I recently did something I've never done before: I got my first tattoo.

But that's only half of the story.

The tattoo was created by Philip Borges, and what started as a conversation about getting a tattoo eventually turned into a creative collaboration between two artists.

After meeting with Philip and his wife, Talita, we decided to trade our respective skills. Philip would create my tattoo, and I would photograph their new tattoo studio and create a collection of portraits for the artists who work there.

What came out of that collaboration was much more than a simple exchange of services. It became an opportunity for both of us to create something we were genuinely excited about.

The Tattoo

My first tattoo, created by Philip Borges. What began as a personal project became the starting point for an unexpected creative collaboration.

I came to Philip with a design that I had been thinking about, and he took that idea and translated it into a finished tattoo.

That process was one of the things I appreciated most about the experience. I had an idea of what I wanted, but Philip was the artist responsible for turning that idea into something that would actually work on the body.

He absolutely nailed it.

The finished tattoo was exactly what I was looking for, and seeing the design come to life was an experience in itself.

Philip's post about the finished tattoo

From Tattooing to Photography

As we talked about the photography project, I learned that Philip and Talita were drawn to the work of Renaissance painters and were already considering incorporating that kind of imagery into their website and marketing.

That immediately gave me an idea.

Instead of creating typical studio portraits, why not approach the photographs almost like Renaissance paintings?

We decided to create a group portrait inspired by the dramatic compositions and lighting of painters such as Caravaggio.

Caravaggio's work is particularly recognizable for its use of dramatic light emerging from deep shadow. I wanted to translate some of that feeling into a contemporary portrait of the artists.

The challenge was to make the image feel inspired by Renaissance painting without simply trying to reproduce a painting.

Creating the Group Portrait

The group portrait became the centerpiece of the project.

We arranged the four artists together and worked with the lighting to create the strong directional illumination and deep shadows that are characteristic of Caravaggio's work.

Rather than having everyone simply look at the camera, we approached the portrait more like a composed painting. Position, expression, gesture, clothing, and the relationship between the four artists all became part of the image.

The result is a portrait that feels very different from a conventional group photograph.

Four artists, one composition. A contemporary portrait inspired by the dramatic light and composition of Caravaggio.

It also felt appropriate for a group of tattoo artists. Tattooing itself is an art form built around composition, contrast, line, texture, and the human body as a canvas.

Photography gave us another canvas to work with.

Individual Portraits

After creating the group portrait, I photographed individual portraits of each artist using the same lighting approach.

The goal was to make the individual images feel like they belonged to the same visual world as the group photograph.

This created a complete collection of imagery that can be used throughout their new website, marketing materials, and within the studio itself.

The artists photographed for the project were:

Philip Borges
Talita Borges
Kadu
Luiny

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Two Artists. Two Mediums. One Collaboration.

What I enjoyed most about this project was that it wasn't simply a commercial photography assignment.

Philip was creating something permanent on my body while I was creating images that would become part of the visual identity of their studio.

We were both taking something from our own creative disciplines and using it to help tell the other person's story.

That's what makes collaborations between artists so interesting.

A tattoo artist takes an idea and translates it into ink on skin. A photographer takes an idea and translates it into light, composition, and a photograph.

Different mediums. Similar process.

Behind the Scenes

The finished photographs only tell part of the story.

I also put together a short behind-the-scenes video showing part of the process and one of the final group portraits. Seeing the setup and then seeing the finished image is a good reminder of just how much goes into creating a photograph that, on the surface, can look deceptively simple.

A Creative Exchange

I'm extremely happy with how this project came together—and especially grateful to Philip, Talita, and the rest of the team for trusting me with their portraits.

I went into the project expecting to leave with a new tattoo.

I came away with that, a great experience, and a body of photographs that I'm genuinely proud to have created for another group of artists.

That's a pretty good trade.

A Collaboration in Art: Photographing Zero Twenty Seven