Ricky Davis 2/2/17 Ricky Davis 2/2/17

Beauty Redefined Series - Jolee - TRD Photography

"I have always had a solid definition of beauty: everyone is beautiful. It's simple, and it gave me an outlook on life, that enabled me to see every person, with the same eyes: To not judge someone by their skin color, their clothing choices; or by their scars. There is beauty everywhere.

It wasn't until recently that I realized, I was not applying this logic to myself.

If I could see the beauty in every one and every thing around me, why would I not allow myself to see it in me?

I began to listen to those who love me, for who I am. Through this; I learned to love my self, and my body. Every scar, every dimple, every imperfection. I have learned to see my own beauty."

Jolee

Ricky Davis 11/15/16 Ricky Davis 11/15/16

Native American Portraits - The Series - Interview with Wes Collins

Native American Portraits - The Series

Intro

This is the first post in a brand new series that I'm working on. Before I share with you my interview with Wes, I wanted to share a little about the inspiration behind this series. Native American history has been an extremely important part of my life since I was a little kid. Before I even started reading, the books I picked out at the library to be read to me were American Indian history. When I first started learning to read, that's all I checked out. Fast forward to 2009 and my opportunity to do photography. Ever since I began photographing, I always knew at some point I wanted to be able to photograph Native Americans, much like Edward Curtis. I had no idea how I would be able to achieve it, but I wanted to photograph and share their stories. Much about what we have been "taught" to believe about Indians has been pop culture like old John Wayne movies, or just out and out lies and myths to discredit their culture. To me personally, my mission is to share with you some amazing people, and share their stories and thoughts of what makes them who they are and hopefully show you that we are all human beings. It's time to come together.

Ricky

Interview with Wes Collins

I met Wes because I recently attended a Pow Wow at Red Clay State Park. I went to the Pow Wow because I had missed it the last few years and I knew I wanted to get back. Since I attended my first Pow Wow back around 2005/2006, they have always been a really special thing to me when I've gotten to go. When I first started taking photos, I took some at a Pow Wow and honestly, they sucked. It was being laid heavy on my heart that I needed to reach out about my desire to do a portrait series, that it was time. I went to the Pow Wow and took some photos on film of the dancers in the Circle. Outside of the Circle, I had hoped to talk to some people about maybe letting me take a portrait, but everyone was always talking to someone and I didn't want to interrupt. After I shared some of the photos from the Circle, I was honored to hear from some of the dancers that I had photographed. I've been honored to get to know Wes a little bit, and I hope you enjoy his interview and that it opens some eyes.

Ricky - What kind of experiences did you have growing up in the South as a Native American?

Wes - I was raised in the rural area of the county with my grandparents, we didn’t have much and a lot of what we had was grown or made by my grandparents. My grandfather always made sure I knew how to hunt and live off the land as much as possible. He didn’t boast his native heritage and wouldn’t mention much about it, I only knew it as country living. While other kids in my school were going on vacations and spending summers in other states or areas, I spent my summers in the woods hunting. As I got older I really started noticing a difference. The other kids would tell the teacher what they had eaten for breakfast and when I mentioned that I had eaten squirrel dumplings that morning, I was taunted and made fun of. I remember one day I wore a bird skull necklace to school that I had made over the weekend. I had found the skull while hunting in the woods. I took it home where I bleached and cleaned it and I felt I was honoring the bird by wearing it. I was very proud to display it around my neck but still kept it under my shirt as not to upset some of the kids. When my teacher saw it, she got very upset and tried to claim that I was practicing witchcraft, I was very upset and embarrassed to say the least. She tried to have me suspended so my mother had to come up and talk to them. Where I was raised our families homes were all in one area, so at an early age I would go through the woods, with hunting rifle in hand, visiting all my relatives. This is how I spent my days. People would talk and act like I wasn’t being taken care of but it is basically like the adage “it takes a village to raise a child” all of my family took care of us. I may have been poor, but I never felt that way. Money had no value to us. Being close to nature and close to the Creator was of the utmost importance. I was not raised to be well educated, most families put an emphasis on school and I was raised differently. We were raised to stay close to nature and be more spiritual in life. We are an oral society so reading and writing isn’t our priority. My wife, Lisa, is even helping me to get across and interpret what I want to say. I do however encourage my children to continue their education but also try to develop their spiritual side so that my spirit will carry on through them, even though they are multi-cultural.

Ricky - What have been some of the misconceptions of Native Americans that you have experienced?

Wes - There are many misconceptions about Native Americans. Some people believe that we live off the government or receive benefits or special privileges . Some believe we are alcoholics or are lazy. Some believe that we are less than or inferior to other races. I believe in part because of us staying close to nature and not trying to be more educated or caring about money as others do. But this is not always the case either, we are all humans and we all are different in how we choose to live. We celebrate our culture but are not limited by it. Some of us choose to study and stay close to our heritage. Others choose to explore beyond that and branch out in different areas. I believe that we are very misunderstood in our beliefs and our spirituality just like any other culture.

Ricky - What are some of the difficulties of being Native in America?

Wes - Seeing people hurt because of misconceptions of our culture or belief system. Experiencing racism and hatred. Being passed over for promotions or discriminated against because you are considered less than.

Ricky - What are your thoughts on the DAPL?

Wes - Water is life and this is very important. I have actually started writing a poem about this.

I stand to fight with my war cry

My people have fought way too long to just survive

You try to wipe us from the face of the Earth

You people tell us the Crawling Darkness will tell us no lies

But it brings about only death and destruction

in its path It corrupts even our own

Take a look around Our Mother Earth is dying

Her blood is on our hands if we do not stand

The Hawk sent a vision to me

Showing me the Crawling Darkness beneath it

Starving hope from us

To the others lost in the wonders

Erasing us from their heads

Do you even know us

We are free but will we be free from you

Will you see me now

When the Crawling Darkness comes for your land

It will swallow you up and spit you out

The government with forked tongues

They ride their greed and lies

They have children with no minds

Spitting poison into our eyes

The cowards carry lightning in their hands

They thrust it into our souls but we still fight

To the end we still fight

Ricky - In your thoughts, what are some things that need to be done in our country to respect our earth more?

Wes - We need to rid our hearts of greed. There needs to be stricter sanctions on corporations that don’t take the proper steps to take care of our planet. We ourselves need to be ambassadors to the earth, and clean up our lakes and rivers. We need to stop acting like self-involved children and clean up after ourselves, appreciate nature and participate in more outdoor activities. When you enjoy nature you develop a love for it and want to do everything you can to take care of it.

Ricky - What's one truth about who Natives are that you'd like people to know?

Wes - Most are very spiritual and close to the creator and nature. They are kind hearted and always willing to help others.

Ricky - You dance at Pow Wows, and you and I have discussed this a little, can you describe what dancing at a Pow Wow means to you personally?

Wes - It is my way to connect with the creator. To feel the spirit within the circle as all of my brothers and sisters come together making us one heartbeat, this is how we connect. I dance differently at different pow wows, it all depends on how I am being led by the spirit. When I dance I go to a whole different level of being, like I am having an out of body experience. It is a very powerful experience.

Ricky - What's one thing you'd like people that go to Pow Wow's to know about them?

Wes - That it is a gathering for fellowship. When we have the intertribal dances that the spectators should participate so that they might experience the spirit as we do and feel the connection. Most feel embarrassed and are worried how they look in the circle but they need to move past that and open their minds so that they will be able to feel the spirit move through them.

Ricky - What's been your most rewarding experience at a Pow Wow?

Wes - Seeing others moved by the way I dance in the circle. Many have told me that they can feel my spirit and they have even had tears in their eyes from the way I dance, and that they had felt something that they had never felt before.

Ricky - One thing I personally have been curious about. At Pow Wow's, military veterans are honored in the entrance ceremony and many Natives have served our country. Where does that patriotism come from to a country that has done so much to Native's in history and even still today?

Wes - We celebrate the Veterans because they have sacrificed as many of our ancestors have, to fight for a country that we believe one day might be worthy of their service. Whether or not they believe in what the government stands for, this is their home and regardless of those in power the land belongs to the people.

Ricky - Are there any final thoughts that you'd like to leave our readers with?

Wes - We should all take a look at ourselves. We are all human beings and we need to take care of mother earth not only for ourselves but also for our children and our grandchildren. We need to think with our own minds instead of being led like sheep, always questioning authority and demanding to know why things are being done. Stand up for what you believe to be right, even if it goes against the popular decision.

The next excerpt is about me and is written as I like to do with a secret message within a message.

Now you have read me, but do you know me now.

Do I look broken to you or can you show me how to mend the pieces?

I look into the mirror and do I see a savage?

Do I see a beast or a monster inside of me?

All I want is to be set free.

Why am I nothing to you?

Why can you not see my pain?

When I walk amongst the stars will I not see you on the other side?

I am trying to save you and all you can do is deny,

while the crawling darkness lays dormant within.

Can we heal you from the inside or will you become a mindless slave of soulless bondage?

Life begins and ends with the hunter.

The lives he takes; he takes one by one.

The hunter then stands and gives thanks for the spirit he has taken.

Wanting the soul to be remembered for all eternity. The hunter feeds all.

Hoka Hey

Wes

Ricky Davis 11/4/16 Ricky Davis 11/4/16

Beauty Redefined Series Post #5 - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #5

"I am transgender, my scars still tell people that. No one knows that when they see me or meet me, some even after talking to me still have no idea that I was born female. I'm like every other man on a three dollar bill, a masculine queer mess. I'm twenty five years old, I have been transitioning for six years, been on hormones for five years and had top surgery the summer of 2014. I was part of the last generation of Trans individuals who had to adhere to guidelines on our transition, instead of just informed consent for treatment.

I was my high school prom queen, I had good grades, great friends and amazing family. Two weeks after graduation I left though, moved to Orlando Florida and shaved my head bald. I started binding my chest in all the wrong ways, I was constantly making myself sick from the compression on my chest. I attempted suicide in 2010, wrecking my car and making a decision to come out to myself and my family. Fast forward a few years and I had started transitioning, dropped out of school in Orlando, left my boyfriend and moved back home. I worked constantly and saved up about half of the money for my surgery. I was declined insurance coverage for my "cosmetic" surgery after paying out two hundred and fifty bucks a month on insurance I was told, "covered that process". I paid out of pocket for everything, and quit that job. Now I sit pretty on my throne with my fiancé, two dogs, two cats, and my tarantula.

My goal is to be a man that uses his privilege for something more then false security, I want my privilege to help break inequality. My best belief that I practice is, never stop falling in love with strangers, otherwise you will never learn anything new." Andrew

Stay tuned next week for the next in the Beauty Redefined Series.

Ricky Davis 10/31/16 Ricky Davis 10/31/16

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #4 - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #4 - Brian

"Beauty is....complicated. It's tattoos, piercings, cracks, and scars. It's being nice to your fellow humans and treating people like you want to be treated. It's everything that makes you a better person. Beauty comes from the inside and outside.

We say we want a perfect girl but everyday we prove with our actions that, that isn't true. We want a girl who is crazy enough to be fun and interesting but not crazy enough to get us arrested. We want someone who will be better and make us better because we were together." Brian

Hope you enjoyed reading this week's post from my Beauty Redefined Series. Stay tuned for next week!

Ricky Davis 10/21/16 Ricky Davis 10/21/16

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #3 - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Anonymous - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #3 - Anonymous

" So I'm fighting cancer. Which in and of itself isn't a big deal. It is what it is. But it takes over your body and changes it, inside and out. Things change that you never expected to change. You lose internal organs (for me, a radical hysterectomy). You pump poison into it to try and save you. You lose things that define you, like your long red curly hair. Your shape changes; sometimes you gain weight, sometimes you lose it. You bruise. A LOT. You look tired even when you're not; but lets face it.... you are. It feels violating to have your body betray you and what you felt as your femininity being taken away. I've had people yank off my hats; call me fat and ugly...and I've also had the reverse happen. I've been extremely private about my cancer; it's not public knowledge. But beauty; beauty is inside. But sometimes you need to feel it on the outside too, and our society is harsh about what it considers beautiful. I'm bruised, I'm chubby, I'm bald...but I'm still beautiful."

Anonymous

Ricky Davis 10/14/16 Ricky Davis 10/14/16

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #2 - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Claire & Marty - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #2

"The beauty I see is the devotion I have for caring for a spouse who can't take care of himself any longer. In a world with instant gratification and throw away marriages, I believe there must be beauty in faithfulness...." Claire

We hope you enjoyed this week's Beauty Redefined Series post. Stay tuned for the next one next Friday.

Ricky Davis 10/7/16 Ricky Davis 10/7/16

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #1 - Photographer Ricky Davis

Beauty Redefined Series - Photo - Ricky Davis - Cera O'Dell

Beauty Redefined Series - Post #1

"I started self-harming at twelve years old. There was never really a wish to die, just to find a way to distract from the sadness and anger. I came from a very controlling, strict, religious household and sometimes the only thing I felt in control of was how many cuts I made on my arm that day. It became a way for me to deal with depression and anxiety into adulthood. I used to be really self-conscience of the scars on my arms, but now they don’t bother me as much. I thought about tattooing over them then I realized I don’t want to cover them up. They constantly remind me that I was strong enough to overcome a really dark period in my life. All of us have scars from making it through rough times. Mine are just visible. " Cera

This is a blog that I've been anxiously awaiting to share for the last few months. Earlier this year, I decided to revisit a series idea that I had several years ago. The first "Beauty Redefined" idea involved b&w portraits and quotes about beauty from those I photographed.

The new series focuses around studio portraits done on black and white film photography and discussing not only beauty in the typical sense of the word, but how different people view it, and how culture shapes our views as well. I wanted to share stories from people who have had different life experiences, and share a variety of views. The series debuted recently at the Nashville RAW Artists Verve Showcase and I'm in discussion for another show in the Spring because this is going to be an ongoing showcase.

Ricky Davis 9/5/16 Ricky Davis 9/5/16

Ryan Oyer Band - So Far, So Good - Coming Soon.

Ryan Oyer Band - So Far So Good - TRD Photography

Ryan Oyer Band - So Far, So Good - September 23 2016

Earlier this year I got a message from Ryan discussing his band's new EP coming out this fall. We were discussing album art and I asked about shooting it solely on 35mm film. Ryan thought it was a great idea and informed me that they actually recorded the album on analog as opposed to digitally.

We got together in Chattanooga down at the Tremont Tavern and we shot the album art using Kodak Tri X film and a taped together Canon Ti camera (I've since upgraded)

The album is slated for release on September 23rd this year and there's a big release show planned at the Granfalloon here in Chattanooga. Tickets can be grabbed here . http://www.granfalloonchattanooga.com/calendar-of-events/2016/9/23/ryan-oyer-band-cd-release-party

Be sure to check them out and support! Ryan's a great musician and the cd is SICK.

Check out Ryan at www.ryanoyer.com

Here's a few more shots from the shoot.

Ricky Davis 7/27/16 Ricky Davis 7/27/16

Minolta XG1 Find and Test.....

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.

Ricky Davis 3/2/16 Ricky Davis 3/2/16

WWII Veteran Photographic Series - Pvt Charles E. Miller - 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.

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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. "

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. "

"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. "

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

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 12/16/15 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 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 9/5/15 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.

Beauty Redefined Series - Jolee - TRD Photography