue in this industry I love so very much as a jewelry designer and manufacturer.
Kendra Jane: How did you come up with the name of your company?
Tether Jewelry: Naming things/projects is the hardest thing for me. My brain can’t seem to commit to one idea. But there was something very natural and easy when “Tether” popped into my head. The name comes from a place of feeling anchored and connected to things. Being a social shapeshifter myself, I like to be fluid and sit in between two social scenes or two places, taking inspiration from different places and surrounding myself with many peer groups. Tether comes from that place too. There is something uniting and comfortable about that flexibility.
Kendra Jane: This year Tether took home not only the Innovator’s Creative Award but also the Best Single Booth Award, what was the inspiration behind the design of your booth?
Tether Jewelry: I wanted to bring the feeling and identity of Tether out and present all my products in a striking yet minimal environment. We wanted to create a visual experience that was uniquely Tether. We arranged our jewelry display in a way that made you feel like you were looking at an alien language, and as our guest, to feel like you’re a space explorer that just stepped into another world.
Kendra Jane: The design of your booth was unique, but everything about your presentation is very well thought out, right down to your packaging. Tell us more about this.
Tether Jewelry: It took over 2 years to come up with a more complete system for the line. Tether isn’t just about the jewelry. It’s a true exploration of those great feelings you get from adornment and fashion. When you open a box and it contains something that when you put into your hands, or put on, it gives you joy. You get a smile, smirk, or goosebumps. I know we all have felt it. This is my compass in my journey as a designer.
Everything has been designed together and iterated many times. Every color we use is deliberate: our displays, the font, our images on social media, all of it.
There is a quote that has always rang true for me from Doug Tompkins who founded a successful outdoor line: “There is no such thing as small details.”
I also say “we” because all of this wouldn’t have happened without the team of artists/designers and dreamers that are part of Tether. And, of course, to our wearers. Tether is about building something bigger than myself and trusting collaborations and making long term, deeper connections to bring forward something truly special. I hope people can feel that.
Kendra Jane: Each one of your pieces has a name and a story, please tell us what some of them are?
Tether Jewelry: The 2017 Collection was named Genesis as it marks the beginning of our journey. Our first experiment to glimpse into a future unknown. It’s inspired by water and crafts of travel; both space and sea. Also comes from a passion for machines, science fiction and architecture. Some of the designs were brilliant accidents.
• Navigator — The very first locket ear weight. The name came from the movie Flight of the Navigator. I adored that movie as a kid. The shape of this design was inspired by the spaceship in the movie and a traditional gold ear weight from the Tamil Nadu region of India. This is my ode to alien spacecrafts that can travel our deep blue seas as well as the vast expanse of space.
• Melange — Inspired by the distinctive work of H.R. Giger, I wanted to create a piece to have depth, and texture, but from more angles. It’s my own take on gold granulation, stacking together long tubular ellipsoids to create patterns.
• Drake Series — The Genesis collection is inspired by ocean and water. One of the most well known civilizations that had their own innovations on the sea were the Vikings. The longships were way ahead of their time. And so this design is an ode to one of their ships. The Drake name comes from the word Draken which means dragon. The Vikings sometimes had a dragon-shaped prow on their longships as a symbol for protection. Out of that design, using the curving lines of a Viking longship keel, manifested the Drake cuff. The Drake hoop was an accident from an early iteration of the cuff that was too large, I immediately thought how a larger clicker weight would be great in earlobes.
Kendra Jane: What are your plans for the next year?
Tether Jewelry: You can expect more designs next year. I am committed to ensure we are delivering the best product to the end customer. Our primary goal for next year is how to be a better wholesale-only design house. All the while enjoying ourselves and trying to create a memorable and lasting experience.
Kendra Jane: Do you have any advice to those small companies that are thinking about making their first appearance on the Expo floor at Conference?
Tether Jewelry: This took a huge leap of faith for me. Plan for the long game, there are no shortcuts. This industry is growing fast and there is a little piece for all of us. Don’t be afraid to partner with someone. We can’t do everything ourselves, especially when doing it well.
Point 74: Donate to Science
Donate to Science
And help a FELLOW PIERCER,
STUDIO OWNER, & DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
You are invited to be part of a research study being conducted by Capella University PhD candidate, Stephanie Hutter-Thomas (Stephie Von Hütter Thomas). In order to fulfill her PhD requirements, Stephanie must complete a doctoral dissertation that presents new information for the scientific knowledge base. As a result, Stephanie has chosen to invest her time in research that will serve to promote a deeper understanding of the modified community. Some of the details regarding the study are listed here in order to help you determine if participation is right for you.
Study Title:
Sociocultural Evolution: An examination of personality type, life events, age, gender and perceived spirituality and the influence these variables have on self-reported levels of body modification.
WHAT IS THIS STUDY ABOUT?
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between personality and impact of life experiences, spirituality/religiosity, age, gender, and how modified one chooses to become. The study will include only APP 2016 conference attendees in the interest of limiting participants to only those over age 18 and those who view body modification as their lifestyle choice. You do not need to be an APP member to participate, however, you must be attending conference this year.
The goal is to secure 150 participants to take part in this study in order to use the desired statistical analysis. If you decide to be in this study, your participation will last about two hours. The questionnaires you will be completing will be administered in a meeting room at the APP 2016 conference in Las Vegas. Information regarding rooms and time slots will be announced.
WHAT WILL I HAVE TO DO AND DOES IT COST ANYTHING?
If you decide to be a part of this study, all you need to do is watch for this years conference course schedule, choose a timeslot that works best for your schedule, and make it to the indicated room number. Participants will not be paid, however all participants in this study will receive a gift for giving their time freely to this endeavor. It is important to note that Stephanie is NOT receiving any funding from the University, the Association of Professional Piercers, or any other third party for conducting this study. All costs relating to the purchase of copywrited instruments/questionnaires, promo materials and gifts to participants are paid solely by Stephanie.
This study will help to expand the information currently published by offering data compiled from those who see body modification as a part of their lifestyle, not a trend. By donating your time to this project you will not only help another piercer complete a major academic goal, you will also be helping to improve the overall understanding of the modified community.
Researcher: Stephanie Hutter-Thomas
Email Address: stephaniehutterthomas@gmail.com or Stephanie.Hutter-Thomas@capella.edu
Telephone Number: (studio) 330-545-8317 (mobile) 330-509-8956
Research Supervisor: Dr. Herb Hauser
Email Address: HERB.HAUSER@CAPELLA.EDU
Point 73: BMXnet – Nicole Holmes
Nicole Holmes
Blue Lotus Piercing, APP Member*
September 3 through 6 of this year, I was fortunate enough to attend my fourth BMX Conference, which was held in the small but beautiful city of Essen, Germany. The conference was coordinated by the charismatic Stefan Schomowski and his team of trusted helpers and volunteers. As much as I always enjoy this conference, I must admit that just visiting Essen is lovely too: scattered city water fountains, the shopping district, and great food. It is honestly the highlight of my piercing year. Each year I arrive earlier and leave a little later.
The venue for BMX is partly the reason I return year after year; the Unperfekthaus is truly a spectacle to behold. As an artist’s village nestled within the city, it really doesn’t disappoint. It is such an inspiration to sit for lunch, walk the corridors, or climb the stairs. Every wall is hand painted, covered in collage, or decorated with a sculpture of sorts. When this venue is full (on registration day, capacity is reached long before breakfast) the atmosphere becomes energized. With so many like-minded people gathering from around the world, BMX embodies a special sense of purpose and community.
I remember my first BMX in 2012. I didn’t know anyone there personally. I was sitting outside alone having coffee at the ungodly hour of 8:00am just because I was excited. The first person that sat by me grew to be the first of many conference friends. Each year BMX expands and there are new faces, new friends to be had. I find it so easy to talk to people during the event. This is another reason I keep attending.
I have attended many seminars, day events, and conventions, but none compare to BMX. There are no similar conferences or events where I live in the North of England. My last large scale, piercing specific event was the 2002 APP Conference & Exposition in Amsterdam. However, 2002 was more than a decade ago and so much has changed. There has been so much grown in the industry since then, I feel a comparison would be irrelevant.
What I can say with certainty is that BMX is not like anything I could have imagined. This year marked the 9th annual conference and it really demonstrated the team’s experience. From the smooth running operation of things to the flow from class to class, the grouping of the lectures was natural and it never felt rushed. Although I feel there was never enough time to visit the expo to do some shopping!
Classes covered topics such as hygiene in the studio, creating sacred space, earlobe reconstruction, and magnet removal. BMX is as it always has been, an umbrella of many topics, not solely piercing based subjects. Tattooing and other modifications are also covered. Many attendees expressed their fondness for this scope of subjects.
I personally feel I absorbed the most this year from the roundtables. These communal discussions based on topics such as “Ethics” led by Samppa Von Cyborg, covering the delicate issue of recording and posting video clips on the internet when you may unwittingly represent the whole industry. In another of this year’s fascinating roundtables, titled “Implantable Technology,” Tim Cannon brought his prototype silicone implant containing LED lights capable of being switched on and off by the users already-implanted magnet. There were even some attendees who were so passionate about the topics that they were willing to hold roundtables at all hours of the day or night. That is a perfect example of the freeform and flexible nature that is BMX.
After classes on both Friday and Saturday, there were striking and eclectic shows from Coco, Superfly, Squid O, and Pain Solution which enchanted the late night crowd with a manifestation of freakshow/sideshow entertainment. This was followed by the annual prize draw raffle.
Overall the whole adventure of BMX was undeniably a special triumph of our industry and community. After discussing this year’s efforts with many other attendees, both new and old, I feel the response was very heartwarming. Everyone that learned and loved at BMX promised to return the following year, myself included.
*Nicole Holmes is one of the newest APP Members in the UK.
Point 73: UKAPP, A Prelude – Ryan Ouellette
Ryan Ouellette
Precision Body Arts
In September of 2015 I traveled to Birmingham, England for the first seminars of the newly formed United Kingdom Association of Professional Piercers (UKAPP). When I got home and sat down to write about my experience I found myself thinking more about wider-reaching industry issues which affect not only the UK, but Europe as a whole. My intention was to give a little perspective as to why there are so few APP Members overseas compared here in North America. Once I started I discovered there was much more to the issue than I could properly cover in a single article, so I have decided to make this a two part piece. Hopefully it will give you an idea of the challenges European piercers face if they want to meet APP membership standards, and in turn hopefully it will show you just how impressive and hard working this group of piercers is.
I travel, what many would consider, a fair amount for a full time piercer. Not as much as some, but much more than others. I try to do as much of that travel outside of my home country (the United States) as possible. I like to see new countries and cities, and while I’m travelling I like to meet other piercers and learn how they practice our craft in their respective areas. When I meet piercers from Europe the conversation always ends up being about the APP. I hear quite a few issues voiced when the topic comes up, not necessarily with the organization, but more so in how our Members talk about other regions or parts of the world being “behind” when it comes to piercing. There is the perception that APP Members imply a piercer who does not use the best jewelry available is being unprofessional. I myself have even made the mistake of assuming “good piercing” is all about the jewelry. Now in an era of social media, these perceptions are more important than ever. Anyone can get nice jewelry, install it in a new or healed piercing, and take a picture. That does not make them a good piercer, or a true professional. In my opinion the sign of a professional is continuing to learn and evolve and to strive to give our clients the best work possible. That doesn’t mean you start out doing exactly what you want. For most piercers it is a struggle and you are constantly working towards a goal that, in turn as you progress, changes over time.
I have met piercers in almost a dozen different countries around the world and I see the same challenges that piercers in the US face: “my customers won’t pay X for good quality jewelry”, “my boss won’t invest in quality”, “there are no educational opportunities in my area”. These are all obstacles that a piercer can overcome with time, persistence, education, and a flexible budget. However, there is another aspect that I think US piercers take for granted: access to supplies. In the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), piercers have an additional challenge. As an example, if you want to order Neometal, Anatometal, BVLA, or most other US made jewelry, not only do you have to deal with long wait times, but also increased shipping costs, delays with customs, and substantial import taxes. Canadian and Latin American piercers face these challenges as well, but to a lesser extent, due to their proximity to where most high end piercing supplies are manufactured. In England, if a piercer orders jewelry they have to pay approximately 20% extra to import it into their country, and that is on top of already significant international shipping costs. Imagine waiting even longer and paying even more. How many US piercers, barely keeping internally threaded and threadless jewelry in stock, would implode at that added challenge? There are almost no native companies manufacturing body jewelry in the EU or the UK at this time. Many have moved production to Asia to lessen costs. Those companies left manufacturing in the EU and UK offer little to no internally threaded jewelry, hand polishing, or products made from materials the Association of Professional Piercers would classify as acceptable for initial piercing.
Needles are another obstacle. How many American piercers are aware of the differences between “blade needles” or “cannulas”? There is a simple reason why; you would never need to. Any American piercer can buy needles made specifically for body piercing, in varying qualities. Again, in the EU and UK there is little to no access to what we would consider “piercing needles” without importing them. In most of Europe there are fewer restrictions on medical devices so it is very common for piercers to use medical catheter needles and biopsy punches to perform body piercings. They call what American piercers use a “blade” needle to distinguish it from the more common cannula needles they are using. Since they don’t have the same access to blade needles many of their techniques are built on a foundation of using the cannula sheath for jewelry transfers. If you are unfamiliar with a cannula it is a plastic sheath covering the needle that can slide off and be used as a catheter. If you have had IV fluids in your arm or hand at the hospital. That little tube going into your vein or artery is a cannula. The application is to pierce through the tissue, once the needle and sheath exit you can slide out the needle leaving the cannula in place. You can then insert jewelry (internal or external) into the sheath and back it through the piercing. In theory this covers external threading during insertion so many European and British piercers see it as negating the risk of using external threading. Whether is does or does not could be another whole article.¹
I hope by now you can see where the different mindsets come from between US and Europe counterparts. Imagine all those obstacles, and a piercer without those obstacles calling you lazy or sloppy because you do not have the means to overcome said obstacles. It would be frustrating, it might even make you apprehensive to strive to reach the goals that same piercer holds as being a minimum standard. One of the most common complaints I hear about the APP is that membership is geared almost entirely to piercers in the United States. While it is true that the vast majority of APP Members are operating in the US, I have met APP Members all over the world: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Mexico, England, and more. If APP membership is not an easy goal to achieve in a specific region, another option to improve standards is to create a local organization such as the APTPI (Italy), LBP (Mexico, Central, and South America) and the newly formed UKAPP. The point of these other organizations is not to have lower standards, but to have standards geared towards their specific region. For instance, if jewelry concerns are not the main obstacle, the organization can instead focus on other safety issues such as sterilization, studio layout, and training.
Every Fall I travel to Essen, Germany to teach seminars at the BMXnet (Body Modification Exchange Network) Conference. I’ve met some fantastic piercers from all over Europe there. At the 2014 event I spent quite a while talking with a British piercer named Nici Holmes. We talked about many of the points mentioned above. Specifically, we discussed how it is very challenging to be a piercer who wants to offer quality, especially when the items that go into a “quality” piercing need to be imported from another continent. We talked about how many of the best piercers in the UK could not meet membership standards set forth by the Association of Professional Piercers. One of the concerns she voiced: most, if not all, of the jewelry that meets APP standard is based on ASTM material standards, which has led to some confusion as it previously stood for the AMERICAN Society for Testing and Materials.² The APP jewelry standards were revised in 2009 and currently include both ASTM and ISO designations. Much of Europe is moving away from allowing steel as an acceptable material for body jewelry due to nickel content, but at the same time Europe widely allows the use of G23 grade titanium, which is an industrial grade, rather than an implant grade material. G23 Ti has been used as an alternative to nickel containing alloys and its safety has not been addressed, as regulations focused on eliminating nickel as an allergen, not on validation of a material for safe healing and prolonged wear.
Nici talked about how she wanted to start a dialog with other British, Irish, and Scottish piercers to try to form a new group. At first I thought the intention was just to have some casual meetings and discuss industry issues. Apparently the idea caught on and soon after, with the help of a crowdfunding campaign, there was a new nonprofit formed to focus on safe body piercing in the United Kingdom. One of their first acts was to host a central meet. In the next issue of The Point I plan to elaborate on what was accomplished at their first meeting.
¹The plastic sheath is easily damaged which in turn can damage tissue. Also, the blade length is significantly shorter, limiting or preventing many of the bevel theories modern freehand piercers are so fond of.
²The ASTM has focused on international trade since the 1970’s. In 2001 it was rebranded as ASTM International, and is used globally in more than 140 countries.
Point 73: Beto Madrigal Award
THE BETO MADRIGAL AWARD
presented to Ed Chavarria
at the LBP Gala
by Beto’s brother Ennio Madrigal
Unfortunately Beto took his own life last year, Beto had a large role in the LBP and this new award akin to the APP’s Josh Prentice volunteer award was to recognize outstanding volunteer work and contributions to the piercing community.
Spanish Original:
Muy Feliz y agradecido con LBP… por seguir honrando la memoria y el aporte de mi hermano Beto …para con la industria del Body Piercing Latinoamericano … Para mí es un orgullo que hayan nombrado con el nombre Beto Madrigal el premio que entregarán año con año en la gala de Latinoamérica Body Piercing… Este año le correspondió a nuestro querido Eduardo Chavarria….recibir este importante reconocimiento por su entrega y compromiso para con la industria del Body Piercing. Felicidades mi queridísimo Ed…!!! Sé que Beto se encuentra feliz de que te entregaran …tan merecido reconocimiento..!!
Thank you, Luis Garcia, for an English Translation:
I am very happy and thankful to the LBP for continuing to honor the memory of my brother Beto and the support he gave the body piercing industry in Latin America. I am proud that they named the service award after my brother, Beto Madrigal, and that they will be presenting this award year after year at the LBP gala. This year the award was given to the beloved Eduardo Chavarria for his hard work and commitment, not only to the Latin American body piercing community, but the industry worldwide. Congratulations Ed. I know that Beto is happy that you were honored with this much deserved award.
Point 73: Ohio Legislation Update – Patrick McCarthy
Patrick McCarthy*
Piercology, Inc., Body Art Solutions
For the last three years, the state of Ohio has been rewriting its body art Rules and Regulations. Beginning in 2013, a number of body modification professionals, health inspectors, medical professionals, legal professionals, Ohio Department of Professional Personnel and more, set out with the purpose of reworking the outdated rules that had been put in place 18 years ago. The Association of Body Art Professionals was formed for the state of Ohio to take on this task. The association had piercers and tattoo artists from the four corners of the state, many of which were fellow APP Members.
Many people don’t realize that when you are dealing with the government and government agencies, you are dealing with two separate things: rules and regulations, and laws. These are two totally different animals. Laws are far more difficult to change and are usually written to be intentionally vague. Revisions or additions to laws must go through the House and Senate in the state and must be signed by the governor. Rules and regulations go into great detail and are usually written by a committee. Laws are set for the state level. However, most states allow local health departments and municipalities to go above the state’s laws in the rules and regulation procedures. For this reason, it is so important to understand what your local municipality requires, because many people, including public officials, don’t realize the significant difference in laws and rules and regulations. We have the issue of travelling artists being allowed to practice their craft in different states. It is like this in most states, however, some states do things a little differently. So make sure you understand how things work in your state, and any states that you may visit while working.
Going back 18 years, Ohio had some of the best body art laws in the nation, with matching rules and regulations. Because of this, many states set up their laws similarly to Ohio. I was fortunate enough to be involved in writing the laws way back then, and this made it a little easier to get involved in the changes this time. Due to the fact that they were previously so well written, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) pretty much left the rules and regulations alone until 2 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the lack of evolution, the rules and regulations had become outdated.
Overhauling the antiquated laws and rules and regulations to reflect the incredible amount of advancement in our industry over that 18 year period was no easy task. Our committee met, on average, once or twice a month, for nine months going over all of the changes that needed to take place. During these meetings, we were able to address many changes that had occurred in our industry.
When originally written, it was stated that studios had to sterilize their own tools. In response to the evolution of pre-sterilized, disposable tools, we added the “Pre-Sterile” law, allowing artists in this state to use presterilized items. Up until this point, an artist was breaking the law if they used pre-sterilized tools. Most states have requirements that rules and regulations be looked at every few years so things like this don’t happen. But, as we all know, if things are working well they never get changed. So I urge each of you to make sure your state stays current with the progress happening in our industry.
The rules and regulations were written with extensive depth and specifications regarding things like quality of jewelry, detailed instruction on how to sterilize instruments, aseptic techniques for set-up and teardown, and even how documentation had to be kept. To ensure that the health inspectors in the state of Ohio were properly trained on the new changes that had taken place, we held back the roll out of the new rules and regulations for six months and offered training to them regarding all of the changes. These training classes were not only open to health inspectors, but also to people in the body art industry, free of charge. This was done so that they could learn how the changes in rules and regulations would affect their studios and to help them understand what changes needed to be implemented.
We taught ten classes throughout the state over a 6 week period with over three hundred health inspectors in attendance. These classes went into great detail regarding instruction for inspectors. We covered topics such as correct procedures for disinfecting and sterilizing, proper aseptic technique for both tattooing and piercing, what to look for in an exposure control plan, and what works and doesn’t work regarding aftercare. Information on industry standards tats was also discussed. We stressed the importance of inspectors observing procedures within the studios to ensure that artists know what they are doing.
The classes were quite successful and the participants enjoyed the opportunity to be in an interactive environment where they could ask questions. These were the first classes that had been offered to them strictly covering body art in the state of Ohio. We learned that making comparisons to the food industry allowed the inspectors to better comprehend the information being taught from that industry to ours. We were asked to record a final class session in a sound studio using the PowerPoint presentation. This prerecorded session is now used for training new inspectors. We were also invited to teach classes for inspectors at four conferences across the state.
I have maintained a great working relationship with ODH over the last 19 years of working with them. It is important to remember a few things when building and maintaining a working relationship with health departments and inspectors. As much as you may not like it, we are in their world, so dress accordingly. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen over the years, and why many in our industry don’t have a working relationship with their public departments, is the simple fact that they don’t dress up. Don’t expect to be seen as a professional if you show up to a meeting dressed in jeans and a tshirt. Also, don’t talk down to them; treat them as a peer. Health inspectors are just there to do their job and keep the public safe, so if they don’t understand everything in our profession, take the time to educate them. I think you will find that most inspectors welcome any knowledge you can offer them.
Most states have conferences to teach inspectors, and they are always looking for new classes. So feel free to ask your health departments if you might be able to help out and teach a class for them.
*Editor’s Note: Pat was also the APP’s first elected president.
Point 73: Portfolio Photography: Tips & Tricks – Marina Pecorino
Marina Pecorino
Managing Editor of Content & Statistics
In the grand scheme, our industry is young, but in reference to how we display our portfolios there has been quite a bit of progress throughout our short history. During the inception of the modern piercing movement, piercers displayed their work selectively in printed photographs, which resulted in a lag between when a piercing was performed and when it was available to showcase. The range of viewing audience was also much smaller as a result of this medium and its reliance on a physical print.
As the internet became more accessible, shops were able to use websites to display their collective works. Websites like BMEzine came into being, allowing piercers to reach a broader audience, beyond the bounds of geography. However, until digital photography became affordable and readily available, this medium was still limited by the lag and expense of developing film and scanning photographs.
Modern digital photography has reached a level where decent digital cameras are built into every smartphone, and standalone digital cameras are widely available. Social media allows us to quickly reach an audience around the world. We hold these sophisticated marketing tools in our pockets, purses, and fanny packs every day, but do we know how to implement them to their fullest potential?
This will be a two part instructional article to help you make the most of these tools. In this first edition, I’ll touch on some tricks and tips for shooting portfolio photographs. In Issue 74, I’ll explain some ways to make sure those photographs have as broad a reach as possible, using the tools allowed through current social media and search engine optimization.
And now on to the good stuff! I hope that you find these quick techniques and tricks useful in displaying your work to the world.
• Variety—Don’t get drawn into only taking photographs of your favorite types of piercings or jewelry styles. Strive to show the full range of options available within your studio and the diversity of your clientele. Showing a mix of gender, race, age, and style helps make your portfolio relatable to a broader range of your clients and allows your potential client an opportunity to visualize themselves and their new or upgraded adornment within your portfolio.
• Composition—Your photograph is intended to display your superb piercing technique and the incredible, high polished jewelry you’ve used, so make sure that these are the main focal point. Frame collages have become popular and allow you to show the piercing from multiple angles. These are a great way to show a close up and distant view (with a smiling, happy client, maybe?), and can be especially useful in displaying symmetrically paired piercings.
• Distance and Zoom—When zooming in on your subject within your digital camera, image quality loss is irreversible. Therefore you should avoid using the digital zoom, which may leave your image looking pixelated and distorted. It is far better to take a step or three closer to your client to take advantage of the natural optics of the lens. If necessary, crop the image after the fact to get rid of extraneous or distracting aspects or achieve a closer view. That being said, be careful not to get “too close”. This can make the viewer feel uncomfortable and the piercing will lose some of its impact without the rest of the anatomy as a frame of reference.
• Focus—If a photograph is out of focus, avoid using it, regardless of how in love with it you may be. An out of focus image will not tell the viewer much about the health of a piercing or quality of the jewelry used. Using a shallow depth of field (choose a large aperture close to f/2.8, for the photography geeks in our midst) to blur the background can be useful if you’re shooting photographs in a visually busy environment. If you forgot to use this setting while taking the photograph, post-processing software like Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity, Exposure, or photography apps on your smartphone can accomplish this after the fact as well. If you have the option, try using a minimalistic or subtle background, but still aim for some color and texture when possible.
• Lighting—If you have the environment available to take portfolio photographs outside or close to a window, choose a spot that is well-lit by indirect sunlight. Unrestrained direct sunlight can cause harsh shadows and loss of detail in highlights. If you’re shooting in a windowless room, positioning multiple light sources with natural spectrum light bulbs can simulate indirect sunlight. If you’re shooting with a DSLR, using a bounce flash directed at a white wall behind you can help evenly illuminate your client and their beautiful jewelry. Regardless of your lighting, watch out for unintentional shadows near eyes, noses, and chins.
• Color Balance—Using natural spectrum lighting is a great start to provide the truest colors for jewelry and the healthiest skin tones for your clients, but color correction can be done in post-production with most photography processing software and apps, like the ones mentioned earlier. Be careful about color balance; aim to make your whites as true as possible. Photographs with a greenish or yellowish hue may cause your client to look sickly. A reddish hue may cause your client to look flushed. If your camera has an option for white balance, set it appropriately based on your environment or take multiple photos with the white balance set a few different ways.
• Quality of Work—Avoid including angry, bloody, or otherwise unappealing piercings; happily healed piercings should make up the vast majority of your portfolio. If you are not pleased with the angle or placement, or if the perspective of the photo makes it look like something is wonky, choose a different photo or piercing. Your portfolio does not need to include every piercing you’ve performed or every photograph you’ve taken. It should be a selection of your very best work and it should show that the piercings you perform will heal well and elegantly accentuate the anatomy that surrounds them.
Point #73: From the Editor – Marina Pecorino
Marina Pecorino
Managing Editor of Content & Statistics
I realized that in planning my pieces for this issue, I composed my outlines in terms of an almost methodical past—present—future format. As a result, it has become apparent to me that even when planning to discuss the current events of our industry, I can’t help but relate it back to where we came from and what has brought us to this point.
In the past, current events within the body modification community were defined within small regional groups, making the reach and influence fairly limited. Then as piercing enthusiasts became less closeted and more prevalent, conferences like the APP Conference and BMXnet, publications like PFIQ (Piercing Fans International Quarterly), and internet communities like BME became available. With this, the barriers of geography were broken and current events were defined more by the shared interests of individual communities. This allowed for a broader reach of knowledge and experience, and for enthusiasts to have more choice available in their involvement with specific interests. But information still had a trickling spread; trends were slower to be replaced with a newer, better, shinier thing.
With the overwhelming prevalence of social media and technology, the wealth of knowledge available is incredible and the reach of information is limitless. Trends change almost as quickly as they are born; in a matter of days, sweeping interest in a particular piercing placement or jewelry style can become global. Unfortunately, the same can be true in regards to misinformation and misconceptions surrounding placements, techniques, jewelry, and aftercare. It is our shared responsibility to ensure the quality and validity of piercing specific information available to our peers and the general public. Please be mindful of what you are sharing with the world.
However, even with this global reserve of knowledge, there are still specific concerns that only affect certain areas. In this issue, we are sharing some of those concerns seen during the revision process of body art laws and rules and regulations within the state of Ohio. You will also get a glimpse into the newly formed UKAPP and the issues specific to body modification artists in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
We hope that these articles help you gain an understanding and greater world view of what is happening within the professional realm of your peers.
Point #73: From the Editor – Jim Ward
Jim Ward
Managing Editor of Design & Layout
November 17th this year marked the 40th anniversary of Gauntlet, the world’s first body piercing studio. For most of you reading this, it will be difficult to conceive what things were like for body mod enthusiasts back in those days. For many of us, our piercings were a sexual fetish that were well concealed under our clothing and revealed only to our most intimate of friends and acquaintances. We remained firmly in the closet.
With the exception of tattoos, other body mods were rare or nonexistent in the United States. Unless you lived in a colorful ethnic neighborhood, you were likely to see only piercings of the ears. Even then people with visible piercings could lose their jobs. Despite Gauntlet’s efforts, it was almost 15 years before things began to change. When that change came, it was explosive.
Modern Primitives appeared in 1989 and soon thereafter Shannon Larratt began advocating for more extreme body mods. Piercing shops began springing up like fungi after a spring rain. We saw fashion models strutting down runways sporting navel and nostril rings. Alicia Silverstone appeared in the Aerosmith music video Cryin’ getting her navel “pierced” by Paul King (admittedly, the piercing was staged). Suddenly, visible body mods were everywhere. They have become so common that virtually no one raises an eyebrow anymore.
As most of our readers know, I do the design and layout of The Point. When I was sent the image for this issue’s cover I was a bit taken aback by the lack of visible body modifications. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great image of Rob Hill, a well-known and respected member of the APP community. But what, I asked my fellow editors and the APP Board, did it have to do with piercing. The response stunned me: “We are seeing more and more people that work in our industry who are choosing not to have visible modifications. We also realize that not everyone that reads our publication is a piercer or modification artist and we want to increase our readership, even having an article specifically aimed at reaching our clients in this issue.” [emphasis mine]
I have to laugh. It has been 40 years, and we have come full circle. While people may be choosing to keep their piercings private again, I can’t help wondering if piercings will ever be as erotic as they were all those years ago.