42 What Else Can I Find At These Conventions?
Description
This article is from the Tattoo FAQ, by Stan Schwarz with numerous contributions by others.
42 What Else Can I Find At These Conventions?
Even if you don't plan on getting any tattoos, there is still plenty to
do on the exhibit floor. Most booths sell merchandise; many booths give
away stickers, business cards, etc.
Chuck Eldridge from the Tattoo Archive in California usually has a booth
at the larger conventions. If you've ever wanted to pick up an
out-of-print publication on tattooing, visit his booth!
Ever wonder how people get their pictures into the tattoo magazines? In
addition to photos submitted by the artists themselves, many of the
photos are taken at the conventions! Keep an eye out for signs that
identify tattoo magazines. Most of them set up portable studios in
nearby rooms. You will be required to sign a standard model release
form, and will have to inform them who your artist was (that's actually
more important to them than your own name). How to tell if the photos
were taken at a convention? Take a look at the wrists of the models in
the magazines. Do you see a color-coded hospital wristband? Does the
background look like a professional backdrop, versus the inside of a
tattoo shop?
Unfortunately, the magazine people won't be able to tell you if or when
your photo will appear in publication. Most of the time, you just have
to look at the issues that appear about three to four months after the
convention. The only time they will phone you is when you get a major
spread/feature, or if you've made the cover. If this is the case,
payment usually comes in the form of extra copies. Ask for as many as
you feel comfortable asking for (a couple dozen would not be out of
line, although I wouldn't ask for 500 copies unless you had an
incredibly large family).
Sometimes, the magazines will issue a special issue dedicated to the
specific convention you were at. These often include candids and photos
of contestants, and may include a photo of you!
Many convention organizers also contract a video production group to
tape the show. These are usually sold at an on-site booth.
In recent years, seminars geared towards artists have been added at
larger conventions, with topics such as "Creative Coloring", Care and
Tuning your Machine", "Spit-Shading - Watercolor", "Tribal Tattooing",
"Preventing Disease Transmission in Tattooing." Unfortunately, these are
usually open only to professional artists. I would personally like to
one day see sessions geared towards tattoo enthusiasts. Sessions
focusing on disease transmission prevention from the customer's point of
view, or the history of Polynesian tattooing, are two such examples.
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