Chris Sembrot: After the Ink Dries

Tattoos, sneakers and metal bands. These are just a few of Philadelphia-based lifestyle photographer Chris Sembrot‘s favorite things – and coincidentally the main components of his recent shoot for Decibel Magazine. In a collaboration with Converse, he was asked to spend a few days with members of the Doomriders, a Boston-based heavy metal band. Chris followed the group to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where they each got tattooed at Congress St. Tattoo; a shop where their bassist, Jebb Riley, did the inking honors.

Chris stuck to his usual shooting process: voicing his vision and allowing it to happen. Despite the challenge of shooting around patrons of the tattoo parlor, he managed to create a collaborative environment between him and his subjects. He explains –

“This shoot allowed me to document the day and loosely construct the portrait. I gave the guys direction and just allowed them to flow in and out of the frame until we nailed it.”

However, his stay wasn’t all about skateboards and spontaneity. The band’s front-runner, Nate Newton, invited Chris into his home to spend some time with his wife and newborn daughter where he was able to balance out the grunge with pink onesies and pacifiers.

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