Hope is Coming…Scenes from the South

Hope is Coming - Religious Sign series - Scenes from the South - St Elmo, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography. Kodak Tri X Film Photography

One of my absolute favorite series that I started working on this year has been my religious sign series. It’s something that I should have started years ago. Just the response I’ve received from it so far this year and the amount of amazing conversations that I’ve gotten to have with people about it, it’s been astonishing.

Recently here in Chattanooga, there has been these “Jesus is Coming- Repent” signs popping up everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Many places I’ve seen 2 or 3 of them on the same poles. When I’ve seen them, I’d been out shopping with family or on the go and didn’t have my film camera at the ready. So this past Sunday I had a photoshoot that morning and I planned to go hunting some of these signs down afterwards.

Needless to say I was driving to my shoot and lo and behold I came across this beauty. I made a U-Turn and stopped my car in a driveway so I could hop out and take this photo. What I love about it is it could be taken a couple of ways. You could say “Obama is coming. Repent” as if saying that with the idea that Trump may try to run for a third term, Obama could be cleared to run for a third term. The other way, and the way I like to read this is “Hope is Coming-Repent.”

What is hope? It’s different for different people. For a lot of people in these uncertain times, hope is all we have. I just wanted to share this find with you guys. I hope you guys find it as thought provoking as I do.

Ricky

Documenting America with TRD Photography - Jesus or Hell?

Scenes from the South Series - Kodak Tri X Film - TRD Photography - Chattanooga, TN

Scenes from the South - Jesus or Hell?

So one of the things that I’ve been doing a lot of lately is exploring small towns and different places around the South. I have a lot of fun getting out and just finding different places and documenting kind of a different way of life. One of the things that I’m working on in my series is religious signs.

When I first started this series I remembered seeing lots of signs growing up along the roadways that we traveled. Even though I grew up in a strict, Christian conservative home, I was always taken aback by the signs. As an adult, I’ve actually been deconstructing alot of the things I was taught. I believe in God but a lot of the teachings seem to be in conflict to the teachings of Jesus. So I feel more inclined as I look around and see things, I want to capture it and have conversations about these things.

This sign I found going down into Georgia on a recent trip to take some photos at Old Car City USA. I knew I had to photograph it on the way back. It was in the Dalton, GA area and they had actually purchased the same billboard on both sides so they could hit people coming and going on the interstate.

When it comes to these signs, I don’t know if people understand how it comes across. I truly believe that all these signs do is to cause separation from those they think they are witnessing to. I do think that some of them have good intentions but they are so out of reality that they don’t realize how they come across. I’ve been in that boat before at times myself. It’s something where when it comes to your beliefs you’re never going to change minds by yelling and telling people how wrong they are. Changes come from relationships and true connections.

Anyways, about this photo, it’s just the first of many to come in this series. I shot this on Kodak Tri X Film.