steele.

art. body modification. hook suspension. film photography.

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refurbishing this old inactive blog to share more film photography stuff, i figured now would be a good time to reintroduce myself!

my name is steele, i work full time counter at infinite body piercing in philadelphia.

i have an intense and all consuming love for body modification and pain rituals. i love to draw and paint (mostly new school and american traditional tattoo inspired flash pieces). i’ve been working on building a portfolio to (hopefully) find a tattoo apprenticeship since summer of 2022. i’m obsessed with emo, post hardcore, and technical death metal, but i love music in general and am open to all kinds of new and weird shit.

i recently found a new love of analog photography. i am a complete and total amateur, mostly shooting with a minolta x700 and a kodak ektar h35n split frame. i have been flirting with starting a photo blog for quite some time, and now feels as good a time as any to start.

so hi, welcome. i’m excited to share my photos, art, and life here.

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APP Conference - June 2025 (2/2)

The best part about all of this was getting to spend time with people with whom I share a purpose.

I love my friends and my community.

Bonded by blood and ritual, forever.

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APP Conference - June 2025 (1/2)

I am super grateful to have had the opportunity to go to the APP Conference with the wonderful team at Infinite Body Philly this summer.

The theme this year was the 50 Year Anniversary of Gauntlet. There was a giant and beautiful docent exhibit, and I got to witness Jim Ward himself talk about the origins of the piercing industry in the West.

I learned so much about the history and worldwide cultural origins of the things I love the most - body piercing and ritualistic pain. My favorite classes were “Pain Rituals in the Indian Subcontinent” and “An Intimate History of Gauntlet through the Lens of Drew Ward” (a film photography exhibit!).

We shopped (on my boss’ dime, of course) for lots of beautiful body jewelry on the expo floor to bring back home for our clients in Philly.

But…

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“Paris or Las Vegas?” Summer 2025

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Somewhere between Philadelphia and Vegas - Summer 2025

I love flying over the Rockies. I don’t consider myself a spiritual person, but it moves me beyond logic and reason to see hundreds of miles of mountains from above.

A necessary reminder that there is so much more out there than my silly little life, and none of my problems are so big that they can’t be overcome.

[xxplosivefotos805]

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“Compromise” Philadelphia - Summer 2025

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Temple Hospital, Philadelphia - Summer 2025.

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accidentally took a really long break but now i have tons of film to share!

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its odd how tragedy turns grocery lists to poetry

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some days you get to see two of your favorite bands of all time and life is suddenly worth living again

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i love my community of dirty stoner dudes and goth girls i can’t wait to in a room with you all again

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some days you get to see two of your favorite bands of all time and life is suddenly worth living again

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this painting might not be done but i sure am.

i’ve been trying so hard to be my best self and i keep falling short of where i want to be, in art and in life.

i’m over curating myself for an audience. i do not look good, i have not been on my grind.

so here’s a small raw snippet of my very real very big mess.

and a gouache painting i did.

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this city has been so unkind to me

but still i must admit

when im dazed

drunk

in the backseat of a car driving entirely too fast

it feels like its been lit up just for me

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Philadelphia on 35mm, 2025

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Philadelphia on 35mm, June 2025

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next i see you

i’ll kiss your face

and feverishly rub the sweet liquid

that which pours from your skin

into my lips and tongue

so that a piece of you

and a piece of me

may be one and the same

and i can carry you with me

until we meet again.