Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits with Katie & Adam
Old Car City Wedding Portraits - TRD Photography - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA Wedding Portraits - Katie & Adam
I first met Katie & Adam when we got together earlier this year to do their engagement photos. When we first talked Katie let me know that they wanted UNIQUE sessions for both their engagement photos and then again, for a special wedding portrait session because their wedding would be out of town and these would be their big wedding photos. I was thrilled to plan something special and with their engagement, we got together with Half Moon Ambassadors and did their engagement photos with Stark, a wolf dog. For their wedding portraits, we tried to top it.
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA is located outside of Atlanta, in White Georgia. It's such an amazing location and is the oldest antique car junkyard, but that doesn't even begin to cover the things you'll see there. It was such a cool place to do something like wedding photos. We did a mix of digital work and film for their session.
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
I hope that you enjoy these shots. If you're interested in working with me, feel free to send us a message. We are located in the Chattanooga/Cleveland, TN area and we love to do unique sessions to capture your special moments.
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Old Car City USA - Wedding Portraits - Chattanooga Wedding Photographer
Imitation vs Inspiration - Part 3 of Wanna Be a Photographer
Model - Candice Mariee - Photo - TRD Photography
Imitation vs Inspiration
For anyone in the creative field, discussing imitation and inspiration can be a bombshell subject. I've heard so many photographers, models, tattoo artists, etc talk about their work being copied. I'm gonna share my two cents and a couple stories. What I have to say is simply my opinion, take of it what you will.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with studying work that you admire and being inspired to go about creating your own style. If you're amazing at what you do, and create a unique style, then chances are other people are going to be inspired by that and play around with that style as well, while still NOT copying your shots. Example, look up Robert Alvarado. That man's style is amazing! He teaches workshops so people can learn his techniques. There are also other photographers in the alternative scene that shoot his style (therefore creating an Alvarado look) without copying his actual work.
One important thing to remember, there is absolutely nothing new under the sun. Any idea that you have to photograph, google it and there's probably someone that has attempted something to do with it.
Inspiration should come from multiple sources. In regards to the example I gave about Alvarado, many of the people that have done work in his style, have added their own spin to it. They don't simply go in and try to copy his actual photographs. I personally have found so many different people inspiring at different stages of what I do. The work that speaks to you helps to shape your own voice. Being inspired shouldn't be just from different photographers, but let music, art, and life itself inspire you.
Sometimes people don't look at it like this. Sometimes doing something similar will piss people off. In 2012 I did a photoshoot with a snake and a tattoo model. We did mainly really edgy shots but took a glam looking shot on a black background as well. Shortly after we both got an email accusing us of copying a photograph that neither of us had actually ever seen. It was on a white background and we were told by the model how upset the photographer was that we copied his shot. The two shots' only similarities were that they involved a snake and the models had the sides of their heads shaved. It really bummed me out because the photographer was one of my heroes. That just happened to be an alternate cover that I hadn't seen on the magazine that came out in my area. We explained to the model and she understood. I planned to write him but a model friend I had in LA gave me some advice that has stuck with me. " The only time someone gets pissed that your work is similar, is if they view you as competition."
It can be a very slippery slope. At photoshoots, 90% come in with photos that they want. Which these are photos that either other people photographed, or when it's yours, it's of a model that you photographed. A lot of models have the same wardrobe because they saw this outfit and it's so cute! Others don't have a variety of wardrobe and so they wear it at multiple shoots with various photographers, and then people want to say you copied their work because she's wearing the same thing.
Sometimes mistakes happen. There have been a couple times I really liked an idea, and I worked to change aspects of it up because I liked the lighting, but I wanted to add different things. It looked so close to the original that I scrapped it because I didn't feel comfortable putting something that close to an original out there. Once I made the mistake of agreeing to a duo shoot where we photographed a model at the same time, and because both our work was b&w (I used b&w film) I was accused of copying his work. Lesson learned. Never photograph the same person at the same time someone else is shooting them as well.
There are so many amazing artists out there to be inspired by. Drink it in but be mindful. If you become someone who just imitates rather than developing your own style, people will never say "look at this, it's amazing!" They'll simply say "Oh, this reminds me of....."
So you want to be a photographer - Part 2 - The Basics
Oregon Coast - 2015 - TRD Photography
So you want to be a Photography...Part 2 - The Basics
Over the years I've had numerous people ask me about photography, and there are a lot of misconceptions floating around, or just weird ideas about it that I kinda want to tackle first. And just like I mentioned in my last post, these are my opinions. Not everyone has the same journey and there's not one right way to do this.
Get Rich Quick....
If you're looking to get into photography to get rich, or because you think it's easy money....don't. It's not. Let's face it, you've looked at our rates and you're like "damn! I could do that." So you run out and buy a camera, and decide you're a photographer....These days everyone out there that has a camera is trying to make that easy money. You buy a camera, get Lightroom, and buy a bunch of presets. And then comes actually getting people to book you and pay you for a session. That's a lot harder when there's tons of people out there with the same idea. Even photographers that have years of experience struggle at times. For a lot of us, photography is a secondary gig. It's not a field that many people ever get to the point of where they are "rich" off their photography alone. There are months you can be swamped in work, and months it's hard to even get a booking. You'll get inquiries about your rates, and people will be rude about what you charge, and you'll get hounded to shoot for free. It takes years of work and marketing, and cultivating relationships. If you're starting out and you want to really do photography, do it because you have a passion for it and see where it goes from there.
Do it for the Chicks....
I can't tell you how many dudes have messaged me over the years saying "you're so lucky to get to shoot hot chicks for money" or "can I come hang out at one of your shoots?" I don't even respond. If you're wanting to get into this to see hot girls....just do everyone a favor and don't. If that's your sole motivation, you're not going to get far. You'll just be one of those creepy dudes and sooner or later, it will become evident and people won't want to work with you. Plus you may ruin someone's life and what they are able to do later in life or you may even ruin your life. You put the wrong images out on the internet, and you or they regret it later, there's no taking them down.... So again, you pursue photography because you have a passion for it, and you have something to say...
Put Yourself in their Place...
One thing that I still see a lot of is photos getting released, that can be really embarrassing for the subject. I've done it. Sometimes I still accidentally do it. No one out there is completely 100% comfortable with their body. When you start photography, it takes practice to improve, especially if you don't have graphic design experience. Sometimes that photo that you think is super cool, sometimes is just not flattering for your subject. My personal policy, if someone asks, I'll take it down (and sometimes I really don't want to because some people are just way too hard on themselves) but for me, the most important thing is the person. There's no photo worth making someone feel really crappy about themselves.
Don't Give Up...
When you start off, chances are, you're going to suck. I sucked. I sucked really bad. I looked at photographs from locals and I thought to myself, "well, I'm at least that good." But there were dudes that I saw and I honestly thought to myself, I'd never ever be able to be on that type of level, so why try. When you begin, and you suck, you keep pushing, you keep learning, and you'll continue to grow. In my experience, growing came with practice. I went through stages where airbrushing made people look like plastic, but I didn't stop there. People may say some horrible things to you about your work. If it's your passion, don't listen and keep pushing.
Don't Listen to Haters or Buttkissers...
When I started, I got comments and feedback that was incredible. It made me feel like I was awesome! It made me feel like why work so hard when people already loved my work...Then someone I knew started shooting and their work was pretty rough. They got comments like "beautiful" and "I love this!" and the same people that commented, texted me saying "OMG, did you see how awful that is? They want to shoot me, how can I get out of it?" That opened my eyes. The people that blow smoke up your butt, you let it go. On the flip side, you'll have people say horrible things about your work AND about you. This is an industry that can eat you alive. You have to be your own worst critic.
Get a Camera....
If you legitimately want to be a photographer, get a camera. I've had several people approach me about apprenticeships and wanting me to look over the shoots they've done of people on their iPhone's. Our phone cameras are awesome, and incredibly helpful, but if you want to legitimately take up photography, by all means, get a camera. If you can't afford one yet, save up for it and in the meantime study photographs. Study the lighting in the images. Try to figure out what they did to achieve the styles you like.
That's it for now.... I hope that maybe some of it was helpful to you. It's some things that I wish I had known more about starting out. I hope that it helps you as well.
So you want to be a photographer....Part 1.
Self Portrait - Me - TRD Photography
So you want to be a photographer...Part 1.
Over the years, and more so recently, I've gotten asked a good bit in different ways about "how do I become a photographer?" Nowadays the word "photographer" carries with it a different definition based on who you are, and your view of what a photographer is. For some, owning a camera and taking pics, means "I'm a photographer." Others wouldn't dare classify themselves a photographer until they feel they are "worthy" of the title. This isn't a post to blast anyone or the definition. After all, we all start somewhere and frankly I seriously SUCKED when I started.
I debated a good bit on how to discuss this subject. I decided to break it into several parts and I'll start by talking about how I got started and a little of my background. One thing I want to stress is there are many amazing photographers out there. If you asked each about how to be a photographer or their background, you'd get a ton of different answers. There's not one right way to go about becoming a photographer or on how to be a great photographer. It's your journey...This just happens to be about my journey so far.
I never really picked up a camera until I was 19. I started dating my wife, and she was taking photos of flowers for one of her classes and it was pretty fun. Around 2006 or so, we got our first digital slr. I knew nothing besides shooting in automatic. I shot random crap with it everywhere. Animals, flowers, etc. Around that time period I got injured at work and had to spend some time at home recuperating. I didn't have much to do but sit around and I stumbled across a website for collecting autographs through the mail. I met Niki Ghazian, a model from LA, on Myspace and she liked some of my pics and encouraged me to shoot models. I thought it was crazy and that there wasn't any type of models in our area. After a few years I ran into some old friends who were modeling in the area.
One of the things that I personally think helped me in photography was doing the autograph collecting. Not that actual act of collecting autographs, but when I would look for photos online to get signed, the ones that attracted me to them weren't the basic headshots or just typical photos. I really liked the creative stuff, the ones that stuck out to me as unique. I really feel that's one of the things that helped to shape my eye and the way I try to approach my own work.
In June of 2009 I began shooting here in Chattanooga. That's where I started to feel like I was a photographer. It opened up a world to me that I honestly didn't really know existed. I started off working with models because I was trying to put together photos for a book of poetry that I had written. I honestly didn't think anything would ever become of photography. In starting off, I still knew absolutely nothing about my camera.
Starting off, I studied photos all the time. I wanted to see what was out there. I looked at people in my area and would compare my work. Don't do that. Find the people that do the type of work you like and inspire you. Don't worry about what other people in your area are doing. It's not a competition. Everyone sees things differently and if you're inputting the type of work that inspires you, you'll start creating the type of work that you enjoy and it will be your own.
After about a year of shooting or so, I finally started trying to learn my camera and photoshop. I knew absolutely nothing about either other than basic stuff. One of my biggest teachers was Popular Photography magazine articles, and then a greater teacher was Advanced Photographer magazine from the UK. The photography mags from the UK were by far the best out there. Learning to shoot manual using trial and error to figure out what my cameras could do was imperative. You can't really do what you need to do when shooting in auto. You want full control of your gear and you need that knowledge to troubleshoot in difficult environments.
I do want to state that I'm self-taught. Early on I asked a few local photographers some questions and actually got some advice, that if followed, I'd have been out of photography before I really started. So you gotta be careful out there. I learned from magazines, You-Tube tutorials, and a lot of trial and error.
In late 2011, I got some breaks and started working with some amazing tattoo models and some bigger tattoo sites saw our work and started sharing us all over. That's when I got most of my publication credits was in 2011 and 2012. The tattoo scene was bursting and looking for content. In late 2012, Facebook's algorithms started to change and our reach started to diminish pretty drastically.
If you wanna be a photographer nowadays, you gotta stay up on social media. Truthfully, I don't do a good enough job of it. It's easy to get overwhelmed but it's the difference in jobs, and just scraping by.
In Mid-2015, I started to work with film for the first time since I actually learned how to use a camera and it's been amazing. I enjoy doing the colorful, digital work but b&w film is my love. I've always been drawn to gritty b&w photos but with a digital camera I just couldn't really capture the look I liked. B&W film killed it.
Shooting both b&w film and then the other side of my work being colorful, digital has been a seriously tricky road to navigate for me. The style that personally took off for me in digital work has a higher editing style to it and for my film it's more natural. Those are two audiences that don't necessarily always mesh in what they like to see.
Presently I'm still shooting. I still shoot a wide variety of work, models/families/bands/landscapes and I'm trying to do more pet photography. Photography is not a job to get into just for money. Some people see our rates and get the wrong idea that we're rolling in cash. For the most part it's not the case. There are months that it's busy and amazing, and then there are months you might not get a booking. We have overhead of studios, equipment, etc. But I digress, I'll talk more about that in an upcoming part.
I just wanted to share a little bit about my work and how I got started. I tried to keep it shorter (didn't go into stories and such) if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or message me and I'll try my best to reply.
Ricky
Life Happens in Shades of Gray....
Oregon Coast - 2015 - TRD Photography
Life Happens in Shades of Gray
The other day I was having a conversation with someone and we were discussing how different backgrounds affect each of us and the perception of the events taking place in our country. The statement was made "I believe in facts." It is true that there are indisputable facts in our world. There are some things that are black and white, that arguing away will not change. However there is so much in life that is gray.
I am a huge fan of b&w photography, as I'm sure you've probably been able to tell over the years. If you take a b&w photograph and strip it to where it is solely black and white, it's pretty ugly. A great b&w photograph is made in the shades of gray that fill in the details between the two spaces.
In life, each of our lives and viewpoints is shaped by our experiences, backgrounds, and the choices that we've made. If you grew up in the South, you've probably grown up with a different view than someone on the West Coast. If you grew up poor, you've had different life experiences than say someone born into wealth. Each of our lives are shades of gray. The only way we can make a true work of art is by realizing we are a piece of a larger puzzle and we're meant to come together into this epic photo.
Rate & Policy Change - Effective for June 1st and Beyond
Rate & Policy Change
I have decided to make a few changes on my rates and policies. The way that I charge for my sessions will be going back to way I used to charge for session. PLEASE be sure to read the entire policy change.
Mini Sessions will be 3 photos for $100 - Regular Sessions are 6 for $100 - Full Sessions are 10 for $100.
I'm excited to have photos included in the packages again rather than them being purchased separately. However, here are where the policy changes come in.
Deposits are going up to $100 to book your session and they are non-refundable. It counts towards the cost of the shoot, but if you no show or cancel the day of, it's gone. You have two reschedules in case of emergencies and I ask for a minimum of 24 hour notice. Shoot must be rescheduled within 30 days of your original shoot date. If I have an emergency and need to reschedule more than twice, I'll give the $100 back or take $100 off your shoot.
Biggest Policy Change
In going back to charging this way I'm also changing the way I offer photos in the packages. Up until a couple of years ago my policy was that I pick out the best photos from the session. In recent years I've allowed people the choice to either pick them or if they want me to pick them out. At the price packages that I'm offering, I'm changing my policy that I pick out the photos. I'm doing this for a couple of different reasons.
- It has become a major issue for me that people are taking months to pick out their photos from their sessions. Some people will do a shoot and then debate and debate over what photos they actually want trying to narrow it down. I have numerous shoots from 2016 that have yet to pick out their photos and that leaves me with limited space on my hard drives and on my album directory for them to pick out their photos.
- Most people come to me because they like my "style" of work. Some ask me to do everything from planning their outfits, to concept, etc, but then it comes down to picking the photos and they pick shots that are more basic and don't really have my feel to them, and then some are disappointed that they don't have the "TRD" feel. If you enjoy my work, I know my work and style better than anyone. It hurts sometimes to see the best photos get left because people don't have the end vision of the photographs like I do.
With making this change, I realize that some people will still want the freedom to pick out their photos. I'm still going to allow people to pick out their photos if they insist, however I will be charging a $50 fee if you choose to pick out your photos.
If you have any questions about these policies, just let me know. I'm trying to streamline things to make my turnaround time better, and get people the style of work that they enjoy from me to them and keep it affordable.
Ricky
Raw - No Photoshop/No Makeup Shoot - Holly
No Photoshop/No Makeup Shoot - Holly - Ricky Davis
RAW Shoot with Holly
I first met Holly and her boyfriend Jeff last fall for my Native Portrait Series. They both have become two of my best friends. Recently Holly and I got together to do a raw, no photoshop/no makeup shoot. These are some of my personal favorite shoots to do. To this point most of my raw shoots I've done digitally, or a combo of digital and film. With Holly's I shot both, but these photos are all from the film portion of the shoot AND this is the first RAW set that I've shot outside of the confines of the studio as well. The ultimate goal with these shoots is I want to give people a glimpse from another perspective. So many times we've become caught up in a certain look, or with an ideal of who we are or what we have to look like. There's nothing wrong with makeup, but I think it's important to not allow your identity to become shaped by what products or style that's in at a given moment. Beauty is in who you are.... Below is more photos from the set as well as what Holly had to say about her shoot. Photos are Kodak Tri X 35mm film pushed to 800.
RAW - Holly - Ricky Davis
"I had to talk myself into doing a raw photo shoot. The concept is foreign to me, as I rarely leave the house without makeup. On my way to the shoot, my most intrusive thought was about how these pictures were going to be something I would cringe at when it was all said and done and that what little confidence I had would be crushed. Ricky got started and I was telling him all of these fears while he was working. He started laughing and turned the camera around and I felt silly for having doubted his eye for art. I feel more powerful for having done this, as it's another fear confronted and conquered. " Holly
RAW - Holly - Ricky Davis
RAW - Holly - Ricky Davis
RAW - Holly - Ricky Davis
Ink Revolution - Talking with Cece Sinclair
Model Cece Sinclair - Photo - TRD Photography
Talking with Cece Sinclair
IR - So Cece, how did you get interested in modeling?
Cece - Well I started doing a lot of self portraits at the age of 14 once I got my first camera. I fell in love with doing it but was so terrified of modeling because that meant working with strangers and people I didn't know. But once I got comfortable more being in front of the camera in front of photographers it just escalated from there and it's something I honestly love doing more than anything!
IR - What's your favorite music at a shoot?
Cece - My favorite music is generally electric, trap, or rap when it comes to shoots. Something that makes me peppy or makes me feel sexy is definitely a mood setter for a shoot.
IR - If you could have a live performance by any musician while you shoot, who would it be?
Cece - Oh man, T.Mills for sure! But at the same time I don't know if I would be too nervous for that! He's so fine!
IR - Ha! So what's been your favorite movie to come out this year so far?
Cece - Probably The Jungle Book. I absolutely fell in love with that movie.It definitely caught me in the feels, I'll tell you that.
Model Cece Sinclair - Photo - TRD Photography
IR - What do you enjoy doing in your down time?
Cece - That's a good question. I love going to the gym, or playing tennis, just being outdoors or planning adventures is usually what ends up happening.
IR - That's awesome. So what's the craziest adventure you've posted on Snapchat? I saw you playing in the toy department not too long ago.
Cece - Oh jeez, I've had many drunk adventures on snapchat , whether it's battling on scooters in the toy aisle or going caving or just spontaneous adventures, it's always a fun time, totally snapchat worthy.
Model - Cece Sinclair - Photo - TRD Photography
IR - So... Snapchat or Instastory?
Cece - I like insta story better! I think it's more convinient having it both in one app plus I can keep up with all my sexy followers! Haha!
IR - If you could make any changes to the Instastory, what would they be?
Cece - Being able to send story's to specific people! Not just to all your followers!
IR - That would be cool. So tell me about your ink. When did you first get tattooed?
Cece - I got my first tattoo a couple weeks after I turned 18. I went to Gary King at Turnin Headz and have been going to him ever since and now I have 27!
IR - I really dig his work! Do you have any new ink coming up?
Cece - Yes! I plan to get background on the lower section of my arm and more flowers on my shoulder!
IR - Awesome man! Where can people find you to give you a follow?
Cece - @rapidkicks on Instagram for sure!
Model - Cece Sinclair Photo- TRD Photography
By Ricky Davis in Ink Revolution
40 pages, published 5/1/2017
Ink Revolution - Interview with Tattoo Artist Michael Clester of Studio 617
Ink Revolution - Tattoo Artist Michael Clester - Shop - Studio 617 - Photo - TRD Photography
Interview with Michael Clester - Studio 617
IR - How did you get involved in the tattoo industry?
Michael - I got involved in the tattoo industry at a young age, my father tattooed and I was always in the shop when he was there getting stencils put on me because I wanted to be as cool as my pops. My time tattooing didn't really start till I was 21-22 where I got an apprenticeship in my home town and it all blossomed from there really, I started in North Carolina and I'm ventured my way out here to Tennessee
IR - When we were hanging out, you mentioned that you began drawing at an early age. Having a father that tattooed, how did that influence you when you were learning to draw?
Michael - Yeah man at an early age I kind of found a passion for drawing, I think just like any other kid, I just loved doodling, my father wasn't around a whole lot being deployed in the armed service, but my mom said I always kind of entertained my self and drawing was that outlet that kept me busy, but I guess to more answer the question I never really thought about how it affected me because I never thought I'd be tattooing for a living, but I guess I'd say I definitely found a interest in it being around it in my younger years.
IR - That's awesome man. For someone that hasn't seen your work yet, how would you describe your style?
Michael - I would say it's an even mix of new school and traditional, bold images with a new school flair, everyone has a hard time describing it and always just says it's a style of its own, but you can tell I did it lol I have my own little trade marks I like to try and put in every tattoo so you know with out a doubt I did it
IR - I'd say that's a good description. Where do you find your inspiration for your art?
Michael - Cartoons, movies and anime, I love the use of vibrant colors and some of the color pallets cartoonist are using now a days, and looking at other artist work like, Timmy b, will Gonzalez, Taylor Cory and Marshall Sinclair are some dudes I look up too.
Tattoo Artist - Michael Clester - TRD Photography
IR - I can definitely see those influences in your work. What's your favorite anime?
Michael - Right now I've been jamming to attack on Titan, Tokyo ghoul and mob psycho 100
IR - I know that Kitty at 617 is a big anime fan too. What's the best thing about your shop? You guys seem to have a good time.
Michael - Everyday is full of us being able to create art in a good environment, we defiantly have a good time there is never a dull moment here at 617. I think kris fords new convention banner pretty much sums up our shop perfectly
IR - Ha! I saw that! I'm looking forward to meeting him.. Seems like a terrific shop. Do you do work in any other mediums?
Michael - He's an awesome dude, and I've worked in earthenware clay, different paint mediums and mixed media stuff, my favorite right now are illustrations done in marker
Tattoo Artist - Michael Clester - Photo TRD Photography
IR - That's killer man! I've enjoyed seeing your illustrations lately. What is one of the most challenging things about being a tattoo artist?
Michael - The main challenge I face every day is that every clients skin is different it's never the same tattooing one person as it is another, also trying to do something creative for a client can be difficult with the images and things found on Pinterest, some people think that's the end all be all of tattoo related images which is kind of funny
IR - What has been your most meaningful accomplishment so far in tattooing?
Michael - Winning my first 3 awards, I was blown away, because when a client comes to you seeking out your work you know and so do they that you are going to give them a tattoo they will love, but having that work judged by your peers in the industry and they think it's cool enough to be awarded something is super awesome to me, I cried like a little girl because tattooing is my everything
IR - That's awesome man! To be able to be passionate about something like that, it's what it's all about man. What are your next goals that you want to accomplish?
Michael - My next goals are to travel and try to do more conventions and get my art and name out there more, I want to grow my collective of people who support what I do is my main goal
IR - That's a great perspective on things to have man! We wish you nothing but the best! I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. Where can people find you and your work online?
Michael - No problem man I always enjoy support my work can be found in Instagram at miketattoo617 or on like at studio617.com and Facebook studio 617
Tattoo Artist - Michael Clester - Photo - TRD Photography
By Ricky Davis in Ink Revolution
40 pages, published 5/1/2017
Ink Revolution - Spring 2017 - Now Available.
We are pleased to announce that the latest, and most likely, final issue of Ink Revolution magazine is now out and available. One of the things that I have loved most about IR over the years is getting to talk to and interview a variety of people, and hopefully take interesting photos of them. That will not be going away. I have plans to carry on interviews and such, but in a blog format and without the the restrictions of keeping it as a "tattoo magazine." I love the tattoo industry and will continue to interview artists and be a part of it, but I want to be able to share stories and opinions of people on a variety of things without worrying about how many tattoos someone has or doesn't have. Stay tuned. And go pick up this kick ass issue.
By Ricky Davis in Ink Revolution
40 pages, published 5/1/2017
Story Behind the Photo - The first "Raw" (No Makeup/No Photoshop) set...
Model Dalis Connell - TRD Photography - 2015
Story Behind the Photo - The first "Raw" set.
I've always been a HUGE fan of gritty b&w photography. It's what makes my heart happy, but back in early 2015, I would shoot b&w because I loved it, but I never dreamed of releasing anything raw or unedited. The reason being is over the years I guess I kinda developed a certain style to my images and in my head, it's what people expected.
One afternoon I was sitting with my friend Dalis at my studio and we were going over a recent shoot. We were looking at some of the unedited ones and she was like "dude, why don't you release these like this? They look awesome!"
"It's unedited man! It doesn't have that look."
"But it looks so natural, and just beautiful. A lot of people are wanting that more natural style now."
She then proceeded to pull up some photographers out west who were indeed doing no photoshop shoots, and they were looking intense. Just with the lighting and knowing their craft, they were creating images that were raw and beautiful. It reminded me of a conversation that I had just had in Nashville with another friend, Kimberlie, where we were discussing the same thing, just not in regards to my photos.
So I said "Dude, lets shoot something where I play with the lighting and we test it as a legit no photoshop shoot?"
"Dude, I'm not wearing any makeup!"
I was like "even better man! It'll be a totally raw shoot." It took a little more convincing but we went into the studio and did a shoot where the only photoshop work done was transitioning the images into b&w. I shot them just with a beauty dish/umbrella speed light. It was an amazing experience.
The response we got for those images was just mind blowing to me. For so long I had this idea in my head that people only wanted my colorful, highly edited style, and then I was able to release gritty b&w imagery that had meaning and it was incredibly liberating. That experience led me more to who I am as a photographer today. Later that year I began experimenting with film photography. I still do highly edited styles of photography, and I do enjoy that as well, but there's nothing like when I get to do a set that is just a gritty image that speaks volumes with no words at all....
Beauty Redefined Series - What is it?!?!? - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - What is it?!?!?!
I'm giving you a break from photos for a post. As you might have noticed, the past several days my posts have centered around what I call the beauty redefined series. Last summer I started shooting for a series of photos that I wanted to do a couple of things with. 1. I wanted to share peoples stories about different elements of their life and 2. In light of those stories, I wanted to construct a broader view of how we look at our fellow people. From the first part of the series, listening to people share their stories and struggles, I learned so much.
A lot of the series that really interest me revolve around the concept of beauty. I think it's an interesting concept for a few reasons. Honestly I think beauty is one of the words that we all know what "it" is, but the definition differs from person to person. It's ingrained in our heads, in our cultures. It's this ideal that we strive for but never quite achieve and in my mind it's because it doesn't exist. There can be no clear cut definition of what beauty is. It differs from person to person. Freedom is another similar kind of word. We all have a different take of what freedom is. We're told that we live in the land of the free, but how far does that freedom actually go? Beauty is something that's preached, but what does it actually entail?
A lot of times we're taught that beauty and ugliness go hand in hand, and it's true, you can't have one without the other. However we're taught to look at outward appearances and judge them. I think ugliness isn't anything appearance based. It's in our actions, in our emotions. Hate & brutality, greed, these are things that define ugliness to me personally and I feel that beauty is in our imperfections. It's in our differences. It's what makes us, us.
The Series for me is something that is a continually evolving project. I'm learning from each person that I've gotten to work with. My goal is to share the stories and the differences, and each of us has a story. My goal is to tell those stories, touch on issues of our time, and my goal is to photograph the individuals in a way that it's not about the identity of who one is, because these stories could belong to your neighbor, your brother, your sister, your co-worker, the person you pass at the grocery store, the guy you nod to that's coming out of the bathroom.... These stories could be any of us. And that's the point.
I'm about to start shooting round 2 of the series. If you'd like to be considered I'll be organizing an upcoming date to shoot round 2. It's all shot in studio on 35mm film. To be considered you must email me your story and why you'd like to be part of the project. We will take several photos but only one is used for the series. If your story is sensitive, you are more than welcome to use the handle of anonymous when we share your story. I realize that some are more of a private nature. We hope you'll share your story with us. If we don't receive your story, we won't be able to set anything up for this series. No photoshoot experience required. Male and Female welcome. Signed release required at shoot.
Beauty Redefined Series - Zack - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Zack - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Zack -
" My fitness journey started 5 years ago while noticing all of my family members getting diagnosed with some sort of illness. Whether it be obesity or diabetes, almost every family member had one or another, if not both. I know some things can occur without our prevention, but I also knew that poor eating habits, lack of exercise, & lousy excuses didn't contribute to a healthy lifestyle. I remember one morning it just hit me that I wasn't going to be another family member that didn't care about ones health.
So I went full force. I didn't have much money at the time so I remember eating plain chicken & broccoli (5 meals a day). My daily schedule was waking up at 4am every morning to do fasted cardio, work 6am-6pm, have night classes to finish my degree from 6:30pm-9pm, then after all of that, get another workout in with the weights. We're talking 18 hour days.
These decisions didn't just develop a healthy lifestyle, it completely opened the doors to new opportunities for me. It made me mentally & physically stronger than I could have ever imagined. I knew if I could commit to bettering myself starting with healthy decisions, then I could take that commitment & determination onto whatever I chose to do in life. "
Zack
Beauty Redefined Series - Alicia - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Alicia - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Alicia -
"I grew up with the ideals of being skinny is good, fat is bad. You had to be skinny to get ahead in life. You had to look like the girls that flaunted their stuff on the catwalk and wear expensive, beautiful garments: virtually "perfect". All the time growing up, it was constant in my mind because of the persistent sight of these women in fashion. Girls at school would be made fun of if they were fat. Of course, wanting to fit into the "perfect" society I had those thoughts of "I must be fat" when my body was perfectly fine. Now a days; I am getting skinny shamed. "Girl eat something!" "What are you a size 0, you look like you don't have an inch of fat on you!" Being "skinny" is now becoming bad too. Women are living in a double standard world of you can't be too fat or too skinny otherwise you will be criticized for that. For that I have come to not like the word skinny for that reason.
In a world that is constantly chasing perfection, I feel so imperfect to those standards that it hurts:I just didn't feel beautiful when I chased it myself. When I know that I am not what they want me to be. I know that I personally have seen that I am not like everyone else. I am my own person, which people don't get to see because they are so misguided by their want to be like what society has imprinted on our minds. I feel like we weren't taught to be individuals, Instead we were taught to try and fit a mold of society.
Outside of society's beauty, I have come to love a different part. My uniqueness of my own face and skin which is scarred from the psoriasis and acne that have plagued me through my life. I have a healthy body that holds cellulite and muscle. Which looks to be "skinny". I can say that I feel beautiful in my own skin because I see the beauty of my unique body."
Alicia
Beauty Redefined Series - Brittany - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Brittany - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Brittany
""Beauty was about control. My self-image, along with a set of lovely signs/symptoms; has been drastically affected due to a developmental disorder, Aspergers Syndrome, which is the highest functioning autism on the spectrum. I focused on my external beauty so I could mask how ugly this syndrome made me feel.
Repression, regression, and retaliation were all three characteristics that I was afflicted with, and my self-image is slowly rising from the crippling life of isolation, anxiety, and self-consciousness that society bestowed upon me.
Females are made to believe in beauty stigmas; you must buy this, you cannot be skinny, fat, pale, or tan. Society may always have this view on beauty and the linked consumers; you and I, are unaware of the hazard it is doing to our perception. Beauty has become so demanding externally, that we forget what makes us feel beautiful, what sets us apart.
I am beautiful due to my nature, empathy, intuition, and perseverance."
Brittany
Beauty Redefined Series - Kendra Sumpter - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Kendra Sumpter - TRD Photography
Beauty Redefined Series - Kendra Sumpter
"I've always been different. I see tattoos as art. Surprisingly, I get more older people that love my tattoos and tell me how beautiful I am with them. My tattoos make me feel like who I'm supposed to be. Different. Set apart from everyone else." Kendra
Story Behind the Photo - The First Equality Shot....
Tattoo Artist - Jennifer Edge - Hair/Makeup - Shae Luke - TRD Photography
Story Behind the Photo - The First Equality Shot.
Quite a few years ago, on a blog far away, I started sharing some of the stories and memories that I had behind some of my photos. Many of my photos don't really have a story other than we thought "hey, this might look cool." Others have more of a memory than a story. After spending some time going through old stuff, I've decided to start blogging some about ones that stick out to me. This photo is one that had a bit of a story and really sparked a series that kinda grew into a life of it's own.
2013 was a very odd year for me. The first half of the year I was preparing for a move to Portland, Oregon. The people in Chattanooga were amazingly supportive and one of the people that I grew very close to during that time is Tattoo Artist Jennifer Edge. We became friends from a shoot that I did for Triple 7 and then I did some promo work for her personally as well. We hit it off and she just is an incredible creative visionary.
In 2013, the background of this idea was that the movement for equality was reaching a fever pitch. Everywhere you turned there were posts, as well as many people had the equality symbol for profile pictures. There was a lot of hate on social media about it. People taking a stand, and others just saying extremely hateful rhetoric. My view was always that I stand for equality and I don't believe the government should create laws based off religious views. If we allow the government to create laws based off of certain religious views, then we open them up to create more laws on different religious views and at some point they'll get around to coming after us all. But I digress....
After moving to Portland, I kept in touch with Jennifer and she was busy with building Main Line Ink. They were opening to their own tattoo shop here in Chattanooga. I was scheduled to come back to Chattanooga for two weeks to shoot a wedding for a friend and while I was back they had asked me to do an art show at the grand opening of Main Line Ink. I was beyond thrilled.
I've always enjoyed doing work that makes people think. Work that might make some uncomfortable. I was browsing magazines at a bookstore in Portland and I flipped the page and I saw a photograph of Angelina Jolie. She had a big red X on her lips. Immediately an idea popped in my head and I knew I wanted to do the photograph with Edge.
When I got back to Chattanooga, I was scheduled to do a big photoshoot for promos for Main Line Ink, and after the crowd had died down that evening, hairstylist Shae Luke came in and did Edge's hair/makeup. The shot turned out perfectly. We waited to do the big reveal of the photo until the art show at the grand opening.
The response to the photo was insane. I was shocked and then more and more people were sending messages to us about it. People wanted to be photographed for it. More people than I could ever think of creative ideas for wanted to be part of the series. They wanted to show their support for equality. It's one of the photos that I feel was way bigger than me or even Jennifer. It sparked something that resonated with people and made them feel something. That's one of the best feelings in the world to be able to have contributed to something that makes people think and feel.
Raw No Makeup/No Photoshop with Brittney Berlin
Raw No Makeup/No Photoshop set with Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
Raw Shoot with Brittney
Back in 2015 I decided to do a few raw, unedited shoots because I really love the message that it conveys. How you are beautiful as you are instead of you're beautiful because someone with photoshop skills. A lot of people really loved the images that came from those sessions. Some did the shoot sans makeup, others wanted to still wear their makeup. I've been wanting to do some more raw shoots because honestly, I want to do more work that actually makes a statement and isn't just "cool" to look at. I recently got to do a no makeup/no photoshop session with Brittney who is a model and hair/makeup artist here in Chattanooga. Because the whole "no photoshop" thing means different things to different people, the only thing done to these images was putting them into b&w. I also want you to read what Brittney had to say about her session as you check out these images... Read below.
Raw Photoshoot - No Makeup/No Photoshop - Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
" A few years ago if you asked me to do a photoshoot without make up, my hair unfixed, and the photos would be untouched meaning not at all edited I would have refused. In fact I wouldn't have even let anyone see me like that! I was very caught up in what society views as beautiful and I was trying to obtain that standard."
RAW - No Makeup/No Photoshop - Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
" I'm not going to lie, going into the photoshoot I was nervous. It's something I had never done before but I was still excited. I was having a lot of fun with the photoshoot but as soon as Ricky showed me the camera screen for a sneak peek of what it was looking like a huge smile came across my face and a feeling that sparked inside I can't really explain but I immediately got pumped! It was so empowering. Here I was with my hair a mess and no make up on to hide behind and I loved it! "
Multi-Exposure - Raw No Makeup/No Photoshop Shoot - Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
" It boosted my confidence even more which I didn't expect to happen. I left the shoot feeling so good about myself and what I accomplished. Being able to look back at where I was and how I felt about my self then to now holding the confidence and love for myself and being comfortable doing something like this it a pretty remarkable feeling. " Brittney
RAW No Makeup/No Photoshop Session with Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
RAW No Makeup/No Photoshop Session with Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
RAW No Makeup/No Photoshop Session with Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
RAW No Makeup/No Photoshop Session with Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography
A Different Path I Walk....
A Different Path I Walk....
I saw this photo this morning and the profoundness of it's words really resonated with me and a lot of thoughts that I've had for awhile, but have never really attempted to put into into words. I felt duly impressed this morning to sit down at the keyboard and try to bang a few letters and see what becomes of them.
The first place that my mind drifted to when I saw this was towards religion. I think a lot of us probably had the same thought pattern on seeing it. Over the years I've had struggles with religion because on one hand in trying to build a relationship with the Creator and on the other you hear the voice of religion an it's not always the same. Religion is about control. The Creator is about a relationship. So many of us have been hurt because in religion it becomes about putting the Creator into a box of our own understanding. In Christianity alone, you have numerous denominations that read the Bible and fight over which one reads it correctly. Inside those denominations, you have a multitude of churches and some of them read it differently and have varied church experiences and put others down for not being as conservative or as liberal as their own. Inside church families, individuals read the Bible and see things differently on a personal level, and judge those that don't see things exactly as they do.
You can't put the Creator into a box! He is a mystery. The whole point is He reveals Himself differently to each of us according to our own understanding. We have to realize that and understand that because someone doesn't see things exactly as we do, doesn't mean they are lost or are wrong.
Beyond religion or Spirituality, each of us is on our path in various professions and interests. Just because others do things differently doesn't mean we are wrong or they are wrong. We're all made to be unique and diverse and we need to celebrate and encourage that. Our society has become so full of hate and negativity, we've each got to re-evaluate our own mindsets and become the change we would like to see, with the understanding that others may see things differently.
Myself, I love what I do as a photographer, but one of the most important things to me is I want to do more work that means something. I enjoy doing series and portraits that just have something to say. I enjoy my other work and will continue to do it, but I hope to bring you a lot more in the way of sharing photos and stories that I think are important to tell. I plan on getting back to writing a lot more (which is actually why I began photography in the first place back in 2009) and sharing a lot more on my blog that's not just photo related. I hope you'll be interested in seeing what this thing becomes. I hope that you'll think about what path you're on and try to have a respect for others in their journeys as well. The same respect you'd like shown to you from others who have a different path and could be looking sideways at you.
Native American Portrait Series - Holly & Jeff
Native American Portrait Series - Holly & Jeff - TRD Photography - Film
Native American Portrait Series - Holly & Jeff
It's been longer than I would have liked in this series. I met up with Holly & Jeff to do a portrait session and interview to share their stories. I want to thank Lorie Reedy for putting Holly and I in touch for this project. I'm blessed to have gotten to meet them and become friends with them. I hope that you enjoy their story and it gives a further understanding into the stories, hardships, and culture of our indigenous people here in the states. Not much is cut and dry and each person has a story.
Holly Lynn - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Me - Holly, you have an interesting story. Up until a couple years ago, you knew very little about your heritage. Would you care to share a little about what led up to your discovery a couple years ago?
Holly - Sure, yeah! My mom told me all the time when I was little that we were native, but that our nation had almost completely died out and that we were some of the last of the tribe. I grew up surrounded by Native art and certain customs that my mom picked up from her grandma. That was all I had to work with.
A couple of years ago, Jeff took me to the Chattanooga powwow because I'd never been. And I saw the arena director(who turned out to be Lorie's husband, Jimmy!) had on a medallion with the seal of my nation on it! So I caught him and talked to him, told him my story. He probably thought I was nuts, considering that we're the fourth largest tribe in the US. I started researching, learning everything I could about my own family. I come from two chiefs, a judge, and several councilmen. And I had no idea until a couple of years ago. I'm still learning, I'm working on the language, customs, etiquette.. There's a lot to work through.
Me - That's really an amazing story and just a huge blessing that you ran into someone at the powwow that was able to give you that place to jump into and discover more about your tribe and into your families heritage as well. Being raised the way you were, with thinking that most of your tribe had died out and having some customs and art in your house growing up, but in our conversation you told me you were raised more "white" right? Yet you're learning as much as you can now, what has that been like?
Holly - I was definitely very lucky, especially to have met someone so welcoming.
When I was growing up, my father was a tyrant. He is extremely racist, he mocks other races and culture mercilessly. I think growing up seeing his antics made me very conscious of what I'd been deprived of, which was basically my entire identity and knowing about my nation. I was definitely raised white and I resent it deeply.
Learning everything later in life sucks. It's hard. It's so easy to misstep and offend someone just by being ignorant of some obscure rule. You get laughed at, you aren't seen as native, you're basically an outcast to most of the tribe. But I think there's an upside in that you can't take who you are for granted. There's too much time and effort and heart put into discovering who you are and what the community means to you. People raised right don't have this bizarre and meaningful journey they had to take to find their folks. I'm glad I have that.
Me - The journey definitely has it's own merits and really brings about a different admiration and respect of the things you learn. Being raised "white" but learning our cultures later in life, we've seen things the other way and I think we appreciate what we're learning and makes us treasure it more.
You and I talked a little bit about this at our shoot. I shared how I've been super nervous about talking about my heritage because I don't know specific details because of the things in the census and how I've not wanted to be seen as "that white guy", with you really connecting with your people later in life, how did you go about connecting with them in a respectful way. I know meeting Jimmy at the powwow, but I'm sure you were just wanting to learn and digest all that you could as fast as you could. I know that you have to slow down and not get in a hurry as well because you want to show that your truly care and are respectful. How did you balance that?
Holly - One of the big things I've learned and am still learning is that sometimes you have to just wait to be taught. I may have a million questions but there are only certain ones that are appropriate and there are only certain people I'm able to ask. Ricky, I can't tell you just how blessed I am that my mentor is also one of my closest friends. That makes a huge difference. She knows my heart, my motives, and how obnoxiously curious I am about EVERYTHING. Getting to know her before I started asking the sensitive questions was a big reason I'm where I'm at in my learning. You've got to have a teacher that understands how precious you consider the traditions and language and religion to be.
Having said that, I have definitely asked the wrong person the wrong thing at the wrong time and been just absolutely humiliated. It's just one of those things that happens and will continue to happen for probably the rest of my life. Haha.
Me - I definitely think patience is the key. Similar to you, someone I consider to be my mentor has become probably my closest friend. Learning that time and patience is key is something he's being working to teach me. Anything worth something takes time to achieve. What is something that you have learned so far that has surprised you?
Holly - My biggest surprise was how alive our culture and religion still is. We have our superstitions and myths that are still told to children in the Mvskoke language, we have our traditional clothes. Our religion is thriving, I've still got a long way to go there. Having come from knowing nothing to where I am now, the biggest shock to me was the superstition surrounding owls. They're shape shifters, bad omens.. I love owls and it made me sad to learn this.
Me - Wow, That must be tough for one of your favorite animals to end up being a bad omen. I've learned a few things in regards to my culture that have been a surprise as well. That is wonderful that you're learning and being open to a different belief system, religion wise. A lot of people are raised that THIS is the only way to believe, that when you get shown a different way, it's hard to be open to a new way of believing, a new way of looking at things. Were you raised with a different set of beliefs? If so, how have you worked with learning the Mvskoke religion with what you were raised?
Holly - My father was a tyrant, he forced us to go to a Pentecostal church of god when I was little. I can remember being terrified of the pastor because he was always shouting, people passed out and spoke in tongues.. I had a constant fear of going to hell. It was miserable. The Mvskoke religion is still very new to me, I love going to stomp dances and I feel powerful and humbled all at one time when I'm with my people.
I just shed Christianity last year. It wasn't a gradual thing, either, it was like I woke up one morning and just did not believe in Christianity.
Me - Man, I can really relate to what you're saying. I was raised in a Christian church, and a very strict family. It wasn't like a tyrant type thing for me. Church wasn't something I was terrified of, for me personally I just saw a lot of hypocritical things. I spent a lot of my time in the woods and I was just always at peace with God until I quit spending so much time in the woods. When church became my only connection to God, i struggled tremendously. I would either be extremely religious or a screw it all mentality. I never could connect until this past fall after I met Wes and he recommended Russell Mean's book and it reminded me of a lot of the beliefs I had on my own as a kid
Holly Lynn - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Jeff Johnson - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Me - Jeff, in talking I was really impacted by your story. You are part of the Iroquois Nation. What tribe do you belong to again?
Jeff- I am Onondaga, we are the "Keepers of the Fire" for the Iroquois confederacy. The Onondaga nation is located in central New York State.
A little background on the Iroquois and the Onondaga. The Iroquois (we traditionally call ourselves Haudenosaunee) is a confederacy because it is composed of 6 (originally 5) separate tribes: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations, later the Tuscarora. The Onondaga are called the Keepers of the Flame because we are the center, both geographically and traditionally the seat of government.
Me - You were raised on the reservation when you were young, how old were you when you left? Why did your family leave the reservation?
Jeff - I was 5 when my family moved off the reservation. The reason was a personal choice that my mom and dad made for the family. We moved to the town that butted up against the reservation, Akron, NY, and lived there till we moved here to TN when I was 13. What do you remember most about growing up on the reservation? We visited my grandmother and other relatives regularly and it was always fun to visit. From my early years living there, my most vivid memory is living in a trailer with no running water, so we got water from a communal well and had to use the outhouse in all kinds of weather. When the weather was too extreme, we had a 5 gallon bucket that we could use haha.
Me - How did leaving the nation, in part to spirituality, impact you growing up? I know you mentioned that you and your siblings took longer to convert to Christianity, why do you think that was?
Jeff - When I was born, my mom was practicing our native religion centered around the Longhouse. My dad is white and from a very large family. One of my dad’s brother-in-laws, uncle Randy, was a trucker and preacher and spent my early years trying to convert the family to Christianity. When I was 7, I believe, my parents converted and we started attending a small Baptist church in Akron and a few years later I “became saved”. I was raised in a Christian home and never really revisited the Onondaga religion. I have very few memories of the Longhouse and the ceremonies that I went to as a very young child. Your story has been pretty unique from the people I've talked to so far.
Me - How do you process having lived two different cultures, and what are your goals going forward? What do you envision your calling to be among the people?
Jeff - As I mentioned earlier, I was born into the native culture and raised a Christian. I always knew I was native but didn’t try to reconnect with the culture because Christianity isn’t really compatible with my culture. So many Onondaga traditions have religious connections and I struggled to keep Christianity prominent. Recently my grandmother and great aunt died during a personal spiritual re-evaluation and I felt the native disconnect strongly with their passing. They were the matriarchs of my native family and their passing left a void in me. So now I rely on my mom to help where she can. I have also been going to Powwows and connecting with that culture. I really would like to start learning our language. My grandmother spoke it and now that she is passed, I want to carry some of her legacy on thru the language. The language is taught in schools on the reservations but being here in the south and having no speakers to talk with and learn from, it will be a challenge.
Me - How difficult has it been to reconnect with your people and culture?
Jeff - My mom is living in Chicago and most of my native family is still in NY and none are here in TN so I am a bit on my own down here. Ceremonies are performed on the reservation in NY where the longhouse is located. It has been difficult to say the least. Whenever mom visits, I try to pick her brain. She is on her own journey to reconnect and has been a major influence in my journey.
Me - That's powerful man! I find it encouraging that you're working towards re-connecting as you can and seeing that your mom is as well. I recently talked to another mother who faced a lot of racism and worked to hide her heritage and she's working to re-connect in large part because of her son. It's inspiring. There has been a firestorm of news on the Native front, with the DAPL and Standing Rock. We've seen horrific acts of brutality and racism, that I personally didn't realize we were still capable of. When we talked, you mentioned that you had experiences in NY off the reservation. What were some of your experiences?
Jeff - The south has a very different view of natives than where I grew up. Off the rez, natives could be treated like any other minority, with distrust and sometimes outright malice. Being half white and half native, I never really fit into either world. My relatives accepted me as I am, but the rest of the world only saw me as part of the half they were not. I had a hard time making friends kept my circle small. Even around here, many people love to claim native heritage but don’t have any idea what it means to live native, the good and the difficult parts.
Me - With the DAPL, what are your thoughts on the fight both their in North Dakota at Standing Rock, as well as the new fights sprouting up around the country at various other pipelines where companies are violating reservation lands, and just the Earth in general?
Jeff - It’s amazing to see such a huge gathering of nations coming together in a show of solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux. It has now spread to other areas like the Sabal Trail pipeline in Florida and other places. I think that it has opened a dialog of tribal rights, sovereignty, and empowerment across all tribes and native people. It may very well prove to be a turning point for those of us that the United States has tried so hard to forget about. The horrific treatment of the people that were already here when the Europeans arrived, the genocidal policies that the government put into place and the continued malicious indifference of the United States government are things that have been swept under the rug for far too long. My hope is that the nations are able to find the voice that lets the world know that we will not be forgotten nor ignored when it comes to treaties and ancestral/ceremonial lands long broken and forgotten by the U.S. I’d like to think that protecting the only earth that we have to live on is a duty of all humanity but we know that the almighty dollar continues to set policies and that must be changed. It’s 2017 and we still have policy makers who deny the science of global warming.
Jeff Johnson - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography
Me - I've been really inspired seeing you and Holly's posts and taking part in events in our area in an effort to raise awareness and make a difference in our area to protect the earth. For people just now seeing things for the first time, having their eyes opened to our government's policies towards the indigenous people of this country, what can they do to make a difference?
Jeff - I think one of the best ways to make a difference, is to learn all you can about your culture. Be ready to counter the misinformation, ignorance and outright lies that people will bring up when they find out you're native. Get involved with the native community where you can. Connect with others and you'll probably find someone who has gone thru or is going thru the struggles you face.
Holly - The people just now coming in on this battle should probably do some extensive research on what has happened so far and what is going on today. They are drilling illegally and continue to push against the environmental studies being done at Standing Rock. For everyone that can't up and head for the frontlines, donate to one of the several gofundme accounts set up by and on behalf of the camps and the people battling legal issues. I imagine that the priority right now would be the legal fund, but I may be wrong. And I've read and heard that they beg people not to send any more clothes, that they are inundated with clothes at Standing Rock.
If you want to make a difference in your local community, attend native-run events and find ways to interact respectfully. Don't try to act or dress "native", just be yourself and go talk to folks. There is always something to be learned from good conversation.
Me - We found out last night that President Obama will not grant Leonard Peltier a Presidential pardon. What are your thoughts on that? President Obama has had a lot of policies and promises made to our native people, including those at Standing Rock. What kind of job do you think he ultimately did towards the indigenous people?
Holly - I have really mixed feelings towards Obama. I think he did wonderful things, I love the ACA and the possibilities beyond it. But he made promises to support native folks in their battles against corporate greed that he just completely disregarded until veterans showed up at Standing Rock. That really got my goat, we needed his help and he failed TERRIFICALLY.
As far as Mr. Peltier.. I'm going to be candid and say that I see his case as a lost cause. That would mean a huge admission of wrongdoing by the United States that they aren't going to give. They offer no explanation and no apology for what they've done to him. It's a violation of his rights, both as a citizen of the US and as a human being.
Jeff - I agree with Holly, I too have mixed feelings about Obama. He could have been such a huge advocate for natives, especially after the promises made at Standing Rock. But in the end it was just lip service. He made great strides to bring equality and worked at leveling the playing field, but really dropped the ball in the 4th quarter for natives.
Mr. Peltier will need a miracle to reverse the gross injustice done to him. He has everyone from Popes, Nelson Mandela, and international human rights organizations on his side and it has not swayed the US. I think that Obama was his best chance and that too has been denied.
Me - I appreciate you guys so much for doing this. It's been such a pleasure getting to know you guys and hopefully people will read your words and maybe see some things differently.
Holly & Jeff - Native American Portrait Series - TRD Photography