Amelia

I feel that, although these shops may be unsanitary and probably don't care much about the quality of tattoo turned out, that the only people going to these shops are the ones who want Google tattoos, etc... i.e. people that wouldn't have even been getting tattooed before the advent of shops like this. The rise in popularity with tattooing means more bogus shops, but then again, there are more than enough infinity symbols and shit-exploding-into-birds to go around. Good collectors, or even discriminating "consumers" (i.e. the guy who wants the best artist in town to do his family crest), will go to reputable artists.

That's not to say that tattooers shouldn't "teach" clients about what makes a shop good, just that maybe it's better to focus on one's own work and ignore this stuff. I think it was Paul Rogers (Someone correct me if I'm wrong) who said that tattooing is like a pyramid, with the game-changers at the top, the good, solid tattooers below them, and then a sea of crap beneath that. And think about how many more tattooers there are now. The sea of crap is even huger, and includes manicures.

ah ok. I feel bad for reposting it without crediting you for it.

No worries. I'm fully aware that when I post anything on the internet, especially somewhere like tumblr, that it's going to be reposted or printed or whatever. Plus I didn't make any attempt to watermark or sign that image, haha.

I'm a tattoo apprentice. In a month or so I'll have completed a two-year, full-time apprenticeship, which is pretty crazy to think about. I live in Northampton, MA, and am hoping to move to Buffalo, NY when I get licensed. I like this forum, I think, and a lot of the blogs on here. That is all.

Amelia Martin

ameliamartintattoo.blogspot.com

I'll be here selling prints and paintings and helping Seth Campbell (Cloud City Tattoo) and Will Self out with stuff. This will be the second convention I've gone to and the first I'll be working at (Not tattooing; I am still an apprentice). I'm excited about it, despite people saying that it is chaotic and overwhelming.