Exploring the South with a Camera

Exploring the South with a Camera Ricky Davis is a photographer that enjoys traveling to document history in photos. He lives and focuses on the South but occasionally travels outside of it.

He does both film photography and digital photography.

Central State Hospital - An abandoned "lunatic" asylum in the heart of Georgia. Part 1. I first found out about Cent...
05/23/2026

Central State Hospital - An abandoned "lunatic" asylum in the heart of Georgia. Part 1.
I first found out about Central State Hospital, located in Milledgeville, GA a couple of years ago at an event. I started doing some research on it and knew I wanted to visit. This "insane" asylum was built in 1837 and didn't close until 2010. Lets put that into perspective shall we? It was built 20+ years before the American Civil War and didn't close until AFTER President Obama took office. It spanned the course of three centuries of American history.
At it's peak it housed over 13,000 patients and was grossly overpopulated. Now a few of the buildings are being used by Georgia governmental facilities but most of the campus is abandoned. The public is allowed to walk around the campus but not enter the buildings. Security is very tight with patrols keeping an eye on the premises closely.
I'll share more about the hospital in a part 2 post very soon. Tell me if you'd like to see more posts like this on here. These photos were all taken on Kodak Tri X Film.

Photos - Exploring the South with a Camera aka TRD Photography

From my Religious Sign Collection - I found this one down in Alabama last weekend on the Hwy 11 Yard Sale. Photograp...
05/22/2026

From my Religious Sign Collection -
I found this one down in Alabama last weekend on the Hwy 11 Yard Sale.
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

In February I ended up driving over to Tupelo, Mississippi for a few hours to check out the birthplace of Elvis. It was ...
05/22/2026

In February I ended up driving over to Tupelo, Mississippi for a few hours to check out the birthplace of Elvis. It was such a great experience and I def want to go back when I have more time to spend. Here's one of the Elvis murals in downtown. It was fantastic!
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

Here's an old spot here in Chattanooga. The Terminal Brewhouse was an amazing place to grab a burger and meet up with fr...
05/22/2026

Here's an old spot here in Chattanooga. The Terminal Brewhouse was an amazing place to grab a burger and meet up with friends. I love these types of historic buildings. Sadly the Terminal is gone and it's another brewhouse now, but the building has been painted with murals for another business, which just looks really odd to me on a historic building like this.
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

Rusty Fences - 2025Birchwood, TN on a foggy morning. Kodak Tri X filmPhoto - Exploring the South with a Camera
05/21/2026

Rusty Fences - 2025

Birchwood, TN on a foggy morning.
Kodak Tri X film
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

Seaside, Oregon - 2025 This sign was such a throwback for me. You hardly ever find video stores anymore and that was s...
05/20/2026

Seaside, Oregon - 2025

This sign was such a throwback for me. You hardly ever find video stores anymore and that was such a huge part of growing up in the 80's and 90's. And then you've got Nintendo on here as well. Geez. I definitely miss going to the video store and looking at the boxes to see what movies caught your eye.
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

I remember the first time that I got to see the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It was in July of 2000. I was out on the Oregon...
05/20/2026

I remember the first time that I got to see the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It was in July of 2000. I was out on the Oregon Coast for the first time. My wife and I had gotten married in May and we were back in Oregon and Washington visiting family. We were staying in Newport and I saw this gigantic lighthouse out on this cliff. We didn't get to drive out to it on that trip, but it made an impression on me back then. The Oregon Coast is one of those places that if you can ever visit, do it. So many beautiful places and amazing small towns along the coast.
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film in 2025
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

Scenes from the South - 2025 Not much beats a foggy Tennessee morning. I took this shot last year in Birchwood, TN. I lo...
05/20/2026

Scenes from the South - 2025
Not much beats a foggy Tennessee morning. I took this shot last year in Birchwood, TN. I love old buildings covered up in ivy.
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

Harriman, Tennessee. When you visit small towns, you never know quite what you'll find. This is one of my favorite p...
05/19/2026

Harriman, Tennessee.
When you visit small towns, you never know quite what you'll find. This is one of my favorite photographs. It was an old gas station/storefront that appeared to be being used for storage. It was just such a cool scene.
Photographed on Kodak Tri X Film.
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

Here's one from my vacation to Oregon last June. Would you believe I'm still behind on getting that trip's pics finished...
05/19/2026

Here's one from my vacation to Oregon last June. Would you believe I'm still behind on getting that trip's pics finished? I shot 80 something rolls of film out there in three weeks. Everyday I was just trying to see as much as I could. This bookshop was in the St. John's area of Portland.
Photo - Exploring the South with a Camera

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