Commercial

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.

Children's Family Harbor - Commercial Photography - Birmingham, AL /  by Tommy Daspit

Tommy Daspit is a Birmingham AL based commercial, architectural, real estate, and Google StreetView Trusted photographer.

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They say word of mouth is the best form of advertising. However, before you can get good word of mouth, you must first do good work. For those giving you that recommendation have to trust that you will do a good job for their friend, client, or coworker. After all, it’s their reputation that is most on the line in this situation. That’s why I’m very proud of the fact that the overwhelming majority of my business comes from referrals. I actually do very little in the way of advertising and marketing. My former clients, and business parters are my marketing and sales force. It’s something that I a humbled by and always drives me to do even better so that trust might be kept.

This shoot is one that I’m doubly proud of. One, it was a referral from fellow Helena Business Association member Jason Oits, owner of Perk Brands. His company does search engine optimization, marketing, social media, websites, branding, and email marketing. Children’s Harbor Family life center is one of his clients. He’s creating a new website and marketing campaign for them. Their mission is to create a place where very sick children, ones living in Children’s Hospital long term, can go to get away from the daily hospital existence. There’s a game room, computers, basketball court, family kitchen, learning resource center, fitness center, salon, quiet spaces, library, and much more. There’s no cost to the families and the benefits to the children can’t really be measured.

Driven by private donations, Children’s Harbor is constantly needing to market to potential philanthropists, while also increasing awareness of families and children to its existence. Jason knew that I Google 360º virtual tour and my commercial still images would help accomplish both of those goals. Donors could walk through and see all of the facility and see how professional, beautiful, and comprehensive Children’s Harbor is. Parents and Children could see all the offerings and be all the more comfortable once there.

Having spent a lot of time at the Dallas Children’s Hospital with my sister many years ago I had a special appreciation for the mission of Children’s Harbor. I was honored that Jason would refer me to this important client, and that Children’s harbor would choose me to showcase their facility. I’m proud to show off the final results and I know it will serve them well in both goals!

To learn more about Children’s Harbor visit them on their website!

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Carver Theater - Bimingham AL Commercial Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

Carver Theater - Bimringham AL Commercial Photographer

I’m really proud of one of my most recent shoots. Not just because of my photography, but because of the subject matter. Alabama Media Group contacted me about commercial photography for a project they were working on. Kelly Garwood, a new art director with the company, needed a photographer that specialized in architectural work, especially interiors. I’d worked with a different art director there on a previous project for a high end plumber. He recommended that she give me a call.

When I learned that the project was for the historic Carver Theater in Birmingham I knew this was one I couldn’t miss out on. The Carver is a historic landmark in its own right. Originally a black theater it was the only place for African Americans in Birmingham to see first run movies in 1935. It was renovated in 1945 and in 1990 became the home of the Alabama Jazz Hall of fame. Today they host concerts, plays, private events, and screen classic movies. 

Alabama Media Group had been hired by the theater to create a new marketing campaign, logo, and web presences. Of course they were in need of some great photos to go along with all of that. I was honored to be selected to do just that. While I always want to do a good job and always work hard, there was a level of extra pressure involved here. It was important to me that I showcase this historic landmark in a way that would make people want to go there! 

Working with Kelly and Dr Leah Tucker, executive director of the theater and museum, was a great experience. They were both professional and clearly dedicated to this historic Birmingham icon. See a few of my favorites below and if you are in Birmingham, be sure to take some time to visit the museum and theater!

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Mandella Agencies - Birmingham AL Commercial Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

Twilight exterior composite really grabs the attention of the viewer.

Twilight exterior composite really grabs the attention of the viewer.

One of my favorite things about being a commercial photographer is the opportunity to help shape a businesses public image. The photos I take are used to showcase what a business does, convey their ethos to potential clients, and shape their brand. This is especially great with new, start up business. My photographs introduce them to the world. This is something I take great pride in and I recognize the importance of getting it right.

Michael Mandella was creating a new insurance agency in Birmingham. The look of the office was going to be very different from most out there. He wanted to convey to potential agents that this agency was modern, fun, and not the typical old stodgy company. He wanted me to create images that conveyed that. So of course I was excited about the challenge!

These images were to be the main feature of the agency’s website. They had to grab and hold the attention of the viewer quickly. Since the space was a really good looking my job was made somewhat easier. Still, I had to choose the right angle, perspective, lighting, and composition to accomplish the ultimate goals.

We ended up creating images that documented the space and also conveyed action. The twilight exterior really sets the space apart from the competition in a dramatic way!

Check out the website for the Mandella Agencies here to see how it all came together!

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Learn more about my commercial photography and view more of my portfolio here.

Bromberg's & Co at The Summit - Birmingham AL Commercial Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

I returned near sunset to create this "blue hour" image. It's actually a composite of 11 separate  exposures. Overall it took about two hours (in the freezing cold) to get this one shot. I really like the blurred people inside. This helps …

I returned near sunset to create this "blue hour" image. It's actually a composite of 11 separate  exposures. Overall it took about two hours (in the freezing cold) to get this one shot. I really like the blurred people inside. This helps show that the business is vibrant and not just a building. 

Last week I had the great fun and challenge of creating a Google Maps Business View 360º virtual tour of Bromberg & Co at the Summit here in Birmingham. 

I say it was a challenge for a couple of reasons. First, there’s glass and mirrors EVERYWHERE. This makes it fun making sure that the camera and myself are positioned so we don’t appear in any of the photos. This is where the wireless triggering of my camera with an iPad is so valuable. There are many times where I’m hiding around a corner. Very often this is the only way to keep me out of the image. Then there are my lights. For the conventional still images there are multiple light sources involved. Making sure reflections from the lights don’t come up in the mirrors and glass takes a lot of geometry (thought I was done with that in High School), understanding how light interacts with various surfaces, and a lot of trial and error.

Second, we wanted to create a “blue hour” exterior of the store (check out this post to learn more). I love doing these. There is simply no better way to make a building look beautiful and really capture the viewers attention than with a blue hour image. These are actually multiple photos taken at different times (just before and after sunset), and with multiple strobe exposures. They take patience, time, and skill to pull off. One blue hour photo can take two hours to complete. That’s just the in camera part. Once back at the office it’s time to composite all those photos. Using photoshop, and a graphics tablet, it can take several hours at the computer to get it all right. The results can be truly spectacular and I think worth the effort!

I’m also very excited because these photos and virtual tour are going into the new website being created for Bromberg’s by Vehicle Media. I’ve worked with Vehicle Media on several projects before Just this last week they won an ADDY for our joint project for the Sonnet House! I know that they will do an amazing job incorporating the tour and photos into the site design.

Take a look at the virtual tour and photos below. To learn more about Bromberg & Co check out their Google + Local page.

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Learn more about the Google Maps Business View Program here. Have a business that could benefit from a Google tour or high quality commercial photography? Contact me today to see how I can help you stand out from your competition.