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 11/26/16 Ricky Davis 11/26/16

Holiday Weekend Sale - 30% off Prints

Downtown Chattanooga - Nov 2016 - Smoke from the Wildfires covering the city in haze.

Huge Holiday Weekend Print Sale

www.etsy.com/shop/therickydavisgallery

Instead of a one day sale for Black Friday, or Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday...I've made a four day sale for 30% off some of my prints. You'll find an array of different landscape, travel, and film photography that I've done. If you have favorites that aren't listed, feel free to message me and I'll take care of you.

I also want to thank all of you that have supported my work over the years. Your kind words and encouragement means the world. Sometimes it can get difficult being a local artist, but your support really makes a huge difference.

This weekend, checkout other local businesses and support local. They are people that actually care and appreciate your support.

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 8/3/16 Ricky Davis 8/3/16

Nashville RAW Artists Gallery Show - TRD Photography

TRD Photography - Nashville RAW Artists - Verve September 27th 2016

Nashville RAW Artists - Gallery Show September 27th 2016

Last week I was asked to show at the Verve Show at the Nashville RAW Artists show in Nashville, TN on September 27th. I'm really stoked about this event. I've got some big plans for what I'll be showing. I'll be debuting my series, Beauty Redefined.

I would love to have as many supporters come out and see this series along with all the other amazing artists at this event. With RAW shows, we must sell 20 tickets for the show to cover a portion of the venue's expenses. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $20 at the door.

To help support my part of the show, click the flyer above and click Buy Tickets. Choose TRD Photography as the artist you'd like to support and your ticket purchase will count towards my 20 tickets. I appreciate it so much! It'll be the first chance to get to take a look at this series.

Much Love,

Ricky

Ricky Davis 8/2/16 Ricky Davis 8/2/16

Moll Mag South Africa Interview with TRD Photography

Moll Mag South Africa - TRD Photography Interview

Recently I did an interview for Moll Mag South Africa. It was one of the most fun interviews I've ever gotten to do. Be sure to check it out. Click the photo and go read it. :)

Ricky

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 6/18/16 Ricky Davis 6/18/16

16 Things I Learned on Vacation....

Sunset on the way to the top of Clingman's Dome. Travel Photography - TRD Photography

16 Things I Learned on Vacation...

1. Waiting to try to make it up Clingman's Dome to photograph the sunset until twenty minutes or so before is a bad idea....especially if you're out of shape.

2. Hiking in the heat of the day in 90+ degree weather plus ridiculous humidity, not a great idea...especially if you're out of shape.

3. I'm out of shape...but not as much as I was when I started vacation. :)

4. No matter how much you plan on catching up on some reading, you never get quite the amount done that you really wanted.

5. Having a cabin outside of cell phone coverage is a blessing...

6. 90+ degree weather and a hot tub....it still works.

7. Ratty A/C in the cabin, a bit annoying.

8. I am most assuredly not a morning person. As much as I planned on getting up at 6 am at the latest every morning to go out and shoot landscapes...it happened one day.

9. Sometimes no matter how much talent you have, or how you've perfected your craft, if you stay in your bubble, you're just going to be a blip on the radar of this thing called life.

10. I don't want to be a blip, I want to be an earthquake and shake things up a bit.

11. I have awesome friends that will come and hang out, even when they are bruised and burnt. :)

12. I wish I'd had more time to grill.

13. Elk love to eat dead leaves...

14. I'm not a fan of trying to take photos while my glasses keep fogging up due to humidity.

15. People don't like to email your assistant to get answers rather than continuing to ask you questions via Facebook when you tell them to email because you're out of town.

16. Sometimes you need to slow down and enjoy life and family a bit more.

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

How you see the world...what is and isn't there? TRD Photography

Wreck of the Peter Iredale - Astoria, OR - 2015 - TRD Photography -

How you see the world?

The other evening I was driving back from an event in Middle Tennessee. I was looking around and along the way I saw a few images that stuck out to me that would have been pretty cool if composed right. Of course, I had taken the day as a chance to leave my camera behind just to have a breather. The thought made my mind wander though.

Have you ever seen photos that were just so beautiful that you wanted to go there to experience what the person taking the photo experienced? Back in 2013 when I road tripped to Portland, Oregon, and later back again, albeit a different route, I was excited to see the country and experience all these amazing things and places I've seen photographs of. My experience was rushed, but even so when in the moment, I was a little disappointed. Things didn't add up.

Fall Colors in the Smokies - TRD Photography

I've had several people talk to me about how some of my photos have made people want to experience places. They see a waterfall and want to sit next to it. See the coast and want to sit listening to the waves. It's interesting how a photo can illicit such emotion and just open up our visions of the entire scene. We can see it all in our minds eye. I'm no different. I see photographs and get jealous all the time that I wish I could experience these places. It's interesting for me though because having taken some photos, I've been on the other side of it.

At the Wreck of the Peter Iredale (the photo at the top) - I was surrounded by people, people walking in front of me, climbing on the ship, people walking along the water. There was no way I was going to get a clear shot. I knew the photo I wanted but I was seriously disappointed the day of because I didn't think I got it. It actually took about a year to get it cleaned up enough to where I felt comfortable posting it.

The Fall Colors photo (above) had a car parked beneath the trees. The waterfall photo below is one I've been asked about a good bit. People asking where it is because they want to see it in person. It's not a usual falls though. It was more the result of spring runoff, and dried up soon afterward.

Waterfall in the Smokies - TRD Photography

What I think it all boils down to is how do you see the world? Sometimes amidst all the clutter and garbage, there's beauty right in front of our face. Sometimes it beautiful places you can be so overwhelmed by everything there that it can all run together. You have to stop and breathe and learn to look for compositions. Look for the snapshots, whether it's in actual photography or taking mental images. Sometimes you see a grove of trees and as a whole it's just a lot of trees, but you compose it a certain way and boom, it becomes something else.

In photography, it's all about the eye. We are blessed to have people share the way that they view the world. As photographers too, we should count it as a blessing to sit back and enjoy each others work and see different ways of viewing the world around us. Not everyone sees the world the same way. It's amazing when you can see things from a different point of view, and realize what is and isn't there is all a matter of perspective.

If you feel like checking out some of my work available as prints - check out my gallery at www.etsy.com/shop/therickydavisgallery - new photos being added all the time.

Ricky Davis 6/2/16 Ricky Davis 6/2/16

Rates & Policy Change - Effective July 1st 2016

Model - Alex Van Zeelandt - Photo - TRD Photography

Rates & Policy Change - Effective July 1st 2016

I know, I know - we all hate to hear about rate increases. Originally, I was looking at some policy changes due to an increase in the lack of reliability that some of have shown over the past six months to a year. It has long been held a policy of mine to take deposits for sessions, but there's been a major increase in people rescheduling the day of sessions in the past six months, and that costs me time and money after I've had to turn away other clients wanting those dates. So I had to step back and re-evaluate how I operate as a photographer as well as how other professionals in my field operate. This has led to some changes.

Effective for shoots starting July 1st and in the future, my sessions are going to change. My sessions are going to be time based.

Mini Sessions will be 30 minutes and will now be $75. You will be limited to one outfit.

Regular Sessions will be one hour and will be $150. You'll be limited to two outfits.

Full Sessions will be up to two hours and will be $225. You'll be limited to 4 outfits.

These sessions prices are a retaining fee to book you for a date and for my time. These fees must be paid in full to book your date. These fees are non-refundable. If you must reschedule your session, I ask for a 48 hour notice, and the shoot must be rescheduled within 30 days of your shoot date. I allow rescheduling your session twice, but after that there is a $50 re-booking fee. If the shoot is rescheduled due to bad weather, it doesn't count. If I must reschedule with you for an emergency twice, I'll either give you $50 off your shoot, or you can choose to cancel your session and get your session fee back.

Session Fees - The session fees do not include your photos or cds. After your session, I will create an online gallery where you can view your photographs. These will be unedited images, and you get to choose what images that you would like to have edited from your shoot. I offer them in a couple of different ways: Digital Downloads or Prints.

Digital Downloads - On the photos that you would like to have from your shoot, if you choose to purchase a digital download, you get the photo as well as a print release so you can print your photos anywhere or as often as you'd like. Digital Downloads are $25 per photo.

Prints - You can purchase a print of each of the photos for $20 per sheet. One sheet consists of 1 8x10, 2 5x7's, or 8 Wallets. Other sizes are available. If you purchase a print of an image, you do get a low res, watermarked copy of the photo for use online.

CD's - If you'd like to have a cd copy of your images, it's a $15 fee to help cover shipping and cd costs.

Over the years, I have fought going to this kind of rate system, but after having far too many days booked and turning away clients, only to get a call or text the morning of that it just wasn't going to work that day, something had to be changed. I hope that you guys understand the changes, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Again, this all goes into effect for shoots July 1st or later. If you've already booked a session going forward, it doesn't affect you.

I will also be changing my wedding policies, but that is still being finalized.

RIcky

Ricky Davis 4/8/16 Ricky Davis 4/8/16

Stifled by Style - a TRD Photography blog

My assistant Nickie Pruitt - Film - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Stifled by Style

Sometimes you get known for a particular style of work, and it can start to get in your head. You worry about posting stuff outside of that look, worry about if people are going to dig it, or if you're going to end up pissing people off and losing business. If you're not careful, you end up so focused on end results and then you really just cut into the mindset that built your vision to begin with.

I've felt this way for a minute. I do such diverse styles that have such varied audiences that it's always been something in the back of my head. At various points I've strayed from the work that I really enjoy doing sometimes. I recently read a book called "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon ( www.austinkleon ) and it really opened my eyes to some things. Get prepared to get to know more about me, what inspires me, and see more of the the styles that catch my eye.

My assistant Nickie Cox - Film - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

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 3/1/16 Ricky Davis 3/1/16

"Infuse your Life with Art" Video of Artist Trevor Ledford by TRD Photography

"Infuse your Life with Art" Artist Trevor Ledford

I met Trevor a couple of years ago at a tattoo convention. Since, I've done several sessions with him and recently I got to collaborate with him by doing a video entitled "Infuse your Life with Art." I am so stoked to share Trevor and his vision with you guys. He has a gallery show coming up soon, so I wanted to share that info with you guys as well as his bio so you can get to know the mind behind the art a little bit.

His Gallery Show will be held

Place: Creative Arts Guild, 520 West Waugh St., Dalton, Ga 30720

Date: May 6, 2016 (opening reception), will be displayed throughout May, Reception time: 5:30-7:30 PM

Trevor says "I have been an artist my entire life, and an art educator for the past 13 years. I prefer to work mainly within the mediums of drawing & painting. A lot of my art tends to have a pop feel to it due to my love of highly saturated colors & high contrast values. I try to grab your attention with the image and create an emotional connection. My work is meant to be experienced in a visceral way. Always looking for new ways to create & share my art, I’m very experimental. I’ve shown my work all over the world. It’s cool to think that there are little bits of me scattered everywhere!"

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

Old Hollywood Glamour Event Video - TRD Photography

Stacy - Hair/MUA - Christine Bordeaux - TRD Photography

Hollywood Glamour Event - January 24th 2016

A few Sundays ago, Christine Bordeaux and I, welcomed four amazing ladies to a special event at the Blackbeard Tattoo shop in Chattanooga, TN. Christine provided hair and makeup, and turned the ladies into bombshells from the years gone by. We had a lot of fun and shot a little behind the scenes video as well to just give a sampling of what all went down that day.

Ashley - Hair/MUA - Christine Bordeaux - TRD Photography

Rani - Hair/MUA - Christine Bordeaux - TRD Photography

Lacy - Hair/MUA - Christine Bordeaux - TRD Photography

Ricky Davis 1/21/16 Ricky Davis 1/21/16

The Boudoir Sessions - FAQ - TRD Photography

Jessica - The Boudoir Sessions - TRD Photography - Chattanooga, TN

The Boudoir Sessions - FAQ - TRD Photography

Lets face it, choosing a boudoir photographer can be quite a challenge. First, just deciding to do a boudoir session can be a little nerve wracking. For a lot of ladies, maybe you've never done one before and just the idea of getting more intimate photos taken, either for yourself or your significant other, makes you step outside of your comfort zone a little bit. I've worked with a lot of women that have expressed just that to me over the years, so I definitely can understand where you're coming from.

Second, there's the idea of finding a boudoir photographer, someone that you can be comfortable with, that you can trust, and that is going to deliver some beautiful photos. To help you both get to know me and my work a little better, as well as just hopefully give you some advice to help make an informed decision I've put together a little FAQ for you that explains some of my practices, as well as answers some generic questions about boudoir work.

Vanessa - - The Boudoir Sessions - TRD Photography - Chattanooga, TN

1. What is boudoir photography?

Some people have different takes on boudoir work. Yes, boudoir photography is meant to be more intimate type work, however different people have different views on what is intimate. For some, intimate may mean lingerie and a bedroom setting, but for others it may be a long shirt and an open field. There's no wrong answer for what makes you comfortable and what you feel is intimate.

2. Will my photos be posted?

A lot of people are super nervous because they want their images strictly for their significant other. My policy is I won't post anyone's photos that don't want them to be. My ultimate goal at any of my shoots is I want my client to be comfortable, and if your images are just for you, or for your significant other, then they WILL stay that way.

3. Choosing a boudoir photographer - male or female?

This is a big question out there and ultimately it does come down to what will make you comfortable. Lets face it, there are a lot of creeps out there and you can't be too careful. I am a male photographer and I've been shooting since 2009. I have many, many repeat clients and clients that state they will only shoot with me because of the way I work a shoot. But I do understand that some women just feel more comfortable with another female shooting them. Honestly, it's all about preference and the type of images/style that you'd like.

4. I want to book a shoot, now what?

So you've been looking over my portfolio's and you'd like more information about booking a session. First, email me at trd@trdphotography.com Please let us know what type of session you are interested in. We will get back to you and tell you how you can make a deposit on your session. I personally do not discuss details on shoots until a deposit has been made. The reason being we get a lot of inquiries and some people will try to plan shoots out time and again but have no intention of ever following through. Our time is valuable so we only plan things out when a deposit is made. After the deposit is made, we will get with you on a date, discuss the style of your session, and then book your hair/makeup artist.

Tootsie - The Boudoir Sessions - TRD Photography - Chattanooga, TN

5. Can I do my own hair/makeup?

All of my boudoir session packages now have hair and makeup built into the rates. The reason for this is a boudoir session is more than just getting amazing pics. It's about relaxing, and enjoying the experience. I have several top notch hair/makeup artists that I work with on a regular basis that I will book for your session and that will make you feel like royalty. Hair and Makeup is such a vital part of professional photographs. If you have experience doing hair/makeup for photo sessions we can discuss it, otherwise I do use the people I know are going to deliver top notch results.

6. Wardrobe Assistance - what is it?

We get asked a lot of times whether or not we provide wardrobe for our shoots. We do not. Occasionally we might have something available to wear, but really for your session you provide your outfit. We are available for wardrobe assistance if you need it in regards to planning what kind of outfits would work best for the style/mood of boudoir session you would like to do. This is part of the planning stage and is provided, if needed, after the deposit is put down.

7. Something Came Up - what do I do?

Occasionally things do some up and you need to reschedule. We do require a 24 hour notice to reschedule your session. If something has come up and you rescheduled, you have 60 days to reschedule your shoot. If you no show a session, your deposit is no longer valid toward rescheduling. If you wish to book another session, a new deposit would be required.

8. Lifestyle Boudoir vs Glamour Boudoir

We will be making a more detailed blog about this in the future but a quick explanation. Lifestyle boudoir is a style that entails more minimally edited work. Blemishes, colors, some softened elements but it's not the typical model looking work that I've been known for. Glamour boudoir is more of boudoir sessions done and edited with more of the modeling type look that I've done over the years - airbrushed, eye popping, etc.

If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to email us at trd@trdphotography.com and we'll be glad to get back to you. We hope to work with you soon.

Ricky

Beauty Redefined Series - Jolee - TRD Photography