Ricky Davis 1/1/18 Ricky Davis 1/1/18

Some Personal Highlights of 2017....

Model Kendra Sumpter - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Some Personal Highlights of 2017

Another year has come to a close. 2017 was an interesting year. Personally I met a lot of new people and made some great new friends. It was also a time where I did some experimenting, and explored some new styles. Some of you guys know that back in 2015 I started learning to shoot film, and this year I did a lot more with analog.

Allie -

I've known Allie for a good while. We used to do a lot of magazine work together back in 2012-2015. I hadn't gotten to see her since 2015 but I was gonna be in Nashville. I hit her up and was like you wanna shoot some film? We spent the afternoon hanging out listening to records and talking about directions. I didn't realize she had quit shooting and dropped her modeling name. We both really wanted to explore just doing a lot more raw/emotional work that stems from just hanging out and seeing what happens. That afternoon's work was insane and we've been working on a special project based around this style ever since.

Holly

I met Holly late last year but this past year, Holly has become one of my best friends. We've gotten to work together on a lot of photo projects. It's been an amazing ride so far.

Native American Portrait Series

This year has been amazing getting to work further on the Native American Portrait Series. I began the project late in 2016 but I got to do several new profiles this year and I'm excited that my final shoot of this year was an amazing session for this series that I'll be revealing soon. I actually have three interviews that will be coming out soon.

Candice - Polaroid I-Type - OneStep2 - TRD Photography

Polaroids

I started playing around with Impossible film back in 2015, but at the price, and the quality being pretty inconsistent I only shot it rarely. This year I played around with some newer Impossible film and it was night and day difference. I finished up the year by picking up at Polaroid OneStep 2 to go along with my SX-70 and 600, and I look forward to exploring Polaroid work a lot more in 2018.

Of Women & Monsters - R.B. Davis

One of the things I'm stoked about is I released my second book of poetry this year. It's a collection of darker themed poetry and so far it's been pretty well received. My good friend, Bex Bella is on the cover. If you're interested, my book is available here on my website for 14.95

Below are a few more of my favorite photos from 2017. Hope you enjoy it....

Lauren Dunham - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Amanda Pocalypse - TRD Photography - Kodak Tri X

Brittney Berlin - TRD Photography - Kodak Tri X

Cali Cheyenne - TRD Photography - Kodak Tri X

Emily Northrip - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Daisy Mae - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Mischa Anne - Kodak Portra 400 - TRD Photography

Michaela Christine Miller - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Nina Covington - Kodak Tri X - TRD Photography

Ricky Davis 11/22/17 Ricky Davis 11/22/17

Seven X1..... Seven Deadly Sins Project

Seven x1 - A Seven Deadly Sins Project

Ever since I began photography back in 2009, I've been enamored to do a Seven Deadly Sins project. I started to do it a few times, but never really went for it. I am super stoked to share this first part of a Seven Deadly Sins project that I'm currently working on. This is the first part of what will be an ongoing series exploring a variety of the sins in a variety of ways. I'm honored to have gotten to work with model Lauren Dunham on this first part of the series, as well as we have multiple concepts for more that will be coming as well. I hope you enjoy and will keep track as the series progresses....

Ricky Davis 11/10/17 Ricky Davis 11/10/17

"Of Women & Monsters" Available Now!

Of Women & Monsters - A Collection of Dark Poetry

I'm really pleased to announce that my new book, Of Women & Monsters, is now available on my website and soon will be available on Amazon and the like. This book is more of a concept collection of darker themed poetry that contains some previous material as well as new material. This book also contains an extensive collection of some of my darker concept themed photographs that go along with the theme of the book.

I hope that you will check it out and if you do, I'd love to know what you think.

Grab your copy here...

www.trdphotography.com/books/ofwomenandmonsters

"Of Women & Monsters " A collection of Dark Poetry by R.B Davis - Model - Kendra Sumpter - Photo - TRD photography

Of Women & Monsters - 2017

she was a woman
and a monster
bathed in luminous light
living amongst the shadows

ravenous!
she was as she feast upon
my soul

famished!
she must have been as she
tore at my memories

alas I am not much more
simply a man
picked
clean

r.b. davis

Ricky Davis 10/31/17 Ricky Davis 10/31/17

Happy Halloween - TRD Style.....

Model - Candice Mariee - TRD Photography - 2017

Happy Halloween!

I've been super busy the past week getting moved to a new studio. Today I'm spending the day painting my old studio as it's my last day here. I'll be sharing loads of new info with you guys as there's lots of big things under way, and I'll be starting November with my customer appreciation sale! Any of my clients or former clients, in November, you can get any of my regular package sessions at 50% off. One shoot only, must be shot in November.

But I just wanted to say Happy Halloween, and share a few of my favorite darker images that I've done over the years. On Facebook, stop by the TRD Photography page today, and you can check out even more Halloween goodness as I'm posting some old favorites once an hour. I hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!

Possessed - Krysten Barnes - TRD Photography - 2015

Candice Mariee - TRD Photography - Film - 2016

Suffocate - Rani Hovvater - TRD Photography - Film - 2015

Clenched - Josey McGill - TRD Photography - Film - 2017

Christine Bordeaux - TRD Photography - Film - 2015

Ricky Davis 10/16/17 Ricky Davis 10/16/17

Native American Portrait Series - Aspen Yahola - TRD Photography

Native American Portrait Series - Aspen Yahola

I met this amazing young lady at the Mt. Juliet Pow Wow this year. It's so inspiring when you see the younger generation taking pride in the heritage and culture.

Ricky - What nation do you belong to?

Aspen - Mvskoke (Muscogee) Creek Nation

Ricky - Growing up in this society, have you had any challenges because of your culture?

Aspen - Yes, especially at school.

Ricky - How long have you been dancing? What style of dance do you do?

Aspen - I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. The style of dance I do is the jingle dress dance.

Ricky - What's does dancing mean to you personally?

Aspen - Dancing is my happy place. I love to go out to Powwows and dance also because I can share my culture.

Ricky - What is it like growing up and trying to stay true to your culture and fit into your surroundings?

Aspen - Growing up hasn’t been the best for me especially in the society we live in today. I get picked on and made fun of daily and get bullied all the time. Yet, I make sure it doesn’t get to me because I want to stay true and stay with my culture and my family proud. I also want to be part of the generation that stands out and brings people together and let everyone know that us Native Americans are still here.

Ricky - How important is connecting to your culture to you?

Aspen - Very important. I want to show that I am who I am and be proud of it!

Ricky - What needs to happen in our country for better relations between First Nations people, and mainstream America?

Aspen - What needs to happen is for people not to be racist and for people to be nice to each other.

Ricky - What would you like to see in 10 years that has happened to better those relations?

Aspen - In 10 years I want to see the world a better place and for us as Native Americans to be safe again and not have people invade our reservations and for us all to have fun and for people not to bully and make fun of Natives as little kids and I want everyone to be the true them!

I want to give a special thank you to Cindy Yahola, Aspen's mom, for allowing her to be part of this series. I sent Aspen's questions to her through Cindy and she answered them. Cindy is the organizer for the Mt. Juliet Pow Wow which allowed me to come up and setup a spot to do the Native American Portrait Series this year. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity!

Ricky Davis 10/10/17 Ricky Davis 10/10/17

Native American Portrait Series - Teah Plumlee - TRD Photography

Native American Portrait Series - Teah Plumlee

I was really stoked to finally get to meet Teah and get to work with her. I met her family earlier this year at the Murfreesboro Pow Wow, and Teah is actually one of the first dancers that I ever photographed last year at Red Clay while she was dancing, I just didn't know anyone at that time. She dances Women's Fancy Shawl.

Ricky - What Nation are you?

Teah - I'm actually a descendant of 4 nations through both of my parents but I have been raised according to the culture of my mom's people who are originally from the Old Cheraw District, Black Creek in the Carolina's. I am Lumbee, Choctaw, Mvskoke and Cherokee. It's a little confusing. I'm kind of a nation amalgamation but I'm enrolled Cherokee.

Ricky - Wow! That is really cool man! Being part of all four nations I bet could be overwhelming at times. Have you ever thought about this history of the different tribes and just be wow? I came from all of them?

Teah - It's actually pretty fascinating. I try and learn as much as I can about each but I've always been taught that you are who you've been raised to be regardless of who you are ethnically. For example, it's only recently that I learned about my Choctaw blood. I think it's interesting but I wasn't raised in that culture so I respect it and will try and learn but I don't call myself Choctaw. I simply say that Choctaw is a part of my ethnicity the same as with my German blood. I think it's pretty cool to feel connected to so many people.

Ricky - That is such a great point! Our heritage is a part of us, but especially when you have so many different ethnicities it would be impossible to represent each culture. How do you feel about the current treatment of Indigenous people in mainstream America today?

Teah - Yes it would. I've had the honor of being chosen as a representative of one of the former Native organizations in this area. While a part of my responsibility was to educate, I could only educate to the extent of the culture I know. As to the current treatment of Indigenous people, I would like to say that I think that things have changed dramatically over the years but I'm afraid that's not really the case. It wasn't until 1910 that my mom's grandmother was actually listed as Indian on any federal census. Until that time, due to politics and bigotry, the entire family were counted as mullato. Those who owned land were heavily taxed and many lost everything they had due to the greed of others. When I see what's happening with many of our people today, those who are still being pushed around and even physically harmed simply for trying to protect what is rightfully theirs and all for the sake of money and power, it hurts me to think that we're still where we are in the eyes of so many others. I feel that until we can come together as a people no matter our backgrounds or tribal affiliations and stop fighting amongst ourselves we won't be making many steps forward. There's such a long way to go, and God never intended for his creation to be so divided.

Ricky - I completely agree! That's interesting to me that you bring up mullato because I've actually been trying to research my ancestry and back when I was actively doing it, I traced back to where my great great great grandmother listed herself as mullato and there was no more info on her. The history of the 5 civilized tribes is so sickening and I've talked to several people here today that still get bigoted remarks thrown at them on a regular basis. We've not come near as far as we would like to pretend. Today being Columbus Day, what are your views on changing it to Indigenous peoples day, and how would that change make you feel?

Teah - We refer to that as paper genocide. When you study the historical damage done to our people at the hands of such men as Walter Plecker, it's easy to understand how so many of our people have no genealogical paper trail at all. Many of the indigenous people of Virginia are still suffering the affects of this. I think that any opportunity to better educate others with true and accurate history is always a step in the right direction. Columbus was a murderer, rapist and slave trader who Americans celebrate because of the lies they've been taught to believe. The man deserves no respect or honor and the myth of his so-called discovery should have been corrected years ago. People are under the impression that this is a relatively new movement when in all actuality, attempts to make these changes date back to the early 70's and possibly prior to that. I understand that people can be very defensive about what they believe to be the original history of this country because it's all they've ever known but as time goes on, true facts and evidences can come to light and we have an obligation to right those wrongs. I would feel proud to know that there was a day dedicated to the first people of this land. We've made so many contributions that people aren't aware of. I mean most people never consider that when they pop a piece of gum in their mouth or pop a bag of popcorn, they have Native people to thank for that. Many don't realize that our entire system of government is based on the example of the Iroquois. These are contributions that should be recognized.

Ricky - Absolutely! I've discovered that basically most history we learn in school is crap. The "victors" wrote the accepted history and we are taught that this is the way it was. When in truth, much like the paper genocide that's made a lot of our records disappear, the true history starts to disappear. The movement against Columbus has been going on for a long time, I remember it from the 80's when I was a kid. But now with social media many are seeing it for the first time. We are being shown truths that many aren't comfortable with because it goes against what we were taught. What do you think the best way to show people these truths are?

Teah - I think that we need to take advantage of every opportunity we get to educate others who aren't aware of the truth, and do it in a peaceable way. As a Christian I've faced opposition many times when trying to show what I believe to be the truth to others, and i've found that most just don't want to hear it because they've become comfortable and satisfied with what they've been taught and are content to believe it rather it's wrong or not. That's also why it's so important that we make sure to have our facts straight as well. With so many lies out there it makes it hard to know what's truth and what isn't. People need to understand that just because we may view things differently or our culture isn't the same as theirs we are still people and we deserve the same respect that everyone else does.

Ricky - I completely agree. I've found that when you come at people in a hostile way, any chance that you have to help educate them or discuss things reasonably, goes flying out the window. You bring up another interesting question. I've known that you are Christian, and your family have been amazing ambassadors of your faith, not in just talking about it, but you can see that you guys are different than a lot of Christians. I know that as Cherokee, we adopted Christianity early on into our introduction to it. How does your Christian faith mix with Native culture? For you, how does it work with ceremony and Christianity?

Teah - Despite how some may feel, I believe following Christ and imbracing your culture meshes together perfectly. God made each of us individuals and, to quote one of my favorite movies, "He loves wondrous variety". No matter what your beliefs when it comes to culture and religion, it all goes back to your point of view. For me, I feel that we should try to give glory to God in everything we do. So when I dance, for example, I do it for Him, as well as for those who can't. I've heard some try to claim that Christianity is a European religion that was forced upon us by white settlers and missionaries, but that simply isn't the case. Yes, what the settlers called "Christianity" was forced upon indigenous peoples with violence and abuse, but what they were teaching was not God's teachings. They were dogmatic views full of hatred and bigotry, not the teachings of love and compassion that our Creator actually gave to us and every nation long ago. God's command is love, everything else is trivial and honestly doesn't matter in the long run. That's what my family and I try to teach whenever we can. God made each us different with different backgrounds and different stories, and as long as we do what we do with love in our hearts, there shouldn't be any conflict.

Ricky - Very well said. Many years ago, I was reading a book of quotes that were documented during meetings with Native Americans. A missionary had been speaking and an elder stood after some time and said "we believe this Jesus must have been Indian, for these teachings are things we've always done." I'll have to go find the full quote. Many of the beliefs that I've learned, I too can see how they mesh as well, but I also respect those that really have a hard time with Christianity because I totally get where they are coming from as well. I really respect how you guys walk your faith. You brought up dancing, how long have you been dancing?

Teah - I do too. Sadly, the spirit of those hate-filled men and women who tried to impose their lies on others with brutality still lives on in many people's hearts today. I feel sad for those who are victims of their victims, but I feel even worse for the ones who teach them. I cannot fathom what would drive and twist someone to become so evil. I've been dancing for as long as I can remember. My mom says, "Since I've been able to walk" but as far as exact dates i'm really not sure. I was brought into the circle before I could walk and my family held a giveaway. When i could I was taught first to dance traditional cloth. When I was about 6, I asked to dance fancy shawl. I was not allowed to dance fancy until I first learned from an established dancer who agreed to teach me and bring me in and then only after I had learned the history of the dance.

Ricky - That is awesome how you were brought into dancing, and dancing fancy shawl. What does dancing mean to you personally? I know you mentioned earlier that you dance for Him and for those who can't dance. What does dancing mean to you, and what goes into dancing that people don't see at the Pow Wow?

Teah - Dancing means so many things to me. In a way it's like an escape. Sometimes it feels like you're in an entirely different world, but one you've known for your entire life. It's hard to describe what it feels like because you're in such a state of focus but you're also letting yourself go at the same time. Dancing, especially in Fancy Shawl, is such a wonderful outlet for expressing yourself. It just gives you a wonderful feeling. Fancy Shawl in particular was originally created as a way for women to be able to express themselves and dance with more freedom. Up until that point only men could dance in such a way, in fact women were not even permitted to dance in the circle with the men for a very long time; They had to dance outside. The women who broke away from these traditions, deciding to throw their shawls over their shoulders and dance in a way similar to the male Fancy Dancers, and eventually make the move to dance in the circle alongside the men, they took some very bold risks, much like the women during the Women's Rights Movement. When I dance, I want to honor what they did.

The main thing with dancing is to remember why you dance and not to let yourself get wrapped up in the competition, which many tend to do. It's so much more than winning money or showing off.

As far as what goes into dancing behind the scenes, there's an awful lot of sewing and practice. This dance is extremely athletic and takes a lot of work. It's very important to keep fit and healthy, so often before a pow wow i spend a lot of time running and lifting weights and eating a little more protein. The regalia is no easy task either. There's been a rise in dancers doing what is referred to as old style fancy, which is much more simple style of regalia and closer to how the original fancy shawl dancers dressed, but because I dance contemporary style, it requires a lot more sewing and other work because it needs to look flashy and stand out. There's a lot of intricate applique, and the dresses are usually sewn differently, often with a flounce which takes a lot of skill to sew correctly. Usually my own regalia is a team effort between myself, my mom, and my grandmother. I come from a long line of wonderful seamstresses and quiltmakers so each of us have some experience with sewing. Each of us have our own strengths and weaknesses as well, so where one of us lacks skill, the other typically picks it up (my grandmother usually helps with the flounce and sleeves; she's amazing when it comes to intricate needlework and eyeing things) Because we all work on it together, I feel that whenever I dance, I'm carrying them all with me.

Ricky - That is so amazing! Myself, I never knew so much went into dancing behind the scenes until I went to the the Murfreesboro Pow Wow early this year with Holly & Jeff and she was telling me some about it, but then I heard her talking to so many of the mom's who were helping sew for their kids. That part of it I had just never thought of. That's awesome that you put so much work and effort into your dancing. I want to thank you so much for your time! What is one thing that you wish people knew about what it means to be Native today?

Teah - I guess what I would want people to know is that even though we're all different, we're also very much alike. We all came from one place, and no matter how we look or speak or believe, we're all the same deep down. We have feelings, we have dreams, we want to love and be loved just like everyone else does. It's hard to be a Native American in today's society because there are still so many stereotypes and myths that surrounds us. If I could tell the whole world one thing, being a Native American woman, it would be to ask that, instead of profiling us by what you've heard taught or read in books or have seen in movies, look at us for who we are; we're people. Living, thinking, spiritual human beings, and we just want peace for the world like everyone else.

Ricky - One more question I wanted to ask and you just reminded me with your answer. In regards to Native American women. In our country, and in Canada, there is an epidemic of murdered and missing Native American women. It doesn't get any attention mainstream media wise that I've ever seen. What is happening and what can we do to help spread the word to get this to stop?

Teah - I couldn't say for sure what is or why it's happening. There's such a long history of crimes against Native women, and children too, and many of those stories get "lost in the shuffle" too. I think it all goes back to that stereotype of Native peoples being worth less than others, that we're uneducated and primal in our decisions and culture, so many people don't see these atrocities as needing to be publicized because, in a sense, we're just not worth the time; we don't matter as much other people do. With women especially, it takes a lot more to prove ourselves as individuals. We're often so maligned by the media, made out to be some sort of object for men to gain or a weakling that needs to be rescued or protected. The images created by the media have taken such a toll on women as well as Native people in general that we're not viewed in the same way as others.

Thanks to social media outlets we now have so many ways to spread the word about these horrible crimes, but we have to take advantage of them. It's up to us to make sure people are made aware that these things are happening and that they need to stop. One of my mom's favorite quotes is, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (I'm not positive about who said it originally, but it's usually attributed to Edmund Burke). If we remain silent when we know that there's evil being done, then we're really no better than the one's who do the act themselves. It's so terrible and it needs to be stopped. No one deserves to be treated this way.

Ricky Davis 10/5/17 Ricky Davis 10/5/17

Native American Portrait Series - Michael Brenton Morrison - TRD Photography

Native American Portrait Series - Michael Brenton Morrison

Recently I had the honor of getting to go up to the Mt. Juliet Pow Wow, thanks to Cindy Yahola and Holly Johnson. We were able to setup a booth to do portraits of some of the dancers for the Native American Portrait Series that I've been working on. The series is based off breaking down some of the stereotypes and misconceptions about what a lot of people think of Native Americans in our society today. At my studio shoots for this series, I take photos of people in both their regalia and their everyday clothes. Many of this country's First Nations people walk around everyday and you might not even know. At the Pow Wow, it was said that it's like walking in two worlds for Indigenous People today. One world is our culture and tradition, and the second is modern society. It's learning to walk in both with balance that is key.

One of the dancers that I got to photograph and talk with is Michael Brenton Morrison. I first heard of Michael from my buddy, Wes Collins. Wes had many praises about Michael both as a Traditional Men's Dancer, but also in the respect and honor he has seen from him towards Cherokee culture.

Ricky - What nation do you belong?

Michael - My family belongs to the Eastern Band Cherokee nation

Ricky - Does your dancing hold personal meaning for you? Does it hold personal significance to you in dancing traditional?

Michael - Dancing to me means that I can get out there and dance for those who danced before me, those who cannot dance, and of course those who give me the right to dance. But most importantly I dance for the creator and that he may always blesses me with the strength of a warrior to carry on thousands of years of tradition.

Ricky - That is a beautiful answer. I've heard different answers but I've heard some older dancers really talk highly of your dancing and doing it for good reasons.

Michael - Really now? That's enlightening. I try to dance the old way and not let the modern contemporary ways get to me.

Ricky - Yes sir. It shows man! What has life been like growing up Native in this culture in America.

Michael - To be honest, growing up Native in this American culture hasn't been easy at times, especially due to racial bigotry and stereotypical questions. At times people would ask me do I live in a tipi or do I get free things from the government. My answer is always No.

Then there's always the "you aren't native. You're just a 6 foot Mexican." Which cracks me up

Ricky - How have you handled being faced with some of the racial issues you've had, especially with being younger and how would you try to explain to people who may be reading this that think race isn't an issue anymore?

Michael - I listen to the stories that my mother and father told me from when they were younger and the stories they tell me is truly saddening because when they were growing up it was a bad thing to be native. Now in my generation everybody wants to be native. The issues I've dealt with are nowhere near as bad as my parents.

Ricky - Very true. The stories from even the last 30 to 40 years ago are horrible. It blows my mind how humans can treat other humans in such ways. I had thought things had improved greatly until some of things that happened last year at Standing Rock. What were your views about what happened there?

Michael - Hmm that's an odd situation there to be honest. Some of the family was up there and it was blown put of proportion. That land was theirs that was part of the agreement yet lies and deceit over rules again. However, with that being said. I feel that media made it worse. I blew into something that should not have happened.

Ricky - In which way do you think that it got overblown? From the things that were happening to people or about the things the dam was saying the water protectors were doing or all of it?

Michael - Well people fall for greed and become a lover of things as in the Choctaw language a "Nanihullo" And when that happens life become in danger sometimes even destroyed. For what though? When we cross over we cannot carry those things. That is what i mean when i say things become overblown too fast.

Ricky - Awesome, I just wanted to make sure it was clear. You serve in our military correct? What branch of service?

Michael - US Army

Ricky - Thank you for your service man! There is a long relationship with Native men serving in the armed forces. What led you to enlist?

Michael - Well for starters from the time i was 6 years old I wanted in the United States Military. I knew that I was warrior, and that I wanted to earn the right to be called one. I have a long history of family being in the Military.

Ricky - What are your feelings with the protests during the Anthem?

Michael - Man, men and women have fought and died for our rights, man will say oh that's our 1st amendment but I don't care. Show respect for those who died for their right to be an idiot. It truly annoys me. People do it because they think its cool. Its not cool at all.

Ricky - I can definitely respect that man. What are some things you wish people knew about being Native. You mentioned that you get asked stereotypical questions a lot. What are some things you'd like folks to know about Natives in our culture today.

Michael - Haha. I'd tell people that we don't live in tipis, we don't scalp people. I'm not an alcoholic, I don't even drink at all. We also don't worship a buffalo either.

Ricky - It's crazy, so many just assume each tribe basically lived the same ways. If someone is wanting to legitimately learn more about Native culture, what ways would you suggest they learn? How can they be respectful and not come across how so many do?

Michael - Instead of assuming answers, just ask questions and we will answer them. Of course be respectful but also don't be afraid to ask.

Ricky - Very cool man. I want to thank you so much for taking the time to be a part of this project again. I appreciate it!

Michael - You're welcome!

A little note on the photos - The B&W work that I'm doing on this series is done with Kodak Tri X film. My goal was to do the series completely in film only, but at Mt Juliet I also did a number of digital shots as well, and I really want to add a little of that color in as well.

Ricky Davis 9/19/17 Ricky Davis 9/19/17

Shoot What YOU Love....Part 4 "So you wanna be a photographer"

Shoot what YOU Love...

I think I briefly mentioned this in an earlier post but as I debated on which subject to come next, after a conversation I had tonight, I knew this was the next subject. Look, if you take anything I talk about, I hope that you'll hear this, and shoot what you love.

Probably my most frequently asked question that I get is what's a good camera to start with, and typically, it's because someone wants to get a cheap dslr so that they can be a family photographer and either quit their job or make good side money. My advice, don't get into photography for the money. Get a camera and go out and shoot the things that you love. If you start by shooting the things that you love, you'll develop your eye, you'll create your style, and if it comes to it, people will reach out to you to hire you or you'll have developed your style to reach out and apply for jobs.

Photography for me started out as a hobby. I just took really random photos, typically it had to do with nature or sports. In 2009, I had written a small book and wanted photographs to go along with it, and so I literally stumbled into working with models. It was for a specific project and I had absolutely no idea it would take off. I love what I do, but modeling/boudoir photography has really become my main gig because it's where things took off for me.

For a lot of professional photographers, photography is a job and they stick to their style, and that's that. However for some of us it's also still a hobby of ours on the side and we like to experiment. For a commercial photographer, it's such a structured area that they may do modeling work on the side to be more creative. For me, I work with people so much I like to do outdoor photography on the side or do different styles of people work that is more in-line with what I like to look at, like b&w film photography.

I think it's imperative that when you take up photography, do it as a creative outlet and something to enjoy. Don't take it up just thinking about a quick buck. It's not. You may have just paid a few hundred dollars out to get your kids photos taken, and think that photography would be a great way to make some cash but you've got to look at not only our equipment costs, and overhead like studio/taxes/insurance/etc, but the time to actually learn to shoot and edit at that level, etc. It's an industry where things are constantly changing and you've gotta stay on top of all the new trends, and then you've got people popping up charging twenty-five bucks a shoot, and you'll never cover expenses that way.

Please don't take this post as trying to discourage you. Photography is a wonderful thing and quite honestly, ANYONE can do it. We can all pick up a camera and take a photo, and that scares some photographers with an influx of so many people doing it. If you look at Pinterest, there's a lot of really pretty photos, but if we're honest, tons of them look all the same and there's not really much distinguishing them from each other. So If you pick up a camera, and shoot the style/subjects that you love, you'll develop your style. You will give it your spin and it won't be those photos that look like a hundred others out there. They'll be yours.

Ricky Davis 8/11/17 Ricky Davis 8/11/17

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....."

Ricky Davis 8/2/17 Ricky Davis 8/2/17

So you want to be a photographer - Part 2 - The Basics

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.

Ricky Davis 7/27/17 Ricky Davis 7/27/17

So you want to be a photographer....Part 1.

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

Ricky Davis 7/26/17 Ricky Davis 7/26/17

Life Happens in Shades of Gray....

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.

Ricky Davis 5/22/17 Ricky Davis 5/22/17

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

Ricky Davis 5/15/17 Ricky Davis 5/15/17

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.

"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

Ricky Davis 5/5/17 Ricky Davis 5/5/17

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.

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.

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!

Ink Revolution - Spring 2017

By Ricky Davis in Ink Revolution

40 pages, published 5/1/2017

Ink Revolution is a tattoo lifestyle magazine. In the Spring 2017 issue we talk to Wes Collins about his Cherokee ancestry, and about tattooing in Native culture. We sat down with tattoo artists Michael Clester and Chris Allman. We talked with tattoo models Mel Lamon, Cece Sinclair, & Candice Mariee. We talked herbs with Griffin Salve, food with chef Eric Fulkerson, and a highlight on Marty Hambone Hamilton.

Ricky Davis 5/3/17 Ricky Davis 5/3/17

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

Ink Revolution - Spring 2017

By Ricky Davis in Ink Revolution

40 pages, published 5/1/2017

Ricky Davis 5/1/17 Ricky Davis 5/1/17

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.

Ink Revolution - Spring 2017

By Ricky Davis in Ink Revolution

40 pages, published 5/1/2017

Ricky Davis 3/22/17 Ricky Davis 3/22/17

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....

Ricky Davis 3/22/17 Ricky Davis 3/22/17

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.

Ricky Davis 3/21/17 Ricky Davis 3/21/17

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

Some Personal Highlights of 2017....

Some Personal Highlights of 2017

Seven X1..... Seven Deadly Sins Project

Seven x1 - A Seven Deadly Sins Project

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Of Women & Monsters - A Collection of Dark Poetry

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Native American Portrait Series - Aspen Yahola - TRD Photography

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Native American Portrait Series - Michael Brenton Morrison - TRD Photography

Native American Portrait Series - Michael Brenton Morrison

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Imitation vs Inspiration - Part 3 of Wanna Be a Photographer

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Beauty Redefined Series - Zack - TRD Photography

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