Architecture

Willow Homes 702 Morris - Birmingham AL Commercial Photographer /  by Tommy Daspit

View more of his work on his homepage: http://tommmydaspit.com

Last week I had the privilege of photographing another Willow Homes project. Jason Hale and his team specialize in remodeling and new construction in the more historic parts of Birmingham. You will usually find their work in Mountain Brook and Homewood. The homes they build fit the style of those neighborhoods. They are new homes that don’t look out of place. It’s a rare talent to be able to do that and being from a town with many a historic home, I have a special appreciation for it.

This home is a perfect example of that. Right around the corner from the last project I photographed for them, this Craftsman style home fits the neighborhood perfectly. Inside you will find all the modern luxuries you would expect out of a new home, while still maintaining the feel of the exterior. The Willow homes style is easy to recognize, as is the quality work and attention to detail.
 

Timing on this one was pretty tight. The new owners were moving in the next day but there were some finishing touches that still needed to be completed. I worked around the finishing and cleaning crews to get the images you see here. I was a particularly challenging situation and it game me some unique opportunities to stretch my skills. For example, the dishwasher was having a custom panel made to make it look like a cabinet and not an appliance. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite ready at the time of the shoot. So I made one in Photoshop! (I’ll be doing a behind the scenes blog post on this soon).

In the end I think it came together pretty well. I’m proud to show off theses images and I know Jason will be proud to show them to potential clients. He not only uses my images on his website, social media, and other marketing platforms, but also to help clients with their planning and designing process. If you are in the market for a home renovation or new construction, and you want someone who specializes in historic design, give Jason and his team a call!

See other projects I’ve shot for Willow Homes:

Sterrit Ave - Homewood, AL

Parade of Homes Project - Homewood, AL

Also, check out Frusterio Design, Inc who designed this house!

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Willow Homes - Birmingham, AL Architectural Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

I’ve gotten a little behind in blogging some of my recent projects. As some of you might know, my 18 month old daughter, Pippa, has been sick with high fevers for the past couple of weeks. This has put me a bit behind on everything but I’m working on getting back into the swing of things as best I can. I do want to thank everyone for all of the love and support we’ve been receiving lately! It’s been a tremendous help, I don’t know how we would have made it otherwise!

I’m really excited to show this project off. I’ve posted a few of the images in other places but this is the first time I’m putting them all together. Jason Hale of Willow Homes contacted me about photographing a couple of his recent projects. I’ve worked with him in the past and I’m always excited about working with him. Willow’s homes are beautiful and high quality. Their style is amazing and a true joy to photograph. 

The last home I photographed was a remodel of a 1950’s craftsman and was part of the Birmingham parade of homes. This one was a complete teardown and rebuild on a lot in Homewood. Jason wanted me to photograph the key point of this home as well as a couple of the kitchen and master bath for the home he did right next door. 

As soon as I drove up I knew this was going to be a good one. The design of the home, and the landscaping was just perfect. Going inside was even better! The homeowners were so very gracious in letting me take over the house. It takes time to craft images that truly showcase the builders vision and craftsmanship. It’s not something that can be done well in a couple of hours!

In addition to the standard daylight interior and exterior images, I was also able to create some pole arial shots and twilight exterior. For the pole arial images I use a modified painters pole that allows me to get the camera 16’ in the air for a higher perspective. I use a wifi connector to control and trigger the camera from below. This gives me the ability to get a high vantage point without having to sacrifice quality or run afoul of the FAA! The wifi system also allows me to trigger the camera remotely for the twilight images. I actually combined multiple photos to create the final images. I lit each room from the inside using a flash triggered by the same wifi remote system. Without it these images would be very difficult to pull off. This all takes time and skill to achieve a stunning look like no other!

Click on the thumbnails below to see the complete project. If you’re in the market for a remodel or whole home build I highly recommend Jason and the Willow Homes team! 

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See more of my Birmingham AL Architectural Photography portfolio.

Willow Homes - Birmingham AL Architectural Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

Last week I got the opportunity to photograph an amazing project for Willow Homes of Birmingham. Jason Hale, owner, hired me to create images a house in Homewood that his company had remodeled. 

For most of it’s life this was a two bedroom, post WWII, Craftsman style ranch home. From the “before” photos I’d seen, it’s better days seemed to be well in the past. That was until Jason went to work. The transformation is nothing less that stunning. Many people would have torn down the old home and started from scratch. Instead, the new owners have a home with all the modern touches with a history and a character like none other. This one of a kind creation fits the character of the historic neighborhood in a way that no completely new construction could. 

Some complete and so impressive was the remodeling of this house, it won a gold medal in the recent parade of homes. Seeing the before and after first hand I can say that I’m not surprised. Jason and his team at Willow Homes are obviously very skilled and talented. It was an honor to create these photos to showcase their work. 

I know that if I ever need remodeling work for my home, Jason will be the first I call! See more of their projects on their website.

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Downtown Birmingham AL Architectural Photography Part II /  by Tommy Daspit

One of the great things about my business is that I get to make a living out of my hobby. I truly love what I do. Kelly can testify that I get up early every morning excited to get to work. For me though, it really isn’t work, it’s fun. 

Still, there are times when I like to shoot just for me. Most of the time I’m photographing buildings, businesses, or homes for clients. It could be a real estate agent, builder, architect, home owner, business, or property management company. I never know from one month to the next who my clients will be. Of course I love all of these jobs, and they all give me an opportunity to be creative, but there’s something to be said for complete freedom to do what I want.

So there are times when I just go out and see what I can find. There are times when I may be out on a shoot for a client and see something that catches my eye. I think it’s important as a professional photographer to keep a balance between client work and personal work. I think it helps keep me fresh and challenges me artistically to stretch in ways I might not have in the past. 

These are a few images of downtown Birmingham that I captured last week. I was leaving an American Marketing Association luncheon when I decided to do to the top of the parking garage (across the street from the Harbert Center). The light was perfect and I wanted to see how the city looked from that vantage point. I’m very glad that I did! Take a look at what I found. Be sure to tell me which one is your favorite and why in the comments section. A random comment will get a signed 9x13 print of their favorite one!

In the Shadow

In the Shadow

Straight Lines

Straight Lines

Four Buildings

Four Buildings

Fire Escape

Fire Escape

Downtown Birmingham AL Architectural Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

Looking up at Downtown Birmingham, Alabama. John A Hand Building center.

Looking up at Downtown Birmingham, Alabama. John A Hand Building center.

Last week I got the opportunity to go to downtown Birmingham with Kelly to do some personal work. Sometimes it’s nice to just go out and shoot with no particular objective or assignment in mind. The weather was as perfect as it could be (it had been raining for what seemed like forever) so we loaded up the car and head out.

Some of the shots were of popular Birmingham landmarks, some others were just abstract. I was looking for interesting color contrasts, lines, and framing. I tried out some techniques for the first time and my new geared tripod head which is so awesome for architectural photography.

Take a look at the shots below and let me know which one is your favorite in the comments!

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