This blog post is relevant for sketchbook pages 46-47 with mood boards included full size with analysis, as well as my reflection on the direction Skin Stories is taking after my photo shoot with Model 2, George.

I sourced my second model for my scar editorial by talking to friends and one of them suggested her fiancee who has multiple scars on his arms and a collection of tattoos. I got in contact with him and organised a photo shoot, which I then undertook quite quickly. I used my original images from Model 1 as a starting point for planning, as well as finding some inspiration for the setting and photographic style.

Below I have included a mood board I created for my sketchbook as a reference for my scar editorial, looking at themes such as seen/unseen, external/internal, and self-soothing.

 

I then met up with the model, took images of his various scars and tattoos, and talked to him about my magazine (the scar editorial specifically). He has said that he is more than happy to answer a few questions in the future to help create written content and tell the various stories behind his tattoos and scars. I am really happy that I was able to navigate this conversation as I was worried about it being a personal topic that needed to be dealt with sensitively.

Below I have included a few of my favourite images from the shoot. (before editing).

After shooting with George I decided that I wanted to broaden Skin Stories to include scars and tattoos as well after seeing both on this model and how they each tell their own individual stories as shown through the image directly above.

This led me to create a mood board which directly explores tattoos under the same pretence as scars which can be seen below:

I feel that these images showcase how tattoos can tell a story just like scars can, allowing me to explore my key theme of identity through physical appearance in a broader but still streamlined sense. I am aiming to include 10 models in my feature Skin Stories, and by broadening it to include both scars and tattoos this feels much more achievable with a wider range of images and aesthetics.