Forest Remodel - Homewood Al Residential Interiors Photography / July 11, 2018 by Tommy Daspit

Twilight Exterior of Susan Gordon's Homewood Alabama home. It won best in Show in the Greater Birmingam Homebuilders Association Remodel competition.

I’ve been looking forward to sharing this project for quite some time! I photographed this project (the remodeled home of the famous Susan Gordon of Susan Gordon Pottery) back in February. I had to hold off posting about it until the article about it was published this month in Birmingham Magazine. Although it won Best in Show for the 2018 Greater Birmingham Homebuilders Association remodeling competition and was published in their quarterly magazine, it’s customary to hold off posting about a project when there’s a pending article on it.

There was so much awesomeness in this project that it’s no surprise that it won awards and much acclaim. It was a joint project with Willow Homes, Willow Design Studio (Katherine Bailey Designer), Chickadee Interiors, and of course, the amazingly talented Susan Gordon herself. I especially loved the kitchen.The open space with the living and dining rooms with the kitchen provided some fun challenges but I think we captured the essence of the space well. I especially loved the combination of traditional cabinetry with the open shelves that showcased Susan’s craftwork. I employed nearly every technique in my arsenal to control and enhance the natural light in the space to capture the feeling of being there. I’m very proud of that my images helped Willow Homes and Willow Design capture the Best in Show award for the remodeling competition. Ultimately my job is to help my clients showcase their hard work with the highest possible quality images. That it was award winning and showcased by Alabama Homebuilder and Birmingham Magazine only validates all that went into creating those images.

I’m honored to have been a part of capturing this amazing remodel and proud of my clients, and my team for all of their hard work!

click on thumbnail to view larger image

Birmingham Magazine July 2018

Alabama Homebuilder Magazine Spring 2018

Alexander Modern Homes - Florence AL / January 24, 2017 by Tommy Daspit

Twilight exterior of the front of the home. There's a lot of dramatic exterior lighting on this home and I wanted to make sure I captured it in a way that really conveyed how it looked in person. This is a composite of 13 total exposures. The s… — Twilight exterior of the front of the home. There's a lot of dramatic exterior lighting on this home and I wanted to make sure I captured it in a way that really conveyed how it looked in person. This is a composite of 13 total exposures. The sky was not replaces but I did green the lawn and added trees where the leaves had fallen off.

I love working with Alexander Modern Homes and Riverworks Design Studio in Muscle Shoals. By far they build some of the most unique homes in Alabama! This home in Florence that I photographed in October is no exception. The Frank Lloyd Wright (the only FLW home in Alabama is also in Florence) influence is unmistakable.

These homes pose unique challenges from a photography standpoint. The materials, angles, shadows, and light are like nothing else I photograph. It’s my job to capture the vision of the architect, workmanship of the builder, styling of the designer, and details by individual artisans in a way that move a potential client.

It all begins with a conversation with my client. What do they want to showcase? What are the aspects of the project that are unique? What are they going to be doing with the images? Based on the answers to those questions, and taking into account the clients other marketing materials, I start to formulate a shoot plan. Whenever possible I like to scout the location ahead of time. This way I know where the sun will be, what areas need to be photographed at what time? Given this was about 2.5 hours away I relied on scout images the builder (Rusty Alexander) sent me and an app called Sun Surveyor. This allows me to see where the sun will be virtually and is a huge help in planning. Once I’m on location I walk through with the client to talk about what and how we’re going to shoot (my amazing assistant Crystal is hard at work setting up the gear). Then as were shooting I work with the client to refine each image. They can actually follow along with an iPad in real time. The end goal is to provide my client with images that they can use to promote their business. Images that will convey their professionalism and quality. I take this responsibility seriously and I hope that comes through in the quality of images I provide!

The doorbell played "The Jetsons" theme. I thought that was so awesome!

The builder really focuses on the custom railings with custom wood from a local artisan. The bench is made by that same artisan. A central courtyard is one of the main features of the home. I looked for a way to tie in all three elements in a manner… — The builder really focuses on the custom railings with custom wood from a local artisan. The bench is made by that same artisan. A central courtyard is one of the main features of the home. I looked for a way to tie in all three elements in a manner that accurately conveyed the feeling of the space.

Another angle on the same space showing the benches, railing, wood, and stone work. I loved the abundant light and angles of this home. I could have spent several days there for sure!

Master bedroom. Note the under cabinet lighting!

Master bathroom. The lighting accents of this space just really ad some amazing touches.

Loved the kitchen so much. The strong contrast to the dark wood and white cabinets, the sleek lines, the natural light and the added light accents just made for an incredible space! The huge walk in pantry is in the large wood cabinet.

The large windows off the kitchen open to the large rear patio area with grill and pool. So perfect for entertaining!

The central courtyard. This angle shows part of the living room (the rest is behind me) and a guest bedroom. This was a very challenging image to create to say the least. There's a huge difference in brightness from the inside and exterior, not to m… — The central courtyard. This angle shows part of the living room (the rest is behind me) and a guest bedroom. This was a very challenging image to create to say the least. There's a huge difference in brightness from the inside and exterior, not to mention all the strong horizontal and vertical lines. It took about 45 minutes to compose the shot, another 45 to shoot it, and about 6 hours in post production putting it all together. I think it was worth it!

View into the living room from the courtyard.

This is a three image composite. I wanted to show the connection of the bedroom with the courtyard without going too wide. To accomplish this I used a tilt/shift lens and shifted it from left to right in a series of images to create a panorama. I co… — This is a three image composite. I wanted to show the connection of the bedroom with the courtyard without going too wide. To accomplish this I used a tilt/shift lens and shifted it from left to right in a series of images to create a panorama. I could have gone with an ultra wide angle lens but that would cause distortion and add a lot of empty space in the ceiling and foreground. I felt the shift and stitch method was the best option to more accurately represent the room.

Another key feature for Alexander Modern Homes is the remote controlled, retractable screens. Most of their homes are on a lake and the rear faces west. These screes allow home owners to enjoy their outdoor spaces in all sorts of conditions. We need… — Another key feature for Alexander Modern Homes is the remote controlled, retractable screens. Most of their homes are on a lake and the rear faces west. These screes allow home owners to enjoy their outdoor spaces in all sorts of conditions. We needed a shot that conveyed how they worked within the space. We decided on a shot with them halfway up to better show how they worked.

Alexander Modern Homes recently added these Manta outdoor umbrellas by Tuuci as part of their offerings. I've never seen a more impressive, and solidly constructed outdoor umbrella. They are expensive but you can really see a major difference in sty… — Alexander Modern Homes recently added these Manta outdoor umbrellas by Tuuci as part of their offerings. I've never seen a more impressive, and solidly constructed outdoor umbrella. They are expensive but you can really see a major difference in style and craftsmanship!

Builder - Alexander Modern Homes

Interior furnishings and design - Riverworks Design Studio

Architect - Phil Kean Design Group

Railings and Benches - Robin Wade Furniture

Umbrellas- Tuuci

See more of my residential photography portfolio.

3861 Cove Dr - Mountain Brook AL Real Estate Photos / February 5, 2015 by Tommy Daspit

Earlier this week I got the opportunity to work with a new agent, Susie Denson, from Realty South. Her normal photographer had left the business and I had come recommended from others in the Realty South office (nice to know people are speaking positively about me)! So she contacted me about shooting a new listing of hers in Mountain Brook, and of course I was excited!

What a house to start out on! Most homes in Mountain Brook are very nice and this one is no exception. Five bedrooms, finished basement with a cool bar, a really awesome bathtub in the master bath, and two living areas. My favorite feature, however, was the stone back patio with the brick fireplace! The owner had even gone to the trouble of building a fire in that fireplace and the one in the living room. This was a first for me! Normally I have to add one in Photoshop, so this was a nice bonus!

Check out the photos below and contact Susie for a showing if you’re interested in owning this magnificent home! See the complete listing here.

Susie Denson

sdenson@
realtysouth.com

205-870-5420

click on thumbnail to view larger image