“Exclusive” is a term that gets thrown around to make feel important. I spend enough time in LA to know this to be true. This particular instance, however, it’s true. This set of photos of Inkmaster winner Ryan Ashley is only being released two places; my personal Patreon […behind a pledge wall], and here on Steemit. All of these are really personal. Ryan is a close friend and was happy to do this shoot to help out with whatever projects I had in the pipeline. Her recent fame since winning Inkmaster has amassed a following like I’ve never seen […even with the list of celebrities I’ve worked with over the years]. So, in hopes of giving back to the Steemit community, I’m posting the photos here and sharing with her fans that this is the place to come see them. I hope we add a few new Steemians to the fold.
Ryan contacted me right before Christmas to ask when I’d be back in Northeastern, PA […where we both grew up]. Following her win on Spike’s Inkmaster, she was going to be featured on the cover of Inked magazine. She offered me the shoot in return for another 8 hours in her tattoo chair […she’s done all of my tattoos thus far]. Of course, I agreed and made it to the east coast right before the Christmas holiday. We took new photos at her home […which is incredible! She and her fiancé Josh Balz, formerly of Motionless In White run a retail store called The Strange and Unusual selling oddities, occult paraphernalia and taxidermy, and their home is more or less, an extension of the store]. The following day, I got my tattoo and I was on my way back to Minneapolis on Christmas Day.
A weeks went by and I received a text from Ryan saying that Inked moved up the date of her cover. Also, they’d decided on an in house photographer, which sounds like a big bummer, but honestly, I haven’t had a great experience with Inked in the past. I wasn’t devastated, and those photos went on to Blackcraft Cult, who ironically used one on the back cover of the same issue. Ryan’s Inked feature came out and looked incredible […which isn’t surprising at all]. The photos intended or Inked have made their way through social media, but this particular set was shot exclusively […there’s that word again] for my use. I love having a platform I love and believe in as much as Steemit, to finally share these. Enjoy!
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