Ricky Davis 6/20/26 Ricky Davis 6/20/26

Tennessee Aquarium - Remembrances of a kid wanting to see sharks…

Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga TN, Chattanooga Tennessee, Things to See in Chattanooga, Film Photography, TRD Photography, Ricky Davis — The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN - Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography on Kodak Tri X Film

As a kid I can still remember vividly the night I saw it on the news that Chattanooga was going to be getting an aquarium downtown. I loved sharks and what that meant to me was that I was finally going to see sharks in person. That's not quite what the Tennessee Aquarium was back then. When it first opened, while disappointed there were no sharks, I was blown away seeing the way they really focused in on our region of waterways. It was such an amazing experience that I've gotten to check out a lot over the years and then got to take my kids to share the experience as well.

I've recently had a few people ask if I'd ever photographed the aquarium and I realized that I have had the aquarium in shots, but I've never really focused on some aquarium photos. So I decided to try it out while shooting some film downtown this week. If you're not from around Chattanooga, don't sleep on the aquarium! BTW over the years they did expand to offer sea life and have had sharks too. So that's a win for sure.

Ricky Davis 6/19/26 Ricky Davis 6/19/26

Virginia Bound…

old barn photography, wytheville virginia, black and white rustic fine art, photographer ricky davis, trd photography — Old barn near Wytheville, VA - photographed by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography on Kodak Tri X film

So this weekend I’m headed out of town to one of my favorite states to explore, good old Virginia. The plan is to check out the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA but there will be lots of side treks as well.

Virginia has become one of my absolute favorites. There is just so much to see and explore there. So much history has happened there. One of my favorite areas of Virginia is the town of Wytheville and it’s surrounding areas. The countryside is so beautiful and the town of Wytheville really values the history of their town and preserving it. It’s such a great community.

On my last trip through I was able to photograph this old barn on film. I’d photographed it in color before but I love the style of that barn so much, I had to get it on b&w film. I’m definitely hoping to take a few more photographs this weekend in the Wytheville area.

What else should I look into photographing while in Virginia this weekend? Or what should I plan on for future trips?

Ricky Davis 6/18/26 Ricky Davis 6/18/26

A Blast from the Past - Stans Record Bar in Lancaster, PA…

stans record store lancaster pennsylvania, throwback record store, record store photography, vinyl record stores, nostalgic record store, black and white photography, lancaster pa, trd photography, ricky davis — Photo of Stans Records, a hometown record store in the heart of Lancaster, PA. Photo taken by photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography on Kodak Tri X Film.

Who can forget the old record stores from the 70’s and 80’s? The signs, the boxes of records, the flyers and neon in the storefront. It was an awesome time. I’ve been working on a vinyl record series of photographs, and one so one of my favorite things in my travels is finding old record stores that keep that nostalgia alive. Lets face it, a lot of the modern record stores just don’t have that same retro feel. A lot of them have more of a sleek, modern vibe and those ones I typically bypass because it’s just not that feel for me.

Let me tell you a little about Stans Record Bar up in Lancaster, PA. I first went to Lancaster back in 2023 for a Peanuts convention my wife was apart of. One morning I went out exploring in Lancaster and lo and behold I came across Stan’s. It was like stepping back in time. The sign out front was what caught my attention but I had a blast flipping through the boxes. I went back to Lancaster again in 2025, and again I made a point to go check out Stan’s and it was just as great as I remembered.

The store was founded back in the 1950’s, and it’s definitely kept the yesteryear vibe. It’s such a breath of fresh air seeing shops like this still kicking. So if you’re ever up in Lancaster, or close by, definitely take the time to support a shop keeping the dream alive.

Ricky

Ricky Davis 6/16/26 Ricky Davis 6/16/26

POW/MIA Tribute - Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana from my Baseball Series.

pow/mia tribute, bosse field, evansville indiana, baseball history, historical baseball stadiums, black and white film photography, trd photography — POW/MIA Tribute at Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana. Photographed by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography on Kodak Tri X Film.

Earlier this year I visited Historical Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana. Bosse Field is the third oldest baseball stadium still in use in America. It’s the home of the Evansville Otters, an independent league team. It was also used in the filming of A League of their Own. I’ll be doing a blog post about Bosse Field overall soon for my baseball series.

I wanted to share this photo as one of my photos of the day however. When I was walking into the stadium to look around and take some photos one of the first things that caught my attention was this POW/MIA Tribute seat. It took me off guard as I’ve not seen that before but I thought this was such a great tribute and remembrance of our soldiers that never made it home from foreign wars. I’ve always been an avid reader about military history and especially reading about the POW’s in Vietnam, it was horrific. I just wanted to thank the Bosse Field officials for doing something like this to honor the sacrifice of these soldiers and also honoring the ones here at home that never got that closure.

Ricky

Ricky Davis 6/15/26 Ricky Davis 6/15/26

Religious Sign Series - Springfield, TN find…

Bizarre religious signs, anti abortion, pro life, southern gothic, cross, springfield tennessee — Sign found in Springfield, TN - Photograph taken by photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography on Kodak Tri X Film

As I’ve posted about previously I’ve been working on a religious sign series since last year. I stop at various signs I come across while traveling and take the photos in hopes that stopping and looking at how some of these come across, we think about the way we go about things.

I can’t remember if I took this shot early this year or late last year. I was up in Nashville and was out exploring. I was eating at Taco John’s in White House, TN and saw some signs about some antique stores in Springfield, TN, so I decided to go check them out. As I was driving over there I drove past a church that had this giant cross and signs about abortion out front. To be honest it kind of shocked me. Just the wording and terminology used. I had cars behind me and wasn’t able to pull over then and I wanted to kind of digest it a little bit to be honest. I took the photo on the way back from Springfield. As I did, apparently the church had a school or day care and I was being passed by carloads of young kids and families as I was taking this photo.

This sign I’ve been wondering ever since what to say about it. It’s not the typical bizarre religious sign. It’s definitely not one of the funny ones that makes you roll your eyes. A little about me, I grew up in a strict religious GOP home. As a kid I constantly heard religious radio talk show hosts talking about the horrors of abortion and it being made that basically people are out having unprotected sex and then just using abortions to get rid of the results of their behavior. Do I personally like the idea of babies being aborted? I don’t because I believe life is valuable HOWEVER abortion is way more complex than what is brainwashed in the Christian republican community. There is so many aspects of women’s health, rape, incest, and other issues that come into play. It’s very rarely I believe used as just a “get out of a kid free card” that we were taught to believe.

This sign really bothers me because I think of the women who pass it and may have had an abortion at one time. It already takes a mental toll and I know people whom have felt so ashamed because of what they are taught in Christian churches. Using such language as executed and such and then later seeing that many kids pass by this everyday. It just kind of hit me. I think it’s so incredibly important to think about the way we affect people with our words.

Ricky Davis 1/19/26 Ricky Davis 1/19/26

Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. Day

“I Have a Dream” mural in Chattanooga, TN. Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Graffiti tribute

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day, and I wanted to share a few MLK murals that I’ve found. I have so many feelings and thoughts about the issues we are facing in our current state here in America. It’s overwhelming and so chaotic that it really makes it difficult to process.

I was born in 81, and so growing up I don’t remember anything of this caliber happening here. The Civil Rights Era is probably the closest thing back to what we are experiencing now, other than they were fighting for rights, and we are fighting for rights to not be taken away. But I wonder how Dr. King would approach the things happening today, and so I want to share some quotes that have made me think about things as well.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr mural in Johnson City, TN - Kodak Tri X film photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography -

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”
― Martin Luther King Jr

“I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
― Martin Luther King Jr

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr mural in Chattanooga, TN - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they'd die for.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

Ricky Davis 1/6/26 Ricky Davis 1/6/26

Etowah L&N Train Depot

Last year I was driving up 411 on my way to Greenback, TN and I took the day to stop at various places on the way up to snap some photos. I always love checking out small towns on my travels and one of the coolest places in a lot of small towns are the old train depots.

In Etowah, TN I came across their old train depot which has been turned into a museum for the L&N Railroad. The museum itself was closed that day but I had a blast checking around the outside and snapping some photos. I was experimenting with a new camera on this trip, a Yashica Mat LM and was shooting Kodak Tri X film.

Etowah’s downtown area was small but very nice and friendly. I met a couple of folks here at the station and had some great conversations. If you’re ever that way, it’s definitely worth a stop.

Ricky Davis 1/2/26 Ricky Davis 1/2/26

Chattanooga Lookouts and At&T Field - Minor League Stadium on Film

Chattanooga Lookouts and AT&T Field - Kodak Tri X Film Photography by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography

I grew up in Chattanooga going to Lookouts games at Historic Engel Stadium but in 2000, the Lookouts moved to AT&T Field. I don’t have as many “nostalgic” moments at AT&T Field, simply because I wasn’t a kid anymore going to games with my dad. However I did get to take my kids to games at AT&T Field over the years. Next year, the Lookouts will be moving to a new field here in Chattanooga, so I decided to stop by and take some photos from outside AT&T Field to capture the stadium as it is today.

One of the cool experiences my kids got to have at AT&T Field was being honored on school night where lots of local schools had their kids in a parade before the game. One of my favorite experiences though was my youngest daughter and I were at an early special game on a Wednesday. I unfortunately was holding my camera taking photos of the game (photographer, go figure) when I foul ball was lined towards us. It was headed for my youngest daughter but I reached out to shield her with my left hand. Unfortunately it bounced off my hand (but luckily it didn’t hit my kiddo). Someone else grabbed the ball and she was pretty disappointed. An usher came up to her and gave her a ball which made her day. It’s moments like that that make memories, especially for kids. Baseball is one of those sports that just offer those one of a kind moments.

One of the special things about baseball is the history, and how new chapters continue to be added. The Lookouts have legends, and more are made as the years go by. Some of the Lookouts legends from my childhood may have never made it big in the majors, but they are still legends to me. One of my favorites was Scott Pose. Then you had Brian Koelling, Calvin (Pokey) Reese, and Steve Gibralter. Pokey had the longest major league career of those guys.

At AT&T field though, there have been three different Major League Teams the Lookouts have represented. The Dodgers, the Twins, and then back to the Reds. In my time at the AT&T Field, I’ve gotten to see Corey Seager, Byron Buxton, Jose Berrios, and others wear the Lookouts uniform. I haven’t gotten to see them but a couple of times since they went back to the Reds due to schedule, but the Reds prospects have been stacked.

So for several years after Covid, I just couldn’t seem to work time in to go see a game. It was strange going back and seeing how things have changed with the digital age. When I used to go, I always got my tickets at the ticket booth, but now so much has gone cashless and digital. It’s weird seeing our national past time grow and change with the times. It’s easy to look at the changes and wish for the past. But there’s still so much beauty in baseball.

There’s just something about the sound of bat hitting the ball just right. The dust from a catchers mitt after a fastball strikes out the other teams cleanup hitter. The air even smells different when it’s spring and baseball season is upon us again. I have a lot of great memories from AT&T Field, and I can’t wait to make some new ones at the new stadium. I’d love to hear some of your favorite memories from the park if you got to watch a game there.

Here’s a few more photos that I got to take that day. All were shot on Kodak Tri X Film.

Ricky Davis 8/28/25 Ricky Davis 8/28/25

Kodak Tri X Test Roll Results... Still Life Work at the Studio

Send in the Clowns…. Kodak Tri X Film - Still Life Studio Photography by TRD Photography

During my last film session at my studio I had a little bit of a lighting issue. So today I wanted to do a test shoot to see if my suspicion of the issue was right. To test the roll, I decided to setup several different still life scenes. My brain gets pretty random when I do still life photography. So I put on Sierra Ferrell on my iphone (I just discovered her music and am loving it.) and then started going through some of my props putting some scenes together. The lighting turned out better than I expected.

I shot a roll of Kodak Tri X 120 film on my Mamiya 645 camera for this. On that roll you can expect to get somewhere between 13-15 shots per roll. When I do still life sets I generally take 1-3 shots per setup from varying angles/lighting movements. Out of 14 shots that came out, 12 of them were good solid usable shots. These were just my favorites of the setups. I’d love to hear what you guys think of these.

Baseball Still Life Photography - Kodak Tri X Film - TRD Photography

Da’ Bears - Football Still Life Photography - Kodak Tri X Film - TRD Photography

Dark Academia Skull Still Life Photography - Kodak Tri X Film - TRD Photography

Eat My Heart Out - Dark Art Still Life Photography - Kodak Tri X Film - TRD Photography

Ricky Davis 8/26/25 Ricky Davis 8/26/25

Old Car City USA Photographed on Film

Old Car City USA - Kodak Tri X Film - TRD Photography of Chattanooga, TN

Picture a place where you pull up to what appears to be a forgotten apocalyptic hellscape of vehicles left behind from a civilization that just vanished. After you go through the entry building and pay your $30 fee to explore and take photographs, you emerge into a land of rusted old cars and trucks. Everywhere you turn there are more cars and trucks, and then signs spreading “wisdom”. You start walking into the woods, and you find row after row after row of more antique cars and trucks, not to mention hidden surprises along the way like abandoned tricycles, old coca-cola coolers, gas pumps, etc. It’s a paradise for people that love history, love old cars, love nostalgia, or love to take unique photos.

I have visited Old Car City USA somewhere around four to five times now. It’s located down in White, GA, which is right around an hour south of Chattanooga and an hourish north of Atlanta. It’s the oldest junkyard in America and has over seven miles of trails for you to explore. To be completely honest it is very easy to get overwhelmed. On this trip I went specifically wanting to shoot film. I shot around six rolls of Kodak Tri X 120 film and these shots are just the beginning of what I captured on this trip.

Myself, I’m not really a huge car guy. I love the aesthetic of old cars and trucks, but I’ve never been one to know it’s this year or what motor it is. My mind just never really worked that way growing up. My dad was a huge car guy and loved going to the rod runs and seeing old card. I had tried talking him into going with me to Old Car City many times before he passed in 2020. I never could quite talk him into it. Each time since then that I’ve gone, it’s been a little heavy, but a little therapeutic as well. Walking through silent woods surrounded by these machines that my dad loved. It’s been something that has helped me to heal a little bit and come more to terms with things I think.

In closing, if you ever get the chance to go check it out, I highly recommend it, even if it’s just to go out and try to take it all in. Depending on the time of year, take plenty of water as well as bug spray. There were quite a few mosquitoes out this time, which I’ve never dealt with before. The owners had cans of bug spray you could use, but just plan ahead with that in mind. I did not and my legs are covered in mosquito bites. Ha!

Until next time…enjoy the rest of these photos.

Ricky

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