As a photographer and visual artist, what defines a good tattoo in your eyes? What design and aesthetic qualities are you looking for?
In terms of line and form, a good tattoo is aesthetically pleasing and artistically distinctive. If you look at specific genres of tattooing, the traditional Japanese forms are an excellent example of this, as are Leo Zulueta's interpretation of traditional tribal tattooing forms. Of course, from a technical perspective, shading, line work, the use of negative space and how a tattoo is placed on the body reveals the talent and vision of the tattoo artist. Then again, you have the artistic tension that arises from the fact that the tattoo artist is attempting to please a client. If both of them are on the same page you are much more likely to see an amazing piece of body art.