Silent Echo

Probably the greatest people photographer of all time was an unassuming guy named Henri Cartier-Bresson. He once said something like “Looking at a portrait is like looking at the return of a silent echo.” Maybe that's why coming across forgotten snapshots can be a joy. Like this one of Mike Bataky and me. No idea of who shot it; I probably handed my snapshot camera to someone in the shop and asked them to take a shot. Mike did my first tattoo and a bunch more after that. Somewhere along the line, he also became a good friend. This photo was shot about a dozen years ago. Mike was adding a bit to the piece he did on my right shoulder. A year or so later, we added a bit more. Tattoos can grow like that. When Mike wasn't tattooing, you could usually spot him sitting on a bench in front of his shop, cigarette and cup of camomile tea close at hand, chatting with an endless stream of friends. Mike's shop was a neighborhood tattoo shop in a tradition that made shops like his a part of many neighborhoods. There are not many left. Mike passed away a few years ago. His son Mehai continues to run the place with much the same vibe. I miss Mike. Glad Mehai is there.