Well, hello again. It’s been quite a while since I’ve shared anything in this space. My husband and I moved from Hawai’i to Florida for his job in 2022, and while I’m still very active in the photography world, the move meant my Artist Series was put on hold as I got settled in a new place. But here I am, four years later, officially reviving the series in a new state! And my inaugural Florida Artist Session was a type of artist that had been on my bucket list since starting this project: a tattoo artist.

Nicki Giustine

A woman with long hair in a gray long sleeve shirt stands in front of a blurred forest.

Nicki Giustine is a multidisciplinary artist who clearly views the world through a deeply creative lens. While she works with various forms of art, our session focused on her tattooing. We first connected at a local analog photography club’s photo walk, a gathering naturally dominated by film shooters. Knowing Nicki shared that appreciation for the deliberate, tactile nature of analog mediums, I knew I had to bring my 35mm and medium format film cameras along to her workspace at Codo Studio in St. Augustine, Florida, alongside my digital gear. The resulting images are a mix of both formats, mirroring the texture and slow pace of the work being done.

Earlier this year, Nicki invited me into the studio to document one of her sessions. In one of those wild small-world twists, her client, Sarah, was someone I had met at an event a few hours away. Even better, she is a repeat customer of Nicki, so I was able to see multiple healed pieces in addition to the fresh ink.

Retro studio waiting area with a tan leather couch, a blue accent chair, and white walls.

Tattoo artist at work in a bright studio with an orange tool chest and a large round mirror on the wall.

Tattoo artist at work in a bright, modern studio space with an orange tool chest.

Tattoo artist workstation with an orange tool chest and a professional ring light.

Codo Studio provided the perfect backdrop for a shoot. The space was filled with retro nods and lots of pops of vibrant color to contrast the white walls. I loved all the artwork around the studio; it perfectly suited the artistic vibes without feeling cluttered. Nicki’s station had quaint little touches, including a moody, vintage floral print and a tiny, romantic oval portrait tucked in the corner. It’s far from a sterile clinical space, instead feeling like an active, collaborative art studio

A close-up shot of a tattoo stencil being applied to a client's lower leg inside a studio.

As many of us have experienced, Nicki’s path into her current career wasn’t exactly planned or expected. She attended Flagler College, where she earned a BFA in Installation Art and Illustration. In 2018, she was invited to apprentice in a tattoo studio, setting her on the path she’s now on. She has been working at her current shop since 2024, and is now eight years into her tattooing journey.

Her designs clearly show her illustration background. Much of her work is nature-related, from plants to fish and bugs and more. She also has pieces that are imbued with quirky, silly humor, such as a healed one on Sarah of shrimp having a tea party.

A woman leans over a table while pointing at an iPad. Tattoo beds and artwork fill the background.

Nicki is a fantastic photographer as well, and she often works from her own photographs. She also references found imagery and hand-draws some of her designs. Her iPad is her drawing tool of choice, allowing her to trace over photographs and making it easy to transfer the designs to paper when it’s time to tattoo.

A woman stands at a workbench in the corner of a white room.

Small pieces of paper with tiny fish and tadpoles sit on a metal table.

A close-up of a tattoo artist's tattooed hands using scissors to precisely cut out printed custom tattoo stencils on a white table.

What I love about Nicki’s work is that it’s delicate without being overly subtle. Her pieces still have presence, but they are understated. You have to take time to look to truly appreciate them, which is my favorite type of art. She works in both color and black and white, but even her color pieces aren’t loud or in-your-face. There’s a quietness to them that I very much enjoy. It’s also fun to see some of her own photographs turned into tattoos, to witness the melding of two different forms of art.

For those who aren’t familiar with the tattoo process, Nicki starts by figuring out the placement of the tattoo, with some back-and-forth to decide on the sizing, angle, and exact location. Nicki’s attention to detail during this is very evident. While Sarah, of course, had a general desired position, there’s more to the precise location than that. Nicki is considering how the piece relates to existing tattoos, much like you would plan out a larger drawing composition. She’s also thinking about how it will move with the body as the person twists and turns and moves about life. After all, this is a permanent piece of art, and it’s clear Nicki wants to ensure her client will be happy with it for the long haul.

A smiling woman sits cross legged on a tattoo studio floor

A woman wearing black latex gloves places a tattoo stencil on the ankle of someone with sea creature tattoos.

Detailed close-up of illustrated fish tattoo design stencils laid out on a surface.

A woman squats down to wipe the calf of someone with tattoos standing on a stool in a tattoo studio.

Once the positioning and sizing are perfect, she preps the skin and transfers the design. Then, it’s time to tattoo. From the outside, the process looks like a meditative act. Nicki is zeroed in, her movements precise as she switches between needles and various shades of gray, slowly building up the shading and lines. It’s a quiet, patient technique that perfectly mirrors the delicate realism always present in her finished work.

A tattoo artist with long dark hair concentrates on her work as she tattoos a client's leg in a brightly lit studio.

A hand holding a tattoo machine over a small pot of ink on a tray filled with other items.

A tattoo artist works at her station inside a well-lit creative studio, leaning over a client on a table.

A woman holding a tattoo machine leans over a client's leg on a table.

As Nicki worked away, the atmosphere was relaxed. Chill music played in the studio, and conversation came in waves. Other artists and clients came in and out of the space throughout the session, but it always felt calm, with the constant buzzing of the tattoo machine in the background.

A close-up of tattoo artist Nicki Giustine wearing black gloves as she uses a tattoo machine to carefully apply detail to a client's arm.

A close-up of a tattoo artist's gloved hands using a tattoo machine to carefully outline a design on a client's leg over a purple stencil.

A woman with brown hair leans over a leg with a tattoo machine.

A close-up of a minimalist tattoo setup with ink caps and ointment on a medical tray.

A close-up of a tattoo artist's gloved hand smoothing a paper custom stencil onto a client's arm alongside existing tattoos.

A hand with black gloves wipes off ink while tattooing a leg.

It was fascinating watching the tattoo come to life, with detail slowly filling in. This particular design was especially delicate, with lines of tiny pin bones and a small hook in the mouth. It was especially amazing to see the depth start to form on the head of the fish, taking on a truly realistic look.

A close-up of tattoo artist Nicki Giustine sitting on a stool and smiling warmly while looking at her client's arm during a break in the session.

Since it wasn’t a large tattoo and there wasn’t any color involved, the session was relatively short. She did a last look with Sarah to make sure she was happy with the level of detail and shading, wiped off the extra ink, and covered it in Dermshield. You could tell by the smile on Nicki’s face that she was really happy with how it turned out. Seeing someone excited and proud of their craft is always a special moment, and this was no different.

I generally like to end my sessions with some headshot-style portraits, since most of us artists rarely have recent photos of ourselves yet often seem to need them. Indeed, that’s what we did on that day, with both my medium-format and digital cameras.

A portrait of tattoo artist Nicki Giustine sitting on a black studio chair, looking directly at the camera with a calm expression.

A woman with long brown hair and a gray sweater stands in front of a blurred green background.

A medium shot portrait of tattoo artist Nicki Giustine standing outdoors, looking upward with a thoughtful expression against a background of soft, blurred green trees and sunlight.

It was such a treat to step inside Nicki’s studio for a morning to document her in her element. You can see more of her incredible, delicate illustration work and find her booking info on her website at merpied.com or follow her journey on Instagram @merpied.