Tattoo Photographer Feature: Melanie Titus

Monday, 12 December 2011 09:28 Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 December 2011 08:37 Written by admin

Welcome to our second feature of fellow photographers from around the world that enjoy photography beautiful ladies with ink. Welcome an up and coming photographer from the great white north Melanie Titus from Canada.

Bio:

Melanie Titus is a Halifax, NS Canada based photographer who specializes in pinup and portrait photography. Melanie’s love affair with photography and images from the past began when she received her first Polaroid camera at age 10. It is only in the last few years, though, that she has become serious about it, having spent 3 years studying English at a local university before realizing that she would never be satisfied in that field . During a two year program at a local college, Melanie gained an important mentorship with local fashion photographer Brent McCombs (AlterEgo). This relationship hugely influenced her processing style, work flow and her approach to lighting. Having never used Photoshop before her formal education, Melanie began watching every online tutorial she could get her hands on. Processing has since become a a major component in her work. After finishing the 2yr program, Melanie graduated at the top of her class and decided that she would focus her attention completely on shooting what she was passionate about.

“I remember an instructor telling our class that as a photographer starting out, you would not be able to shoot only what you wanted. I didn’t buy that for a second. I thought that I would much rather be great at one thing than be alright at many…”

Photographing tattooed subjects seemed like a natural fit. Now 26yrs old, Melanie has been fascinated with tattoos since childhood and has herself been getting tattooed since she was 17yrs old. Many of the women she was working with were into the local rockabilly scene and she soon realized that her passion for vintage could aid her in carving out her niche in a small city. Obsessed with details, Melanie spends much of her time researching and collecting period appropriate wardrobe and set pieces. She is heavily inspired by Irving Klaw, Chas Ray Krider, Viva Van Story and illustrators John Willie and Tyson McAdoo.

For Melanie, 2011 has been a remarkable year of firsts. With her first publication in Inked Girls Magazine in January, a wave of success has followed. Seven more major publications followed, including her first cover, and she is showing no signs of slowing down.

“The biggest hurdle for me is living in a small city, away from most major centres. It feels really great though, to show people that you don’t have to live in Toronto to produce quality and have it noticed. You just have to be extra hungry”.

Melanie is looking forward to expanding her portfolio by moving into latex and fetish images. She will be teaming up with Toronto based latex designer Adala in the coming months and is in talks with several publications and designers. She is forever on the lookout for new models with incredible canvases.