Friday 13th

OK, so here's the deal: you drop $20 into the jar – that's $13 for the tattoo and a lucky $7 for the tip – you pick a design off a special sheet of flash and a while later you walk out with a brand new piece. Tattooing at it's simplest. The event has become a tradition every Friday 13^th at quite a few shops. Some artists are up in rhetorical arms about the practice, posting all kinds of crap on sites. Probably pissed that they didn't think of it before or have the where with all to pull it off properly. I've shot a few and one thing they all have in common is lots of happy people! For some its their first tattoo. Some people return every year and get a new piece for their collection. I have yet to get my first "13", but gotta confess that this time I was tempted.

These were shot at Fineline Tattoo on First Avenue. Mike Bakaty was the artist who did my first tattoo.  He started it on my arm in his loft on The Bowery, back when tattooing was still illegal in New York City. A few months later he finished it in this new – and legal! - shop. It now has the distinction og being the oldest legal shop in NYC. Mike was a fine artist and a good friend. He passed away a few months ago. Mehai, his son, is also both of these and he has been running the shop since we lost Mike. This was his first Friday 13^th venture. He started at mid-day and didn't close until the last customer was marked, after midnight.

 The flash was cool. The ladies were beautiful. A good time was had by all.