A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

It’s all about the angle

I am sure modblog reader are familiar with “the myspace angle”, you know, the one where people hold the camera way up high and photograph themselves below. That angle has been proven to be able to take off well over a hundred pounds if used correctly. In a similar fashion photographers often take pictures looking up at there subject, therefore creating the illusion of the subject towering over them.

Well that is exactly what photographer Simon Jacobs did when photographing Dave Bastard for this picture. You see I knew Dave on IAM years before meeting him. From his pictures I thought he was a giant beast of a man, boy was I shocked to see he was just a few inches above oompa loompa height!

bastard2

Don’t let his small stature fool you though; with his extensive tattooing, muscular physique and extensive gun collection he is one bad ass MoFu! He is also one of the best blackwork tattoo artist in North America, a continent that often overlooks top notch blackwork by stigmatizing it as “tribal”. Check out Dave and his wife Lea’s work here.

Comments

12 responses to “It’s all about the angle”

  1. newaddict Avatar

    Two lovely people too.

  2. ian mckown Avatar

    My kind of guy. Question: By what basis is the claim made that he is one of the best black work artists in North America? Not hating, honest question

  3. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    “Few inches higher than an ommpaloompa”???…i’m 5’9″ for christsakes!!!…true i’ll never be a pro basketball player,but…WTF?!?!?

  4. Jake Avatar
    Jake

    More info on Dave as an artist? where does he tattoo out of? where can i see some of his work? i love blackwork, and if he’s near me and really is one of the greats, id like to know about it 😀

  5. Sean Philips Avatar

    @3 That claim, like any objective claim made by myself or any other blogger is based on personal opinion. That opinion is based on seeing a lot of his work first hand and really admiring it. Whether you agree 100% or not check out his black work, it’s definitely high quality, solid black, well flowing designs. Also, the white on black he does works amazingly well.

    @Dave 5’9′ really? I must have been drunker than I realized in London! I just remember you not being near as big as I thought you would be based on your pictures. I stand corrected, Dave is as tall as an oompa loompa with another one sitting on it’s shoulders.

    @5 Dave currently tattoos out of South Florida in a private studio, but he is constantly travelling and doing guest spots. I linked his site above, but here it is again http://dltattoo.com/.

  6. ian mckown Avatar

    I like his dot shading and some of his flowing geometric designs.

  7. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    thank you for all the kind words.

  8. deez Avatar
    deez

    You’re so not 5’9!
    I seem to recall being quite a bit taller than you, and being that I am 5’9…

  9. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    hahaha…whatever “deez”…(cough,cough)nuts…should i post a copy of my driver license?…says 5’9″ on it

  10. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    its on my IAM page for all to see…5’9″…end of story…sorry i aint shorter.

  11. baracudaboy Avatar
    baracudaboy

    And thus…I am in love.

Latest Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News

  • Twelve Points to the Sky
    There’s a particular kind of magic that happens at your first big suspension gathering when you arrive with nerves, an open heart, and the quiet hope of flight. Guided by the encouragement of mentor Lynn Loheide and driven by the quiet confidence of belonging, Alex… Read more: Twelve Points to the Sky
  • Ontario SusCon 2025
    In March 2025, BME attended the Ontario Suspension Convention in Hamilton, hosted by the Kevin Donaghy and the Ontario Suspension Collective. We had the pleasure to take part and help document the event, but also run a booth to sell a bunch of old (but… Read more: Ontario SusCon 2025
  • Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine
    Dear BME Community, We’ve been gone far too long, but BME is back to give people a voice, a space, a community. With time everything evolves, and BME may be different than you remember. Our goal is to stay true to Shannon and Rachel’s values… Read more: Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine
  • BME Social Media
    Word of mouth has been our method of reuniting the community, and it has brought a substantial amount of us together. I am inspired by your loyalty and I want to remind more people of BME’s existence. In 2020 we gained control over @bmezine on… Read more: BME Social Media
  • BMEShop
    Despite the hurricanes in 2015 which destroyed almost all of what Rachel owned, she managed to save the original inventory from BME. We have relisted some of the stock on BMEShop.com with the hopes you may be interested.  Our first drop includes a selection of… Read more: BMEShop
  • Rachel Larratt 1980-2022
    Unfortunately, when we lost some of the ModBlog content, it included the post about Rachel’s passing. (Original Post) Rachel passed away on June 22, 2022. She died in her sleep. Even now, it’s extremely difficult to write this post. Rachel meant so much to so… Read more: Rachel Larratt 1980-2022