{personal journal} I went to Italy for a tattoo

It’s true – I flew to Italy for a tattoo! Well, three tattoos to be exact.

I’ve been following Italian tattoo artist Samuele Briganti for a few years now. The first time I saw his work on Instagram I knew I would get tattooed by him someday. The fact that he was based in Italy was never ever a deal breaker. In my mind, it was just a matter of time.

I’d been signed up to be notified when his books opened for a while, so when I finally received an email that he was accepting new clients once again, I skipped all “logical” steps (like requesting PTO from my day job, checking flight prices, how much “fun money” I had in my bank account) and immediately replied asking to claim three tattoo sessions with Samuele.

I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story, but I will say that I write this blog post today a little bit brighter, a little bit bolder, and a whole lotta grateful for my 5 weeks in Italy, where I gained much more than ink.

PS. These images were shot for me, not a client, and they’re a total mix! A mix of subject, quality, approach, gear… so prepare to see some street photography (mainly shot on my Sony A7iii + Batis 25mm), selfies, and many other little scenes (mainly shot on my iPhone). 

PSS. I also mustered up enough courage to ask all three artists at Bold Will Hold, including Samuele, if I could take their picture. Check out this post to see those images: Bold Will Hold // Portraits of Samuele Briganti, William Cioncolini, and Lorenzo Lob