From a tattoo fanatic with his eyes inked black to a piercing fan with meat hooks embedded in his arms - these images would not seem out of place in most people's nightmares.
In fact they are terrifyingly real, and are currently on display at the second annual tattoo convention being held in Tel Aviv, in the heart of conservative Israel yesterday.
Fans of body art flocked from all over the world to get tattoos from some of Israel's leading artists, including 'Magneto' - a German tattoo model whose entire face is covered in inkings, including his eyeballs.
Israeli men were pictured having intricate artworks painstakingly added to their thighs and necks during the convention, while another woman had a huge drawing etched into her chest.
Elsewhere, Israel's first 'suspension crew' - nicknamed the Suicide Team - used painful looking metal hooks and bars inserted through their skin to dangle themselves from wires high above the crowd.
One man was pictured crying out in pain while the suspension bars were inserted into his thighs, before being lifted up using meat hooks inserted through his forearms and forehead.
Another woman could be seen walking through the crowd with a series of metal loops pierced through her back, with red and black silk thread carefully woven between them.
A website for the convention explains that the first event was held in December last year after the rising popularity of tattooing over the last decade in Israel, with dozens of shops opening for artists to ply their trade.
The inaugural event attracted a crowd of 1,500 people, with more than 20 stalls by local artists, as well as performances by alternative bands. While no official attendance figures have been released for this year, organisers said they were expecting to beat last year's total.
By Chris Pleasance
