final photo-shoot
Chances are that when you were selecting your tattoo artist, you did so at least in part by examining their portfolio. An artists portfolio is HOW they attract clients, and is perhaps the most valuable possession a tattooer has aside from their actual tattoo equipment.
Your artist may have taken many photos of your tattoo along the way. Almost certainly they photographed your work when it was finished. However these photos are NOT well suited for inclusion in the portfolio! Raw tattoos are nearly impossible to photograph properly, and do not necessarily indicate how the work will look when healed. Only photos of fully healed and touched up tattoos are ideal for portfolio quality pictures.
Please appreciate that the money you payed for your tattoo only represents a small portion of the works value to your tattooer. The photo of the finished product is possibly more valuable than the actual payment, since the photo will be used to attract clients for the next several years.
As a tattooer grows and develops as an artist, it is crucial to their advancement in their career that they constantly update their portfolio.
Please appreciate that YOU play a vital role in your tattooers ability to move forward in their career, not only by supporting them financially by getting tattooed, but also, and perhaps even more importantly, by allowing them to photograph the work they have done for you.
It does require a little consideration, a few minutes of your time, and an extra visit to the tattoo studio, but PLEASE return to have your work photographed after it has fully healed. Your tattooer will certainly appreciate it very much, and normally if you ask, they will provide you with digital copies of the photos for you to keep as well.