Beauty Redefined Series - Kendra Sumpter - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Kendra Sumpter
"I've always been different. I see tattoos as art. Surprisingly, I get more older people that love my tattoos and tell me how beautiful I am with them. My tattoos make me feel like who I'm supposed to be. Different. Set apart from everyone else." Kendra
Native American Portrait Series - Holly & Jeff - TRD Photography - Film
It's been longer than I would have liked in this series. I met up with Holly & Jeff to do a portrait session and interview to share their stories. I want to thank Lorie Reedy for putting Holly and I in touch for this project. I'm blessed to have gotten to meet them and become friends with them. I hope that you enjoy their story and it gives a further understanding into the stories, hardships, and culture of our indigenous people here in the states. Not much is cut and dry and each person has a story.
Holly Lynn - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Me - Holly, you have an interesting story. Up until a couple years ago, you knew very little about your heritage. Would you care to share a little about what led up to your discovery a couple years ago?
Holly - Sure, yeah! My mom told me all the time when I was little that we were native, but that our nation had almost completely died out and that we were some of the last of the tribe. I grew up surrounded by Native art and certain customs that my mom picked up from her grandma. That was all I had to work with.
A couple of years ago, Jeff took me to the Chattanooga powwow because I'd never been. And I saw the arena director(who turned out to be Lorie's husband, Jimmy!) had on a medallion with the seal of my nation on it! So I caught him and talked to him, told him my story. He probably thought I was nuts, considering that we're the fourth largest tribe in the US. I started researching, learning everything I could about my own family. I come from two chiefs, a judge, and several councilmen. And I had no idea until a couple of years ago. I'm still learning, I'm working on the language, customs, etiquette.. There's a lot to work through.
Me - That's really an amazing story and just a huge blessing that you ran into someone at the powwow that was able to give you that place to jump into and discover more about your tribe and into your families heritage as well. Being raised the way you were, with thinking that most of your tribe had died out and having some customs and art in your house growing up, but in our conversation you told me you were raised more "white" right? Yet you're learning as much as you can now, what has that been like?
Holly - I was definitely very lucky, especially to have met someone so welcoming.
When I was growing up, my father was a tyrant. He is extremely racist, he mocks other races and culture mercilessly. I think growing up seeing his antics made me very conscious of what I'd been deprived of, which was basically my entire identity and knowing about my nation. I was definitely raised white and I resent it deeply.
Learning everything later in life sucks. It's hard. It's so easy to misstep and offend someone just by being ignorant of some obscure rule. You get laughed at, you aren't seen as native, you're basically an outcast to most of the tribe. But I think there's an upside in that you can't take who you are for granted. There's too much time and effort and heart put into discovering who you are and what the community means to you. People raised right don't have this bizarre and meaningful journey they had to take to find their folks. I'm glad I have that.
Me - The journey definitely has it's own merits and really brings about a different admiration and respect of the things you learn. Being raised "white" but learning our cultures later in life, we've seen things the other way and I think we appreciate what we're learning and makes us treasure it more.
You and I talked a little bit about this at our shoot. I shared how I've been super nervous about talking about my heritage because I don't know specific details because of the things in the census and how I've not wanted to be seen as "that white guy", with you really connecting with your people later in life, how did you go about connecting with them in a respectful way. I know meeting Jimmy at the powwow, but I'm sure you were just wanting to learn and digest all that you could as fast as you could. I know that you have to slow down and not get in a hurry as well because you want to show that your truly care and are respectful. How did you balance that?
Holly - One of the big things I've learned and am still learning is that sometimes you have to just wait to be taught. I may have a million questions but there are only certain ones that are appropriate and there are only certain people I'm able to ask. Ricky, I can't tell you just how blessed I am that my mentor is also one of my closest friends. That makes a huge difference. She knows my heart, my motives, and how obnoxiously curious I am about EVERYTHING. Getting to know her before I started asking the sensitive questions was a big reason I'm where I'm at in my learning. You've got to have a teacher that understands how precious you consider the traditions and language and religion to be.
Having said that, I have definitely asked the wrong person the wrong thing at the wrong time and been just absolutely humiliated. It's just one of those things that happens and will continue to happen for probably the rest of my life. Haha.
Me - I definitely think patience is the key. Similar to you, someone I consider to be my mentor has become probably my closest friend. Learning that time and patience is key is something he's being working to teach me. Anything worth something takes time to achieve. What is something that you have learned so far that has surprised you?
Holly - My biggest surprise was how alive our culture and religion still is. We have our superstitions and myths that are still told to children in the Mvskoke language, we have our traditional clothes. Our religion is thriving, I've still got a long way to go there. Having come from knowing nothing to where I am now, the biggest shock to me was the superstition surrounding owls. They're shape shifters, bad omens.. I love owls and it made me sad to learn this.
Me - Wow, That must be tough for one of your favorite animals to end up being a bad omen. I've learned a few things in regards to my culture that have been a surprise as well. That is wonderful that you're learning and being open to a different belief system, religion wise. A lot of people are raised that THIS is the only way to believe, that when you get shown a different way, it's hard to be open to a new way of believing, a new way of looking at things. Were you raised with a different set of beliefs? If so, how have you worked with learning the Mvskoke religion with what you were raised?
Holly - My father was a tyrant, he forced us to go to a Pentecostal church of god when I was little. I can remember being terrified of the pastor because he was always shouting, people passed out and spoke in tongues.. I had a constant fear of going to hell. It was miserable. The Mvskoke religion is still very new to me, I love going to stomp dances and I feel powerful and humbled all at one time when I'm with my people.
I just shed Christianity last year. It wasn't a gradual thing, either, it was like I woke up one morning and just did not believe in Christianity.
Me - Man, I can really relate to what you're saying. I was raised in a Christian church, and a very strict family. It wasn't like a tyrant type thing for me. Church wasn't something I was terrified of, for me personally I just saw a lot of hypocritical things. I spent a lot of my time in the woods and I was just always at peace with God until I quit spending so much time in the woods. When church became my only connection to God, i struggled tremendously. I would either be extremely religious or a screw it all mentality. I never could connect until this past fall after I met Wes and he recommended Russell Mean's book and it reminded me of a lot of the beliefs I had on my own as a kid
Holly Lynn - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Jeff Johnson - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Me - Jeff, in talking I was really impacted by your story. You are part of the Iroquois Nation. What tribe do you belong to again?
Jeff- I am Onondaga, we are the "Keepers of the Fire" for the Iroquois confederacy. The Onondaga nation is located in central New York State.
A little background on the Iroquois and the Onondaga. The Iroquois (we traditionally call ourselves Haudenosaunee) is a confederacy because it is composed of 6 (originally 5) separate tribes: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations, later the Tuscarora. The Onondaga are called the Keepers of the Flame because we are the center, both geographically and traditionally the seat of government.
Me - You were raised on the reservation when you were young, how old were you when you left? Why did your family leave the reservation?
Jeff - I was 5 when my family moved off the reservation. The reason was a personal choice that my mom and dad made for the family. We moved to the town that butted up against the reservation, Akron, NY, and lived there till we moved here to TN when I was 13. What do you remember most about growing up on the reservation? We visited my grandmother and other relatives regularly and it was always fun to visit. From my early years living there, my most vivid memory is living in a trailer with no running water, so we got water from a communal well and had to use the outhouse in all kinds of weather. When the weather was too extreme, we had a 5 gallon bucket that we could use haha.
Me - How did leaving the nation, in part to spirituality, impact you growing up? I know you mentioned that you and your siblings took longer to convert to Christianity, why do you think that was?
Jeff - When I was born, my mom was practicing our native religion centered around the Longhouse. My dad is white and from a very large family. One of my dad’s brother-in-laws, uncle Randy, was a trucker and preacher and spent my early years trying to convert the family to Christianity. When I was 7, I believe, my parents converted and we started attending a small Baptist church in Akron and a few years later I “became saved”. I was raised in a Christian home and never really revisited the Onondaga religion. I have very few memories of the Longhouse and the ceremonies that I went to as a very young child. Your story has been pretty unique from the people I've talked to so far.
Me - How do you process having lived two different cultures, and what are your goals going forward? What do you envision your calling to be among the people?
Jeff - As I mentioned earlier, I was born into the native culture and raised a Christian. I always knew I was native but didn’t try to reconnect with the culture because Christianity isn’t really compatible with my culture. So many Onondaga traditions have religious connections and I struggled to keep Christianity prominent. Recently my grandmother and great aunt died during a personal spiritual re-evaluation and I felt the native disconnect strongly with their passing. They were the matriarchs of my native family and their passing left a void in me. So now I rely on my mom to help where she can. I have also been going to Powwows and connecting with that culture. I really would like to start learning our language. My grandmother spoke it and now that she is passed, I want to carry some of her legacy on thru the language. The language is taught in schools on the reservations but being here in the south and having no speakers to talk with and learn from, it will be a challenge.
Me - How difficult has it been to reconnect with your people and culture?
Jeff - My mom is living in Chicago and most of my native family is still in NY and none are here in TN so I am a bit on my own down here. Ceremonies are performed on the reservation in NY where the longhouse is located. It has been difficult to say the least. Whenever mom visits, I try to pick her brain. She is on her own journey to reconnect and has been a major influence in my journey.
Me - That's powerful man! I find it encouraging that you're working towards re-connecting as you can and seeing that your mom is as well. I recently talked to another mother who faced a lot of racism and worked to hide her heritage and she's working to re-connect in large part because of her son. It's inspiring. There has been a firestorm of news on the Native front, with the DAPL and Standing Rock. We've seen horrific acts of brutality and racism, that I personally didn't realize we were still capable of. When we talked, you mentioned that you had experiences in NY off the reservation. What were some of your experiences?
Jeff - The south has a very different view of natives than where I grew up. Off the rez, natives could be treated like any other minority, with distrust and sometimes outright malice. Being half white and half native, I never really fit into either world. My relatives accepted me as I am, but the rest of the world only saw me as part of the half they were not. I had a hard time making friends kept my circle small. Even around here, many people love to claim native heritage but don’t have any idea what it means to live native, the good and the difficult parts.
Me - With the DAPL, what are your thoughts on the fight both their in North Dakota at Standing Rock, as well as the new fights sprouting up around the country at various other pipelines where companies are violating reservation lands, and just the Earth in general?
Jeff - It’s amazing to see such a huge gathering of nations coming together in a show of solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux. It has now spread to other areas like the Sabal Trail pipeline in Florida and other places. I think that it has opened a dialog of tribal rights, sovereignty, and empowerment across all tribes and native people. It may very well prove to be a turning point for those of us that the United States has tried so hard to forget about. The horrific treatment of the people that were already here when the Europeans arrived, the genocidal policies that the government put into place and the continued malicious indifference of the United States government are things that have been swept under the rug for far too long. My hope is that the nations are able to find the voice that lets the world know that we will not be forgotten nor ignored when it comes to treaties and ancestral/ceremonial lands long broken and forgotten by the U.S. I’d like to think that protecting the only earth that we have to live on is a duty of all humanity but we know that the almighty dollar continues to set policies and that must be changed. It’s 2017 and we still have policy makers who deny the science of global warming.
Jeff Johnson - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Me - I've been really inspired seeing you and Holly's posts and taking part in events in our area in an effort to raise awareness and make a difference in our area to protect the earth. For people just now seeing things for the first time, having their eyes opened to our government's policies towards the indigenous people of this country, what can they do to make a difference?
Jeff - I think one of the best ways to make a difference, is to learn all you can about your culture. Be ready to counter the misinformation, ignorance and outright lies that people will bring up when they find out you're native. Get involved with the native community where you can. Connect with others and you'll probably find someone who has gone thru or is going thru the struggles you face.
Holly - The people just now coming in on this battle should probably do some extensive research on what has happened so far and what is going on today. They are drilling illegally and continue to push against the environmental studies being done at Standing Rock. For everyone that can't up and head for the frontlines, donate to one of the several gofundme accounts set up by and on behalf of the camps and the people battling legal issues. I imagine that the priority right now would be the legal fund, but I may be wrong. And I've read and heard that they beg people not to send any more clothes, that they are inundated with clothes at Standing Rock.
If you want to make a difference in your local community, attend native-run events and find ways to interact respectfully. Don't try to act or dress "native", just be yourself and go talk to folks. There is always something to be learned from good conversation.
Me - We found out last night that President Obama will not grant Leonard Peltier a Presidential pardon. What are your thoughts on that? President Obama has had a lot of policies and promises made to our native people, including those at Standing Rock. What kind of job do you think he ultimately did towards the indigenous people?
Holly - I have really mixed feelings towards Obama. I think he did wonderful things, I love the ACA and the possibilities beyond it. But he made promises to support native folks in their battles against corporate greed that he just completely disregarded until veterans showed up at Standing Rock. That really got my goat, we needed his help and he failed TERRIFICALLY.
As far as Mr. Peltier.. I'm going to be candid and say that I see his case as a lost cause. That would mean a huge admission of wrongdoing by the United States that they aren't going to give. They offer no explanation and no apology for what they've done to him. It's a violation of his rights, both as a citizen of the US and as a human being.
Jeff - I agree with Holly, I too have mixed feelings about Obama. He could have been such a huge advocate for natives, especially after the promises made at Standing Rock. But in the end it was just lip service. He made great strides to bring equality and worked at leveling the playing field, but really dropped the ball in the 4th quarter for natives.
Mr. Peltier will need a miracle to reverse the gross injustice done to him. He has everyone from Popes, Nelson Mandela, and international human rights organizations on his side and it has not swayed the US. I think that Obama was his best chance and that too has been denied.
Me - I appreciate you guys so much for doing this. It's been such a pleasure getting to know you guys and hopefully people will read your words and maybe see some things differently.
Holly & Jeff - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
TRD Photography - Film - self portrait
Minolta XG1 Find and Test Roll
So last summer when I first started to learn to work with film, I had picked up a Minolta XG1 off of ebay. It came in, in horrible condition and literally fell apart after three rolls of film. The sad thing was, the photos I took with it were really awesome. So I've had an eye out for one at a decent price ever since. Last week I found one at a local yard sale for twenty bucks. It appeared to be in great condition, so I picked it up. So far I've tested one roll of film so far over several modeling sets.
Minolta XG 1 - Kodak Tri X - Tattoo Artist - Jennifer Edge - Main Line Ink - TRD Photography
The first tests were with my pal, Jennifer Edge. She's a tattoo artist at Main Line Ink in Chattanooga. I had a portrait session lined up with Jennifer but we threw in a few fun shots on the XG1. With my style of work, I like to have a good time with it. Jennifer gets my irreverent side. ;) As far as the camera, it's been awhile since I've worked with a manual focusing camera and several of her shots came out really blurry. Kind of the consequences when you have bad eye sight.
Model - Josey McGill - Minolta XG1 - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography
This second lady is Josey. I was attending a shootout this past weekend with the plan of trying out the Minolta as well as a new (to me) Canon EOS 1N. My first shoot of the day had been rescheduled but I wanted to make sure my new gear was in working order, so Josey came early and let me try it out on her. Again, in the studio lighting, the XG1 was a little soft of focus, but that very well could be nailing down my settings. Josey's set did turn out abit more crisp as I'd had time to get back in the groove a little bit.
Minolta XG1 - Kodak Tri X - Model Avery Blansit - TRD Photography
This third lady is model Avery Blansit. We took this photo at the shootout on Sunday with natural lighting. The Minolta was considerable crisper with the natural lighting, which again, is probably just brushing up on my settings and getting the hang of it again.
I'm super stoked with the camera and I'm excited to continue to adjust to it. I couldn't be happier with the photos I've gotten from it so far. Not too shabby for a yard sale find.
My assistant Nickie Pruitt - Film - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography
Stifled by Style
Sometimes you get known for a particular style of work, and it can start to get in your head. You worry about posting stuff outside of that look, worry about if people are going to dig it, or if you're going to end up pissing people off and losing business. If you're not careful, you end up so focused on end results and then you really just cut into the mindset that built your vision to begin with.
I've felt this way for a minute. I do such diverse styles that have such varied audiences that it's always been something in the back of my head. At various points I've strayed from the work that I really enjoy doing sometimes. I recently read a book called "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon ( www.austinkleon ) and it really opened my eyes to some things. Get prepared to get to know more about me, what inspires me, and see more of the the styles that catch my eye.
My assistant Nickie Cox - Film - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
WWII Veteran Photographic Series - Army Veteran - Pvt. Charles E. Miller
It's been a little bit since my last WWII Photographic Series session. Recently I was honored to get to sit down for a little bit and interview this amazing man. His story was really powerful, from getting paralyzed in the War, to learning to walk again, and making numerous inventions to help other people with disabilities. He worked on wheelchair adaptions, sewing machine switches, an invalid lifter for a quadriplegic veteran, and even a hand control for cars. That's just part of what this great man accomplished after his own paralysis. I hope that you enjoy hearing his words as much I have.
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
"What's your name?"
"Charles E. Miller. Charles Eugene Miller."
"What branch of service did your serve in?"
"I was in the Army but I served all my time in the Navy. I was in heavy demolition. Other than that I can't tell you nothing else. General Whitaker took me in the office and discharged me, said I'm gonna take your rank all the way from you, and discharge you as a private. Don't ever say anything about this. If you do, there's some Japanese lawyer waiting to jump on you. So it's never been mentioned. It's a little hard to keep it to yourself, but that's the way it is."
"How were you injured?"
"It was my first mission in the South Pacific. It was island number, well I forgot the number of it. We didn't go by names, we went by numbers. We were going in on the heaviest boat, the ones where the front falls out. We hit a mine. 250lb of Japanese powder. It's much stronger than our powder, I don't know what they do to it, but it's much stronger than our stuff. I remember going up, but I don't remember coming down. Whatever hit me, hit me in mid air. They picked me up and took me back to the ship. When they got me on the ship, they thought that I was a colored man. I was a solid blood blister. I felt it hit the bottom of the boat. I thought I had better jump. It was certain suicide. I was standing right over the top of it. As far as I know, there was two others still alive"
"From your landing craft?"
"Yeah. That's the way it goes. Those things do happen."
"So you were injured on your very first mission?"
"Yeah, but I was over there for a long time before then."
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
"Were you drafted or did you enlist?"
"I was drafted. That's why I say that Mr. Roosevelt sent me an invitation. I came out of the service with a 50% disability. I stayed out for 8 or 9 weeks and then I went back to work as a crane operator. I started having convulsions. Epileptic convulsions. I went and had one in the hospital and they grabbed on it. But I think it came out pretty good.
"Where did you go to basic?"
"I took my basic in Camp Blanding in Florida. They transferred us to, I forgot the name of it. But me and some other boys were on a truck to Fort Riley, Kansas. A couple MP's picked us up. They asked if he were discharged, or AWOL or I forgot the name of it. About one o'clock in the morning they came and woke me up, asked me for my name and serial number. Then put me in a 41 Chevrolet and took me to demoltion school. They taught me a lot. *looking around his kitchen* You know, there's a lot of explosives in here if you know how to mix it. Oats is one of them. I had oats for breakfast. I'm liable to blow up. There's certain things I can remember, and certain things I don't. "
"Being in demolition, and with the Navy, were you part of underwater demoiltion?"
"No, we were surface demolition."
"How long were you in the South Pacific before your injury?"
"I was there a couple of months. I was just a young kid."
"What years were you over there?"
"Forty-Four."
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
"Do you remember very much about when Pearl Harbor happened?"
"Oh, I remember it happening. But nothing I could do about it."
"Oh no, I know you weren't in the service then, I was just curious as to if you remembered your thoughts on it when you heard it over the news that the Japanese had attacked."
"Oh yeah, everybody wanted to go fight then. But if you get too many people over there at once, it's trouble. The Japanese were fighting a religious thing. They thought that if they got killed in battle, they'd go to a better land. They was hard to kill. He wouldn't surrender. You had to kill him. But we went in with heavy explosives and blew up their barracks and all that stuff. But I definitely wouldn't want to live it again. I'm 93 now and I'm hanging on. "
"How old were you when you were in the Pacific?"
"19. I was just a kid. I was already married though. I got married when I was 16 and she was six to eight years older than I was. I was working for a construction company. I think she married my time book more than anything else. But she was good to me. I couldn't have made it without her."
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
"So Lacy told me that you were paralyzed. Was that in the explosion?"
"Yeah."
"But they only gave you 50% disability despite being paralyzed from the waist down?"
"Yeah, they didn't give me much. When I got out of the service, and after I got home, I started having convulsions more often. And Bill King of the Newsfree Press, he was a church member of mine. He got a Tennessee Senator, I forgot his name. There's a lot of things I should remember but I don't. "
"So you were able to teach yourself to walk again?
"Yeah, on braces. I was with Wheeland Factory for thirty years and I walked on braces every day. They were 22lbs that I had to drag around. So I worked on developing something that would be a little lighter. "
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
Mr. Miller's granddaughter, Lacy mentioned " He actually won the Veteran Handicapped Achievement award for his work on different inventions for disabled veterans."
"That's when we started Disabled Enterprises, for handicapped people. We didn't hire nothing but the handicapped. We had one bus driver. He wasn't all there, but he was there just enough to get by. He drove the bus for us. We made pallets for several different companies here in Chattanooga. We done all right.
I ended up getting into the antique car field. I had thirteen at one time. They were everywhere. I still have a Model A and a '55 Thunderbird. I gave them to my son. He's the only one that's interested in them. You gotta be interested in something to be that close to it. The oldest car that I ever had was a 1907 Sears. It was sold by Sears Roebuck. The mail carriers used it in the South. It had wheels small enough to where they could get through ruts and not get too much mud. "
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
"Which antique car was your favorite that you've owned?"
"I guess the Sears. I fixed it up and got it to running good. I'd go in parades and it would run just as fast the parade. I'd get up in the front, just behind the horses. When I got done there was green sidewalks from the horses. "
"We don't have parades like we used too. I remember when I was a kid going downtown the the Armed Forces/Veteran parades and they were such a big deal. People were everywhere. I remember seeing Desmond T. Doss being honored a couple of times and we just don't have that anymore."
"Every now and then you see a platoon march, but that's about it. They don't put any money into it. The people have lost all of their pride. "
WWII Veteran - Army - Pvt Charles E. Miller - TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tri X
I want to thank you for taking the time to read just a glimmer of Pvt. Miller's story. I want to give a really big thank you to his granddaughter, Lacy Stoglin, who set up this session. If anyone has any WWII, Korean, or Vietnam Veterans in their family, please reach out to me. Sadly, I can't travel all over the country, but anyone that I can meet locally or on trips, I would love to sit down and do a portrait session and listen to their story. This entire set was shot using Kodak Tri X film.
Ricky
Tessa Mize - I Am Me - TRD Photography - Interview by Ricky Davis.
Several years ago, if you’ve followed my work with TRD Photography, you may remember a magazine project I worked on entitled I Am Me. Recently, I decided to reinvent the concept behind I Am Me to use it to share stories of people and what makes them who they are today. We all have a story and my goal is to share these stories of what makes us who we are, hopefully when we see others for who they are behind the surface, we can move to a better place in humanity.
I actually met Tessa several years ago when I had the concept of the first launch of I Am Me. We have become pretty good friends since and I asked her to be a part of this debut sharing her story of her passion for music and how it has helped to shape her. I hope that you enjoy it…
Tessa Mize - TRD Photography - I Am Me Magazine - Photographer Ricky Davis - Film
IAMM – You’ve been involved heavily in music since I’ve known you, what
about music caught your attention in the beginning?
Tessa – It was happy. It was raw emotion. Music says everything that
no one even can in any other way. Before I could walk I would crawl
into my aunt’s room and sit captivatedas she played her flute. I sang to
forget problems. It felt like the most important possession I had. It still is.
I think if you are a music person you are just born obsessed with it.
IAMM – Musically, who has been your inspiration over the years?
Tessa – Amusingly I am all over the board. There can’t be only one. Rush
is a huge deal to me. My dad’s favorite was Rush so I began at a young age.
Ian Anderson, Indigo Girls, Tori Amos, Evanescence, Halestorm, A Perfect Circle, NIN, Tool, Floyd, Zepplin. All of these artists have hit home more than a few times, so I draw from them all. I don’t want to be one genre. I want to be most of them.
IAMM – Do you play any instruments or do you mainly sing?
Tessa – Actually I can play flute and piccolo. I have been attempting learning guitar here & there. I was a band geek from 6-12th grade so I made everyone I was friends with teach me a little of their instrument. So I have toyed with oboe, trumpet, drums, and stuff.
Tessa Mize - TRD Photography - I Am Me - Photographer Ricky Davis - Film
IAMM – If you could do anything in the world that involves music, what would you want to do?
Tessa – I would be in a band. Singing my heart out. Touring. Making albums. Getting paid to do what makes my heart sing. All I have ever wanted to do is sing. Dj/kj’ing is doing the trick for now. But a stadium full of people is what I really want. Dancing & singing along to my music.
IAMM – What’s the best part about doing DJ work?.
Tessa – The best part is getting people on the dance floor, and all the
reactions when I do a karaoke song. I once had a girl stop me on the way to
the restroom one time, and say man you are a tiny little thing. I never expected a voice that big to come out of you. (We became close friends later too) You get to meet all kinds of people. It is a blast.
IAMM – What has been the most adversity that you’ve faced with music?
Tessa – There will always be negative people. Luckily the worst I have come
across is that most rock groups want a male lead. They still underestimate
women. And that’s okay. One day though…
IAMM – As a mom, how important is it to you for your kids to see you really
going for your goals?
Tessa – I am two semesters away from my associates in English. I want
them to see that you can chase your dreams AND have a contingency plan for the during. I am very hard on them about the word can’t. I think it is one of the words that makes me twitch most when it comes out of their mouths. I want themto do whatever they dream. Kira wants to be an artist. Vincent is still at the agewhere he’s like, mom I want to be Batman,
& I’m like, dude if you want to be Batman I am all about it. Batman is awesome!
Tessa Mize - TRD Photography - I Am Me Magazine - Photographer Ricky Davis
IAMM – A lot of people have dreams when they are younger, they want to be rock stars or ballplayers or movie stars or astronauts or whatever, then as they grow older, they put them aside and work in a factory or office
somewhere. Yet here you are, not necessarily living your dream, but you are working in the industry you love, and you still are holding onto your dream. What has allowed you to keep hold of your dream where others have let go of theirs?
Tessa – I am stubborn like my nana & determined like my pop. I don’t let go of things that are important to me very easily. My grandparents on both sides were so incredibly supportive of my music that if I gave it up I wouldn’t just be letting me down. I would be letting down my support group, and allthose I love. I owe them success, or at least I feel like I do.
IAMM – In previous conversations, you’ve talked about your writing. Who inspires you at a writer?
Tessa – My first literary love was Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. I still adore the book, though now I view the meaning very double edged. I also love Edna St. Vincent Millay & Poe. & I am big into Ayn Rand. Philosophy is stinking awesome.
IAMM – I’m a huge Poe fan myself. To wrap things up, what is a final thought you’d like to share with those of us that may have put our dreams up on a shelf at some point?
Tessa – Other than your family, debt, beliefs, where is your passion going if your dreams are sitting on the shelf? I just feel like if you give up on them, then you have given up the thing that makes you you the most. I am finally at a point where I like me. That is part of the package. I am lucky that I have a guy that helps instill that in our kids. & that supports it in me. Giving up isn’t an option..In the words of my favorite blind melon song, keep on dreaming cause when you stop dreaming then it’s time to die.
Tessa Mize - TRD Photography - I Am Me magazine - Photographer Ricky Davis
I truly hoped that you enjoyed reading Tessa’s story. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below.
Thank you so much,
Ricky
Film - Ilford 3200 Delta at 800 ISO - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
Mandy & Justin - A Film Engagement Session
I first met Mandy back in 2010 when she booked a session with me and she's been one of my best friends since. I was honored when I was booked to do an engagement session with her and her fiance, Justin. In my meeting, she expressed an interest in my film work, so on top of their regular engagement photos, we shot a partial roll of film as well.
Mandy & Justin outside the Choo-Choo. Film Ilford 3200 at 800 ISO - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
We began the morning, bright and early, outside of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. The first place that Justin had told her that he loved her was on a train, so we thought it the perfect place to begin.
Film - Ilford Delta 3200 at 800 ISO - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
Film - Ilford Delta 3200 at 800 ISO - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
From the Choo-Choo, we headed towards the Tennessee River and Coolidge Park. After walking across the bridge and dodging joggers and bicycles, we finished up their film photos with the next couple of photographs.
Mandy pulling a Titanic move on solid ground... Film - Ilford Delta 3200 at 800 ISO
Film - Ilford Delta 3200 at 800 ISO - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography
It was such a pleasure getting to shoot some film with Mandy & Justin, as well as doing the majority of their shoot with digital. Film work and Digital definitely have their own attributes. What I personally love about film is the depth, but also the perfect imperfectness. It's gritty, it's real. I hope to do more film work with couples in the near future. As for Justin & Mandy's other engagement photos, keep an eye out. :)
Model - Krysten Barnes - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Kodak T-Max 100
Halloween - Dark Art Special Event Film Shoot with TRD Photography
For years, one of the things a lot of folks have private messaged me about or talked to me about at conventions is my darker work. A lot of people have asked me when I would do a special event based around it and the time is here.
Recently I've been exploring and working to get comfortable with shooting film. I love the depth and the tones that it provides and I think one style of work that it really enhances is with the darker concepts.
So I decided to offer a special priced event on October 25th. This will be held at my studio in Cleveland, TN. For just $50, you can do a special dark art concept shoot with me. I will shoot one roll of film with you. I have some concepts and props in mind for the day, but if you have something crazy in your mind, feel free to share it. You will get two fully edited shots from the day, and you can always purchase extras if you would like. You must reserve your slot by Oct 15th with a $25 deposit, that counts towards the cost of your shoot. That way I can order the amount of film that will be needed for this event. If you have any questions, email me at trd@trdphotography.com
Due to this shoot taking place on October 25th, and that this is film, I do have to send off my film to be processed. Between sending off and getting it back, it can take up to two weeks. Please keep that in mind.
I am enclosing some more darker concept work that I've done with film to give you more of an idea on style that I shoot with film.
Model - Krysten Barnes - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film Kodak Tmax100
Model - Krysten Barnes - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax100
Model - Krysten Barnes - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax 100
Model - Krysten Barnes - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film Tmax 100
Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Test Run with Minolta XG 1 - Chattanooga, TN - Photographer Ricky Davis
Recently I shared some film that I shot in Nashville. I've still been shooting some film as I can, and I recently scored an old Minolta XG 1 camera cheap! I decided to put a battery in it and see what I could do. I popped in some expired Neopan SS film.
Rat Rod - Worlds Longest Yard Sale - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Originally my idea to test the camera out was to take it on the worlds longest yard sale with me. I got it out to shoot a couple rat rods that I saw, but having never shot this camera before, the shutter sounded like it was sticking. That frustrated me and I put the camera up thinking all my shots were going to be overexposed.
Rat Rod - Worlds Longest Yard Sale - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
I put the Minolta up, but a few days later my Canon 6D made a similar delayed sound on the shutter, and I saw that the photos were still coming out normal, so luckily I decided to take the Minolta back out and finish up the role of film to see what it would do.
Street Art - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
So I commenced to round two of taking the test run and I wasn't disappointed. Because of the shutter sounding delayed, I just decided to walk around Chattanooga one morning for an hour or so and just capture what caught my eye. One of the things that really catches my eye though is street art. I love graffiti, sculptures, anything. And anyone that knows me, knows anytime I come across Zero's work, I gotta get a shot of it. I'm just a huge fan.
Anti-Social - Street Art - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Here are a few more of Zero's work that I came across that morning....
Zero - Street Art - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Doorway - Street Art - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Another thing that I really love is seeing sculptures and statues, and looking for different angles. By looking for different angles and such, how the light plays off of them and such, it's really fun to see what moods and emotions they project. Here are a few street sculptures that I found.
Sculpture in Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Street Sculpture in Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
"Sometimes you have to look up, just to see hell." Street Sculpture in Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
"Sometimes you have to look up, just to see hell" From a different angle.. Sculpture in Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
And here are a few more random photos that I took in Chattanooga that day. I was really surprised by the Minolta photos. They were by far my favorite shots that I got back in that batch of negatives, which included some work that I did while I was still on vacation. I'm really stoked to use the Minolta more, and I recently did another set using Portra 400 film with the Minolta and I'm awaiting those negatives to come back in from processing. Hope you guys enjoyed. Next time I plan on definitely doing some more street portraiture as well with it to see how it handles.
"Nope" Lightpole in Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Store Window - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
Peeling Street Art - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
It's all about the eye. Street Art - Chattanooga, TN - Film - Expired Neopan SS - Camera - Minolta XG 1 - Photographer Ricky Davis
WWII Artilleryman - Pvt Ralph Davis - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Expired Kodak T-Max100 Film -
WWII Veteran Photographic Series - Private Ralph Davis
Before I begin to share my experience with Mr. Davis, I’d like to share my inspiration for doing this portrait series. I have long been interested in military history, particularly Vietnam and World War II. As I’ve watched current events unfolding before our eyes, I feel that it is imperative that we chronicle and preserve the history of those in “The Greatest Generation” because we are losing a lot as a country and forgetting what has made us great. If we let these heroes that fought for our freedom pass on without learning the lessons that they can teach us, who knows if we will ever find our way back as a country. That is my ultimate goal with this series.
WWII Artilleryman - Pvt Ralph Davis - Photographer Ricky Davis - Photo taken with Canon 6D.
I had ultimately planned to begin this project when I returned home from Oregon but upon arriving I found out that my mother-in-law knew two local World War II Veterans living here in the area. I got to meet Mr. Davis, no relation to me, on Wednesday evening. When I was first told about Ralph, I was told that he doesn’t remember very much about the war because he is suffering from dementia a little bit. Upon getting to sit down and visit with him I was honored to talk about life, and a little more about the war than he had spoken about in the last thirty years.
WWII Artilleryman - Pvt Ralph Davis - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Expired Kodak T-Max100 Film
Ralph enlisted in the Army soon after Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to infantry and was an artilleryman in Germany. I asked him when he arrived in Germany but he didn’t remember. He mentioned that he was in a few battles but not that many. He said ” I was scared. You didn’t know what was going to happen. But times are worse now than they were before. There’s no telling what’s going to happen.”
WWII Artilleryman - Pvt Ralph Davis - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Shot taken with Canon 6D.
One thing that was really important to Ralph, was that even in the height of the war, with the Army giving out cigarettes to all the soldiers, he never smoked or drank. He said ” I didn’t even drink coffee. It was way too bitter.”
When I asked Ralph about where he was at when the war ended, he said he was in Otterberg, Germany. He told me that memories of the war were hard, that there was so many things that happened that he just wanted to forget. From talking to family members, they said he never really talked about the war that much.
WWII Artilleryman - Pvt. Ralph Davis - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Shot taken with Canon 6D.
In conclusion with this this first blog in my World War II series, I really think I learned a lot with this first session and interview. In a lot of the books that I’ve read, and the documentaries that I’ve seen, and even letters I have received, most of the servicemen have wanted their stories known. But there are different faces, different stories, and different viewpoints, even among those that lived through those times. Some came home and dealt with their experiences by sharing, and some dealt with their experiences by trying to forget. Everybody is different and there’s no telling how we would react in those circumstances. One thing that is absolutely certain, when freedom was on the line, and our Country called, these men answered the bell. Thank you for reading, and thank you to the veterans that have helped to make our country what it was, what it is, and what it will become.
WWII Artilleryman - Pvt. Ralph Davis - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Shot taken with Canon 6D.
P.S.
I wanted to say a couple of more words. Originally I posted this blog on Wordpress site while I was still on vacation in Oregon. I photographed Ralph using both my Canon 6D and also I shot some expired Kodak T-Max film. Since I posted the original blog while on vacation, my film wasn't back yet, so I added some film shots of Ralph here, mixed in with the digital photos. Each one is marked. I really hope you enjoy his story, and the photos. Stay tuned for more in this series to come.
Model Krysten Barnes - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Fuji Acros 100 Film
Film in the Studio...Finally got to try it!
My apologies in the repost of this blog. I was cleaning out some older posts that were no longer applicable and somehow today's post got deleted as well.
Recently I have started working to learn more about film photography. When I first played around with photography it was all film. I had no idea what I was doing. When I got serious about photography, I learned by shooting digital. Now I'm increasingly interested in working to learning film. It's been an interesting journey so far!
Model Krysten Barnes - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Fuji Acros 100 Film
A few weeks ago I was preparing to head off to Portland, OR for a couple of weeks, but I really wanted to try shooting film in studio before I left. That way when I got back, my negatives would be here and I could see how it worked. I was happy when an old friend of mine was able to work her schedule around and shoot with me a couple days before I was set to leave. Krysten and I have collaborated on some of my favorite photographs over the years.
Model Krysten Barnes - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Fuji Acros 100 Film
Our shoot consisted of shooting two different films, expired Fuji Acros 100 and expired Kodak Tmax400. As I had no idea how film would work with studio lighting, we tried several different looks, just to make sure we tried different things to see how it would work.
Model Krysten Barnes - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Fuji Acros 100 Film
The Fuji Acros 100 was my favorite film to work with that day I think. I liked the exposures on the Tmax too, but we had lighting issues where most of those ended up being scrapped. I started off shooting with high wattage constant light, and those were great! When I used my studio strobes, my shutter speed was too fast for the film to light up the whole frame.I really look forward to working on that next time.
Model Krysten Barnes - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Kodak TMax 400 Film
These images haven't been edited, other than removing a few large scratches from processing. I'm really looking forward to working more with film in the studio and soon beginning to work on actual darkroom techniques and processing my own film. So stay tuned...
Ricky