Who owns the right of a tattoo?

[RMThompson]

Well I won't be retaining a lawyer at this stage. I have experience with publishers, I am a published fiction author, so I feel confident in dealing with them.

Besides, selling what is essentially a "coffee table book" is REALLY hard. Usually these things are commissioned by a publisher on a certain subject, and some gopher throws the book together, gives credits to the photogs that took the original photo, and prints it.

I am literally doing the opposite, using ONE photographer, and trying to sell it to them... so if anyone is willing, I'll be on board!

 

[RMThompson]

Wow, if that was the case Harley can go ahead and stop making bikes and just start suing all the bikers with HD tattoos on them hehe.
Sometimes the fine line gets a little ridiculous doesnt it.
If youre contacting tattooists personally youre going to have a wealth of portfolios to go thru. A good artist should have a photo, and probably contact information, from everyone they have ever worked on.
Im not sure how youre going to categorize the book, but Id love to see a tatt book with a few different artists work from different areas of the US, maybe even international.
Oh...and with this spring and summer coming up, dont hestitate to go to any of the bike rallies happening. The larger ones always have a tattooist set up and he works around the clock. Youll get some great shots then too.

Hmm that might be interesting to do, focus on a few different artists work, but that wasn't the idea really.

I was going to be more like the above image, with these words:

Gina Loscalzo. Tattoo by Insert Namehere, Niagara Falls, NY. (123)456-7890

Bike rallies are big here, but I don't know because I really want to have a controlled studio style enviroment where I can get several shots of the tattoo, and really make the selective coloring shine.

OMG Selective coloring haters are going to want to burn my book!