Ricky Davis 12/31/15 Ricky Davis 12/31/15

Chattanooga Engagement Session - Mandy & Justin - TRD Photography

Chattanooga - Coolidge Park - Engagement Session - Mandy & Justin - TRD Photography

Chattanooga Engagement Session - Mandy & Justin - TRD Photography

I've known Mandy since she did a session with me way back in 2010. Over the years we've become great friends, and had many a lunches planning shoots at Famous Daves here in Chattanooga. I'll never forget the light she had in her eyes when she started telling me about this new guy in her life, Justin. I remember thinking to myself after that first talk that she had definitely found a great guy and a hunch that this one was it for her. Fast forward a few years and I'm honored to have gotten the opportunity to do their engagement session.

The day started out as a fall, crisp morning in downtown Chattanooga.

Anyone that knows Mandy, knows she is not serious about three quarters of the time, and Justin told me he hates getting his photo taken with a passion. They quickly got down to just being themselves, and "kind of" forgetting that I was there. Well as much as was possible. :)

After shooting briefly on and around the Choo Choo, and then the Walnut St Bridge, we made our way over into Coolidge Park. The fall colors were almost gone, but we found a few colorful leaves scattered around here and there.

I am so happy for Mandy & Justin. I cannot wait to be a part of their wedding and I wish them a great 2016 and onward into the rest of their lives....

Ricky Davis 12/30/15 Ricky Davis 12/30/15

Pack of Wolves - Live at Mayo's in Chattanooga - TRD Photography

Pack of Wolves - Live at Mayo's - TRD Photography

I don't do a ton of concert photography, actually I think it's been about a year since the last show that I shot, but recently I was asked to do a set for local Blue band Pack of Wolves. I was a little nervous on it because concert photography isn't a specialty of mine, but I was stoked because I actually shot some of the show on film as well. Pack of Wolves is a powerhouse band and I was really stoked to get the honor to shoot them and their new lineup. While I did get some pretty sick shots on film, most of what I'll be sharing from the show I shot with my Canon 6D.

Pack of Wolves - Live at Mayo's in Chattanooga - TRD Photography - Canon 6D

I hope you enjoyed the photos. If you'd like me to shoot your show, feel free to shoot me an email at trd@trdphotography.com I'd def like to do more concert work in the future.

Ricky

Ricky Davis 12/29/15 Ricky Davis 12/29/15

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" Allie - TRD Photography

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" The Series - Allie - By TRD Photography

"What makes you feel beautiful?"

"It's hard for me to speak on beauty in the conventional sense, but I'm sure that's not what you're looking for anyways! I believe in beauty radiating from the inside. Finding positivity, confidence, dedication, compassion, and originality in your life and highlighting it. For me, after a hard night in the kitchen I am filthy and sweaty. I've put everything I've got into what I'm passionate about and know that I've made delicious food. I think I feel the most beautiful then, cracking a beer and reflecting on an honest day's work." Allie

Ricky Davis 12/23/15 Ricky Davis 12/23/15

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" Series - Leighann W. A TRD Photography Project

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" The Series -

"What makes you feel beautiful?"

Leighann - "What most people see "Beauty" as, is overrated IMO. I'd rather people look at me and be inspired. That's where real beauty comes into play for me. When my nieces and little cousins look up to me and say they want to BE like me, THAT's what I live for. I don't want them to feel you need to be drop dead gorgeous to be somebody. I want them to know that it's being true to yourself that is beautiful. That's what makes me feel "beautiful" is being an inspiration to people who are looking up to me as a role model."

Ricky Davis 12/22/15 Ricky Davis 12/22/15

The Tongue River - Wyoming - TRD Photography

The Tongue River - Northern Wyoming - Big Horn Mountain Range - TRD Photography 2013

Back in 2013 I was driving back from Portland, Oregon to Tennessee with my family. We were trying to see as much as we could along the way. One day we drove through Yellowstone, which was an amazing experience but the photo opportunities were limited due to rain quite a bit. The next day I didn't expect quite so much but that's where I truly experienced the most beautiful country that I have gotten to see, at least in my opinion.

From my days as a kid, I've always been fascinated with Native American history. I found myself driving through places with names that I remembered from reading any book that I could get my hands on. We were driving over the Big Horn Mountain range and I was so blown away by the height, and just the energy of that place. It was like nothing I've ever experienced. We stopped on top of the mountain at the Tongue River. The only noise that you heard was the wind whipping all around you and the gurgling of the water. The whole time we were there no other cars came by. It was just you and this incredible energy. I took several photos, not many even get close to doing it justice.

I was thinking about the experience the other night, just remembering how it felt. I wanted to share one of my images from there with you guys. I hope you like it. Hopefully you've experienced a place like that in your life. I think we all need a place to get grounded, even if it's just a memory. Hope you guys have a great night! If you happen to like this image, prints are available - http://www.trdphotography.com/landscapeprints/tongueriverwyomingtrdphotography

Ricky

Ricky Davis 12/20/15 Ricky Davis 12/20/15

Chattanooga Choo Choo Wedding - Mary & Dean

Chattanooga Choo-Choo Wedding - Mary & Dean's Big Day.

On November 7th, Mary & Dean Dial met at the historic Chattanooga Choo-Choo to tie the knot. With Christmas just around the corner, and Halloween barely in the rear view mirror, the Choo-Choo made a gorgeous backdrop to the days festivities. From a rainy day in Chattanooga, to horror themed Hello Kitty tables, and great times in between, it was a lovely day to see these amazing people celebrate their love and dedicate their lives to one another... I was honored to be a part of this beautiful day.

Ricky Davis 12/16/15 Ricky Davis 12/16/15

I Am Me - Interview with Tessa Mize by TRD Photography

Tessa Mize - I Am Me - TRD Photography - Interview by Ricky Davis.

Tessa Mize – Interview for I Am Me – TRD Photography

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.

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

Ricky Davis 12/14/15 Ricky Davis 12/14/15

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" Krysten B.

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" Series - Krysten B.

"What makes you feel beautiful?"

"There are a lot of things that can make me feel beautiful. From simply having a good hair/makeup day all the way to wearing no makeup and having messy hair and someone telling me I'm beautiful anyway. I've always had self esteem issues so feeling that way is very few and far between." - Krysten

"Why do you think we put such an emphasis on beauty in America?"

"The 'standard' of beauty has always been a part of the media. It obviously changes over time, but it's always there and it will always be there. I think there is such an emphasis on it because everyone will always want to be beautiful. Maybe not the standard beauty that is pushed to us through magazines/tv/movies, but in their own way." - Krysten

Stay tuned for more from this series coming soon...

Ricky Davis 12/11/15 Ricky Davis 12/11/15

Clingman's Dome - 2014 - TRD Photography

"Fire in the Sky" Clingman's Dome - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography

Clingman's Dome - 2014 - TRD Photography

Today I just wanted to share a couple of photos I took last fall on a day trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. It was fall break, so one day my wife and kids decided to take a day trip up to the Smokies and just get away for a little bit. It was pretty warm overall but towards late afternoon we drove up to Clingman's Dome and it was flipping cold!

The mountains were breathtaking however and it looked like there was going to be a killer sunset. I setup my tripod along with quite a few other photographers waiting on the sun to go down. It turned out that I happened into the middle of a photography workshop. It was really interesting talking to some of the other guys. As the sun started sinking however, so did the cloud cover. It seemed it was going to be a race against time.

As the clouds starting dipping lower and lower, I looked behind me. The fog was wafting through the dead trees. I immediately said screw the sunset, and took off to a better vantage point for the scene appearing behind me. It's still one of my favorite photographs that I have taken.

"Devoured" Clingman's Dome - 2014 - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the photos and just a little bit of what transpired behind them. I'm not really known for doing landscape type work, it's just what I do to relax and change the pace up a little bit. If you do like these photos, and you might be interested in a print, I do have them available here on my website.

www.trdphotography.com/landscapeprints

Enjoy,

Ricky

Ricky Davis 12/10/15 Ricky Davis 12/10/15

"What Makes You Feel Beautiful?" - Jessica W.

"What makes you feel beautiful?"

The definition of beauty gets a lot of play in our society today. You're too fat. You're too skinny. You have stretchmarks. You've got wrinkles. There are arguments over what is beauty, what's not and how evil it is to not know the difference.

The only thing is beauty doesn't really exist. There are no set ramifications because we all have a different perspective of what it means to us. So the only real definition of beauty is what our definition of it is. That's the only one that truly matters. How we view ourselves, instead of how the world views us.

Along that line of thinking, I plan to work on a series. What makes you feel beautiful/what makes you feel unbeautiful?

I asked my good friend Jessica about what makes her feel beautiful.

"Learning to love myself has made me feel beautiful , looking in the mirror and loving what i saw staring back at me is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world." Jessica

Me - "What helped the most in teaching you to love yourself and being able to look in the mirror and loving the person looking back at you?"

"Self acceptance. My hips will always be curvy my chest isn't the fullest,my teeth aren't straight and I have double dimples on my cheeks but these are the things that make me ME." Jessica

"What makes you feel beautiful?" Jessica W. Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography

How you see yourself is everything. Notice the perfect imperfections, but know that we all have them. By learning to love ourselves as we are, we can learn to love others for who they are as well....Until next time...

Ricky Davis 11/28/15 Ricky Davis 11/28/15

Photo of the Day - Model Nina Covington & Stark from Half Moon Ambassadors

Model Nina Covington and Stark from Half Moon Ambassadors - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography

11/28/2015 Photo of the Day

"You were once wild here. Don't let them tame you." Isadora Duncan

Recently I was honored when I got the opportunity to work with Half Moon Ambassadors, along with some of my favorite models and people. The results have been spectacular so far. This was the first time I personally got to work with Nina and it was a pleasure. Be on the lookout for more photos from the shoot.

Be sure to check out Half Moon Ambassadors on Facebook. We had the pleasure of working with Stark and Bishop when we worked with them. They have a great crew of people and it couldn't have gone better!

www.facebook.com/halfmoonambassadors

Ricky Davis 11/1/15 Ricky Davis 11/1/15

Mandy & Justin - A Journey with Film - TRD Photography

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

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. :)

Ricky Davis 10/7/15 Ricky Davis 10/7/15

Halloween - Dark Art Special Event Film Shoot - October 25th - TRD Photography

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 - Tmax100

Ricky Davis 10/3/15 Ricky Davis 10/3/15

Memories of a Combat Photographer in Vietnam - Air Force Staff Sgt. Bill Potter - TRD Photography

Vietnam Veteran Combat Photographer - Staff Sgt. Bill Potter - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D.

Memories of a Combat Photographer in Vietnam. - Air Force Bill Potter

"I went into town with an old boy, he'd been going into town for awhile. His name was Simpson. He was a black guy and we went into a bar. I didn't know where the hell it was. Come to find out it was two blocks from VC territory. I went in and had a couple of beers. I didn't think nothing about it. Luckily I had enough sense after having a couple of beers that I walked out of the damn bar. I walked across the street. As I got to the other side of the street, the damn bar blowed up. A damn kid, couldn't have been more than twelve years old, had parked a damn bicycle right outside that damn bar. It was loaded with dynamite or something. It blowed that bar all to hell. When I got across the street and that bar blew up, I caught the first damn taxi back to base and I stayed there. I never come off that base again."

With that story, my time of getting to talk to Air Force Staff Sgt. Bill Potter began. So far my Veteran series has consisted of mainly WWII Veterans, but I've been interested in Vietnam era history since I was a teenager. I was so honored to get to sit down with Staff Sgt. Potter, who served as a combat photographer in Vietnam for the Air Force. I am grateful to his daughter, Mary, for setting up his session. Mary also served in the Air Force during the Iraq War as an A1C and is a fourth generation veteran. Her great great grandfather, Joseph Lee Cross served in WWI, her grandfather, Donald D. Rule in WWII, her dad in Vietnam, and she served in Iraq.

Four Generations of American Heroes who served in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and Iraq. Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D

" I joined in October 1963. I went to Okinawa. So I figured I'm safe, I won't end up in Vietnam. Wrong. I didn't look at the damn map, but Okinawa ain't that damn far from Saigon. This was on a Friday. Our NCO came and asked what we were doing that weekend. I said what we usually do. Go to town, get drunk, sleep it off so we can be ready to go back to work on Monday. He said 'well don't go anywhere yet. Stick around for a little while.' We had no idea what the hell was going on because we hadn't heard anything that was going on. A few hours later, this idiot came flying down the runway. He had a stack of orders for each one of us. In the meantime, a 124 had pulled up on the runway right next to our office. When that guy came in with all the orders, are NCO came in and said you got thirty minutes. Go to the barracks, pack your shit, and get back down here. When we got back down there, he said to load it on the 124. We've already got it loaded with your PPC, which was your portable processing center. So we did and we got on the plane. And that was the worst flying plane ever. It couldn't have been a 130, which was smooth. But that 124 we got on and we got into Saigon at two o'clock in the morning. We had to walk all the way across the base to get our blankets and mosquito nets. Then we had to walk all the way back across the base in the pitch black. We got to our tents, which were WWII issued tents. They were supposed to be for up to six men to a tent. Well we had anywhere from 10-14 men to a tent. Needless to say, they were crowded. We got into our damn tents, all the mosquito nets and shit put up and about the time we got in bed, it was time to get up. "

Staff Sgt Bill Potter - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Fuji Acros 100

"Where I had to work was where we processed all of the aerial film that the 101's had shot. I remember one night I was on duty and we had a Lieutenant and Captain that had flown a mission come in. They had flown out over Cambodia and then down through North Vietnam and back. They brought the film in and I took it and put it in the processor. The film was on rolls. The rolls consisted of anywhere from 800-1200 feet of film. While it was being processed I had to go into another room. Then came in the Lieutenant came in and asked about his film. He asked if it was done and I said it'd be done in a few minutes, if he wanted to wait. He asked where it was and I said in there if you wanna see it. He walked in and he looked at the Captains, and it was perfect. He walked over and looked at his and it looked like shit. What had happened was whoever set up his camera on his plane set it up for night vision, not daytime. And it screwed it all up, and his came out not worth a shit. Luckily, the Captains was perfect. He came out cussing and was fit to be tied. He took off back to the flight line. I told them, oh my God, I hope to God. I'm glad that wasn't me. I know someone got their butt chewed."

Staff Sgt Bill Potter - Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Fuji Acros 100

" There was one bar owner that had a monkey. If you weren't careful and you sat at the bar, this monkey would shit and throw it at ya. We had a Green Beret that came in there one day. He was pissed. This monkey came in and threw shit at him. It pissed the Green Beret off. He yelled at the bar owner, is that your monkey? The guy said yeah. The Green Beret said if he throws shit at me one more time, I'm going to kill him. The bartender thought he was kidding. It wasn't a few minutes later that damn monkey did it again. That Green Beret pulled out his damn .45 and he blew that monkey into the next world. I mean he killed him deader than hell. It was hilarious. Little shit like that helped you make it. It helped to pass the time."

Staff Sgt Bill Potter and his daughter Mary. Photo - Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D

"The only real way that you could survive over there was to stay half-drunk, and I did. I stayed about half-drunk. I spent eighteen months and three days in Vietnam. Processing film was probably about eight months, and the other ten months I spent out shooting. It was unreal. If I could go back and do it over again, I wouldn't really do anything different. When we first got into Vietnam, we were in our tents and we heard the most God awful noise we ever heard. We came running out of our tents trying to figure out what it was. It was a damn coup. He was flying in a damn helicopter flying around our tents. It was unreal. "

Staff Sgt Bill Potter - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D

" I got into photography at Lackland. They assigned me photography and then assigned me to Lowry Air Force base. That's where I had photo school. From there is where I got sent to Okinawa, and then from Okinawa to Vietnam, then from Vietnam I went to Japan, Alaska, Singapore, and Thailand. Then in Florida, I got the best damn duty I'd ever had. I got sent to the climatic lab. I was the only military person there. The only other people there were civilians. I had my own little office. Anytime they wanted pictures, they'd call me and I'd go down and do them. They could drop that temperature in the main lab to minus 65 degrees. We had a B-52 bomber in there. It was enormous. I got pictures in my house with ice hanging off of it. But my favorite was the SR-71 Blackbird. That son of a gun was gorgeous. I loved that plane. I really did.

"After Vietnam, I was in Thailand. It was a Friday and one of the officers came up to me and said what are you gonna do this weekend. I said what we usually do. Go into the town, it wasn't much of a town though, and have a couple beers. He said, why don't you stick around a little while. I said oh shit, here we go again. It was me and another guy that hadn't been there too long. He went and got another guy and brought him back. I knew they were fixing to screw us again. I could feel it coming on. He came back and brought us orders, and it was one of the best damn surprises that I ever had. What it was, we got sent to the kings summer palace in Thailand. And I'll be damned, come to find out that we were sent up in the mountains and once we got up there and it was gorgeous! It had this great big damn wall all the way around it. At the entrance you gotta take off your shoes. I was like damn, well there goes our shoes. I figured as soon as we took them off they were going to steal them. We took our shoes off and walked in. Lining the wall on the inside all the way around were forty foot tall, pure gold Buddhas. Pure gold! I looked at this old boy that was with me, and I was like can we have a finger. These people are living in poverty and these were just the little ones. In the middle of this was the big Buddha. It was about sixty foot tall and that's where all the Buddhists go in to pray. You can walk in and look, but this big Buddha in the middle of this thing was pure gold and it weighed I'd say one hundred and twenty tons. These were all standing Buddhas. "

Before we sat down to talk, Mary brought in various slides that Staff Sgt. Potter had taken while in Vietnam. There were various aircraft photos and napalm explosions. Towards the end of those slides, there were some where some Viet Cong had captured a man on a bicycle and proceeded to behead him, and stick his head on a stake in the road. At the end of our interview, I asked Staff Sgt. Potter about those slides because I was blown away by how tight the shots were.

"I was using about a 200mm. I'd say I was about twenty-twenty five feet away. They weren't worried about me. They didn't give a shit. He was another Vietnamese. They had caught him coming down that damn road on a bicycle and that was it. "

I really enjoyed getting to speak with Staff Sgt. Potter and A1C Mary Potter. As a teenager, I was really interested in the Vietnam War. Getting to speak and listen to stories about the war, and his other experiences after his tour in Vietnam was extremely informative, and just an amazing experience. I really hope that you enjoyed reading some of his story as much as I enjoyed hearing it myself.

Ricky

Ricky Davis 9/25/15 Ricky Davis 9/25/15

Art Show Tonight - You're Invited -

One of the prints I'll have available... Shot on expired Tmax 100 film

Pop Up Art Show tonight in Winchester, TN

Tonight I'll be in Winchester at the Pop Up Art Show. I'm really stoked to be a part of this. Not only is the whole downtown area participating by hosting different artists, photographers, and musicians, but I get to be setup with some of my best friends! Cannot wait to see you guys. If you can't make it physically to the show, follow me on Snapchat at trd_photography as I'll be posting bts stuff all night on there. Should be a good time.

Ricky

The address that I will be at is 140 1st Ave NW Winchester, TN. Hope to see you there.

Ricky Davis 9/24/15 Ricky Davis 9/24/15

Prints Now Available - TRD Photography

California Wildfire Smoke - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D

Prints Now Available

One question that seems to come up fairly often is can I get a print of this? Then you say yes, and then you never hear from them again about it.

If you are interested in seeing some of my work in your home or office space, I just launched an easy way to order prints. Here on my website, there is now a print section. You can order them directly from my sitestarting as low as 6.00, depending on which size you'd like to get.

Currently, I have a limit on how many prints I can have up at a time, so I plan on rotating prints to have available from time to time. Currently I have landscapes, cityscapes, some art concepts, and a few film prints available currently. If you have a favorite you'd like, feel free to email me and it can be made available. trd@trdphotography.com

Hope you Enjoy!

Ricky

Ricky Davis 9/5/15 Ricky Davis 9/5/15

First Minolta XG 1 Experience - Street Photography in Chattanooga - Photographer Ricky Davis

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.

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

Ricky Davis 8/31/15 Ricky Davis 8/31/15

WWII/Vietnam Veteran Master Sgt. Cletis Bailey, Air Force - Photographer Ricky Davis

WWII & Vietnam Veteran - Master Sgt. Cletis Bailey

Meeting Mr. Bailey has been one of the most pleasurable experiences that I have had. This man is so good natured and friendly. His was a very interesting story and actually spans two of America's biggest conflicts as he served not only in World War II, but he also served two tours in Vietnam.

"I was drafted and took my basic training in Camp Blanding, Florida. About seventeen weeks of intensive training and pretty soon I found myself in Germany. I was assigned to the 84th Infantry Division and that was at the tail end of The Battle of the Bulge. I think I joined up with them in Belgium and then we went into Germany, up on the Roer River. We kinda dug in there and waited for the crossing. It had flooded. I joined as a replacement. Later on, when the situation had normalized, we made that river crossing and headed on into Germany. :

WWII & Vietnam Veteran - Master Sgt Cletis Bailey - Air Force - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D.

"Being in infantry, we did a lot of walking. The main activity that I was involved is was there was three of us after we finally took this town. We had lost 8 or 9 men taking that town. It was well defended with German paratroopers. After we had finally crossed the field, there was three of us assigned to go back across that field because we was short of ammunition. I didn't volunteer for that either. I didn't have a chance to back out. So anyway, we made it but there was a German sniper firing at us all the way over there. You could see the bullets hitting in between us. So one of the guys said I ain't about to go back over there. We'll get killed. But with all the stuff happening over there, tree bursts and mortars we'll surely get killed if we'd stayed over there. So we made it back across the field. But with all the shelling coming in, when we were heading out one of the guys up ahead got decapitated. "

Original Paper from 1945 of the Chattanooga Free Press - Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D

"At the end of the War I was at the Elbe River. I came back to the States in 46, and stayed in the reserves for a little bit. I was working in Chattanooga but all of my friends had gotten out or left, so I decided to get back in the service. I went and got a little better education and then I was able to get in the Air Force. I still keep in contact with two or three guys I served in the 84th with. One of them was talking about when we shared a hole on the river. The Germans were across the river and they'd take shots across the river. They called us 'Roosevelt's Henchmen'. They say 'Roosevelt's Henchmen we're going to annihilate you.' So that was interesting. The was my introduction to German soil. That's where I earned my combat infantry.

I feel like I really played a small role. We had lost so many men, that's why I was selected as a replacement because we'd lost so many men at the Battle of the Bulge. They are the ones the did it. It was tragic as it was getting close to the end and losing so many men. I loved the old timers. One fella that I had hunkered down with the night before taking one stinking town, he got killed. Another one told his buddy that he had a feeling that he wasn't going to make it. They called him Chief because he was Indian. He got killed taking this town. They told him to just stay back, but he said no. I've been with you this long. He had been with them a real long time. That's the way it happens some times. "

Master Sgt. Cletis Bailey - Air Force holding a photo from his younger days. Photo by Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - FIlm - Tmax 100

"In Vietnam, it was a lot different. I didn't have to go on any patrols or anything like that. It was a different story in Vietnam though. I had a desk job, I was in accounting and finance taking care of military pay and travel. I needed some information from personnel next door. I walked over there and was talking to the sergeant and got what I needed. I stepped back outside and a rocket came in and took off the whole end of the building. It killed him. That was pretty close. So you never knew when you were gonna get it over there. Whether you were at a desk or out with the infantry in the field. The rockets were always coming in. But I led kind of a charmed life over there. I'm glad to be here, I'm glad to be anywhere, I enjoy living. "

Master Sgt. Cletis Bailey - Air Force - Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Canon 6D.

To finish talking with Mr. Bailey I asked him "with serving in both World War II and in Vietnam, what was the difference in the way that the soldiers were treated coming back from the war."

"That was a different story wasn't it? That war just wasn't accepted. So Vietnam Veterans just got the short end of the stick so to speak, they got mistreated. Through no fault of their own, we were just doing our job. It was a lot of politics I think. We lost a lot of men over there. I went to Washington DC and visiting the Memorial. I found Sgt. Dark's name, the fella that got killed, and I made an impression. "

I thoroughly enjoyed my time speaking with and listening to Mr. Bailey. He had so much life and zeal about him. He really brought a ray of light into my world and I hope that his story resonates with you and touches you as well.

If you know any World War II Veterans, Korean Veterans, or Vietnam Veterans, I would love to include them in my project and share their story. Please email me at trd@trdphotography.com

Ricky Davis 8/30/15 Ricky Davis 8/30/15

Spirit of 45- 70th Anniversary of V-J Day.

21 Gun Salute and Taps - Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 203 - Bugles Across America - David A. Cox - Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax 100

Spirit of 45 - The 70th Anniversary of V-J Day - August 14 2015

As those of you that have been reading a lot of my recent posts, I've begun work on a WWII Veteran Photographic Series. Recently a friend of mine shared with me information about a V-J Day event taking place here in Chattanooga, TN. I'm so glad that she did! I hadn't heard of the event but it really had an amazing impact on me.

A WWII Veteran being brought to join fellow Vets before the ceremony. Photo by photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Kodak Tmax100

Growing up I've heard of different events such as this, but this is the first time I've gotten to attend. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I arrived about forty-five minutes before the ceremony was set to take place because I hoped to get to talk to some of the Veterans. When I first arrived I met David Cox, who happened to be performing Taps on the bugle for this event. Not only have I never been to a military event like this, I've never really shot at ceremonies other than weddings. I also shot this entire event in film only, which was another first. I was just crossing my fingers that they'd turn out.

Bugle Player - David A Cox. Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography. Film - Tmax 100.

Having no experience at an event like this, I didn't take as many photographs as I would have liked. So many of the parts of the ceremony we were standing, with our hand over our hearts. Sometimes these days we become so embittered with politics and bi-partisan fighting that we have forgotten what our country was founded on, what our men and women in the armed forces have fought for. It can be enough to really question what the whole thing is about anymore, and to be honest, I've been guilty of that myself.

V-J Day Anniversary - Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax100.

Midway through the ceremony I had such a surreal moment that really just made me stop and question so much. A singer stood up and started singing our National Anthem, a song that we all have heard countless times before. Shortly into the song, softly I heard a raspy voice from where the WWII Veterans were standing start to sing. Slowly, more voices joined in. The voices weren't loud, but they were passionate. It was such a haunting experience for me hearing these men that are all pushing 90 or round about singing about their love and commitment to this great country that we have. That one moment stands out to me as not only a highlight of the event, but a highlight in my life.

Wreath Laying Ceremony - Spirit of 75 V-J Day Event - Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax100

Originally I went to this event hoping to visit and talk with some WWII Veterans, and hopefully meet some men for my WWII Photographic Project. Both before and after though, I sat down and just listened. I listened to grown sons, one of which served in Vietnam, talking about their dads. One had brought framed flags and such that his dad had brought back from Japan. A local school attended as part of a field trip, and while a lot of kids were goofing off, I watched as this veterans son took the time to talk and show some of the kids these WWII relics and telling them stories of his dad, and I saw these kids eyes light up and take it all in.

Medal of Honor Recipient - Charles Coolidge - Photo by Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax100

I watched as many of the WWII veterans gathered afterwards in the heat, waiting in a line to say a few words to Medal of Honor Recipient Charles Cooldige. He was a celebrity among these American Heroes. Look him up and read his story. It's amazing.

V-J Day Ceremony - Photographer Ricky Davis of TRD Photography - Film - Tmax100

So while I had planned on visiting, I took the day to just take it all in. It was such a privilege to see how happy these men were seeing each other and talking, at every turn someone was talking to someone else and waiting to give out hugs and pats on the shoulder. I feel so honored to be an American. Seeing these men, not fully understanding the sacrifices that they made for us, but starting to see a glimpse of that, really makes me want to do what I can to make a difference. I hope, I pray, that some of the stories that these men are sharing, that are out there will help make a difference in your life as it has in mine. Our country hasn't always been perfect, and it's not perfect now, but we are extremely blessed to be a part of it. And we owe the freedoms that we have, to these men and women. So next time you see a Vet, please be sure to thank them for their service.

If you know of someone that served in World War II, Korea, or in Vietnam - please send me an email to trd@trdphotography.com I would love to work with them on my Veteran project. Thank you!

Ricky

Ricky Davis 8/19/15 Ricky Davis 8/19/15

WWII Veteran Photographic Series - Sgt. Ferdinand Moreno - Photographer Ricky Davis

WWII Veteran Photographic Series - Sgt. Ferdinand Moreno

I've really been looking forward to this second entry in my series of WWII Veteran Portraits. This particular session was probably the toughest photo session on me personally that I've ever shot. When I first had the idea of doing this series, I pictured getting to sit around talking to veterans who were anxiously wanting to share their stories with whoever wanted to listen. With the first session, I was told that Mr. Davis had dementia. When I arrived he had forgotten a lot of things, but it was very pleasant conversation. With Sgt. Moreno, again I was told that he had dementia and I expected something similar to the conversation with Mr. Davis. I was mistaken.

When I arrived I found that his condition was a lot different than Mr. Davis. Sgt. Moreno's health is where he cannot speak. I found out from his nephew, who is his caretaker that he really hadn't been able to speak for a couple of months.. Even though he couldn't talk, I had a conversation with him, and his eyes, his eyes really reached into my chest and I felt like it was ripping my heart out. I've never been impacted by a session like I was by his. On his photos, I didn't shoot as many of Sgt. Moreno himself, because I wanted to capture his dignity and with his health, it was harder to do that. Please read further though as I was able to talk to his brother who shared with me some stories of his time in WWII, and Sgt. Moreno had some amazing war trophies that he brought home from the War that I photographed as well.

WWII Photographic Series - Sgt. Ferdinand Moreno - Photographer Ricky Davis - Film - Expired Kodak Tmax100

It took a couple of weeks but I was finally able to speak with Sgt. Moreno's brother, Malcolm, about World War II and what his brother did during the War. This is what I was told.

Sgt. Moreno was drafted into the Army. He didn't know which company or anything like that, but he said he was supposed to be in a tank. Sgt. Moreno had told him about the army showing photographs of what was happening with the German's armor piercing bullets. How they'd cut through the tanks and explode. Around that time they were asking volunteers to go into the infantry and Sgt. Moreno volunteered to go into infantry instead.

WWII Photographic Series - Sgt. Ferdinand Moreno - Photographer Ricky Davis - Shot with Canon 6D.

Malcolm told me that Ferd, as he affectionately calls his brother, didn't really like to talk about the war. He would only tell a couple of stories. He had a lot of demons from things he saw in the war. He helped to free a couple of the concentration camps and said that he would rather die than to ever surrender to the Germans. I'm going to share with you a story that I was told by Malcolm about a time that Sgt. Moreno was involved in an ambush.

One day in a village in France (he didn't know the name. Only that it was a really small village) Sgt. Moreno and one of his good friends were driving through in a military jeep. The town had been attacked and they were looking but they couldn't find anyone alive. Everyone was dead. They were debating what to do when from behind one of the small buildings, two Germans stepped out with guns trained on them and in perfect American English told them to get out of the jeep. Ferdinand was 6'4 and was crammed tightly into the jeep, which made getting out a little bit difficult. The Germans told them to throw down there weapons while they were getting out. They continued to move slowly...

Ferdinand's mind was racing and as he was moving to get out of the jeep, he noticed that the Germans had turned slightly and weren't paying close attention. He quickly grabbed his gun and fired a slew of bullets into the Germans, killing them. Sgt. Moreno and his friend had seen a ditch that wrapped it's way around the small village a little ways away and made a dash for it. As they reached it, more German's opened up on them. His friend was shot through the head and fell dead instantly. Sgt. Moreno had bullets pierce his shirt but didn't even get a scratch, just a few holes in his shirt. He hunkered down in the ditch and crawled down a ways. He peeked up, and saw German faces looking out of windows in some of the buildings. He fired, and the German dropped. He kept moving and firing at different Germans as they were trying to pinpoint his location, unsuccessfully.

Slowly, Sgt. Moreno made his way back towards his lines. I was told that he killed 40 Germans. I'm not sure if that was on this mission, or in total during the war. His nephew had told me that he heard he killed 28 Germans and that Sgt. Moreno was haunted by his past throughout his life. There's probably no real way to know, and that number isn't the thing that really matters.

I feel incredibly blessed to have gotten to sit and meet this American hero. It's still hard for me to look at the photos, his eyes still just cut right through me. When you think about the age that these men and women were living in, and the evil that was being wrought upon the world and spreading across the European continent at the time, you realize.he wasn't a hero for killing Germans, he was a hero for answering when his country called. He was a hero when he helped to liberate these camps where men, women, and children were emancipated, raped, and even murdered. I personally can't imagine the things he saw, nor can I imagine the things our servicemen see and deal with now. We have to hold onto our past and learn from it to get to where we need to be tomorrow, and grow as human beings. Sgt. Moreno also was honored with the Bronze Star for his service in WWII. I hope that you enjoyed reading a little bit about this man, and his service to our country. If you did, feel free to share this.

Ricky

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Spirit of 45- 70th Anniversary of V-J Day.

WWII Veteran Photographic Series - Sgt. Ferdinand Moreno - Photographer Ricky Davis

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