Commercial

Galleria Signs - Hoover, AL Architectural Photographer /  by Tommy Daspit

Galleria Hoover AL Architecectural Photographer

One of the things I love about being an architectural commercial photographer is the variety of projects I get to work on. It could be a kitchen for a remodeler one day and an apartment complex for a real estate developer the next. In this case I was contacted by Integrated Sign and Graphic in Lexington, Kentucky. They designed, built, and installed the new signs at the Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover. Daytime and twilight images of the exterior signs were needed. These photos would be used to showcase their work, to illustrate to potential clients what their capabilities were. It was my job to make sure that was done with the highest quality possible.

The mall is absolutely huge. There are many, many signs all around the property. Some face east, some west, some north, and some south. I had to plan my shots around the best time of day to get the best light on each sign. When it came to the night shots the window of opportunity for the best light with the illumination of the sign was very short. I had to make sure everything went right the first time as I could only do a maximum of two signs in an evening (it took two trips to get the ones they wanted).

I also try to include elements in the environment that give the viewer a sense of the space and life going around the subject. To make that possible I included the cars going by the signs in both the day and nighttime images. I used slow shutter speeds to capture the movement and presence of the vehicles without taking away focus on the subject. This way the potential client has a better understanding of how the public sees and interacts with the sign. After all that’s what they are ultimately for. If it can’t get the attention of the public passing by then it’s of no benefit to the business that paid for it.

Drag the sliding line to see the difference with and without the lights from the cars in the image.

By including the intersection and the lights of the cars passing by, I'm able to give Integrated Sign's potential clients a better sense of the signs placement in the environment as well as the amount of traffic seeing that sign. A photo of just the sign would be perfectly fine. However, including energy, motion, and context gives the image more life and allows the end viewer to connect to the subject in a more meaningful way. This is one example of how I go above and beyond to serve the needs of my clients.

While a simple static shot of the sign by itself would have satisfied the basic needs of my client it wouldn’t have been the best use of their resources. By considering my clients end needs and purpose for the images I’m able to better create images that tell their story. Ultimately that is my job. I create images for my clients that are compelling and show their potential customers what they can do for them. I help my clients grow their businesses. I take as much pride in this as I do in creating the images that bear my name and my reputation. Take a look at the images below and tell me in the comments if you think I accomplished that mission.

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To see more of my commercial architectural photography see my commercial exteriors and commercial interiors portfolios.

Walgreens - Birmingham AL Commercial Photographer /  by Tommy Daspit

Tommy Daspit is an architectural photographer in Birmingham AL

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a commercial real estate firm out of New York. They needed photos of a Walgreens in Alabaster. The images needed to be colorful, eye catching, and at the same time, demonstrate the customer traffic of this location. Of course I was up for the challenge!

I started the shoot in what photographers call the “golden hour”. This is the hour just before sunset and just after sunrise each day. So long as it’s not overcast this is often considered to be the best time of day for photography. The light is “warm”, hence the golden hour name, and the angle of the light is good for nice shadows and contrast. I continued taking multiple exposures as the light changed over the next hour and a half.

One of the challenges was to show the customers coming in and out of the store and cars in the parking lot. This is especially tricky when you’re not using models, but rather normal people going about their lives. If they’re recognizable in the image, and you’re using it for advertising, then you have to have them sign a model release form. This isn’t something we wanted to deal with so a technical solution was needed. I could just blur them in Photoshop but you end up with a photo that looks like it was shot by 60 minutes interviewing a mob informant. Not a good look. Instead, I set the camera to have long shutter speeds. This still showed people and cars there but they were motion blurred. This has the benefit of not only hiding their identity but also conveying motion and energy of the space.

The final images were actually a composite of many photos. I overlayed people and cars from multiple images to create the final vision. The sky was added from a library of skies to fit every possible lighting situation (if you wait for the sky to be perfect as you shoot the project you will be doing a LOT of waiting).

The end result was an image that showed the details of the building, customers patronizing the business, and colors that grab the viewer’s attention. I was able to check off all the boxes my client needed and they were thrilled with the results. Amazing commercial real estate photos aren’t taken, they are created.

 

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What Makes Me Different? /  by Tommy Daspit

Tommy Daspit is the best architectural, commercial, and real estate photographer in Birmingham, AL.

There are many photographers out there. What makes me different? Why should an architect, builder, designer, real estate, agent, or business choose me over any number of countless photographers out there?

Photographers are a lot like doctors. Some doctors are general practitioners and some are specialists. The same is true of photographers. You have some that do weddings, portraits, events, senior portraits, and commercial. Then you have some that focus on one discipline. You have photographers who only shoot weddings, or just baby portraits for example. As with any skill, the one you focus on will be your strongest.

I’m the rare breed of photographer who specializes in architectural commercial photography. I photograph buildings, homes, interiors, and businesses. That’s it. No babies, seniors, families, or weddings. Architectural photography is a very unique form of photography. It takes specialized equipment (tilt/shift lenses, gridded viewfinders, bubble levels, geared tripod heads, wireless camera control) and specialized techniques. Understanding how to control natural and artificial lights to create an image that accurately shows off a space while also making it inviting is difficult. Just getting the vertical and horizontal lines straight is a huge challenge.

Even though I’ve been a professional photographer for over 23 years, I’ve spent hundreds of hours learning and practicing the techniques needed for excellent architectural photography. In fact I never stop learning. I dedicate time to my daily schedule to learning photography. I’m never satisfied with where I am.

The photos below are a good illustration of the things I do on every shoot. You can see the steps I take to make sure the image showcases my client’s work in the best possible light. This builder (Willow Homes) and designer (Frusterio Design) will use these images in their portfolio to show potential clients what they can do. The quality of my work helps with the success of their businesses. This is a responsibility I take very seriously and guides my thoughts with every shot I create.

As an architectural photographer, I don’t take photos, I create images that tell my clients story. So, if you are an architect, builder, designer, business, or real estate agent who wants their projects to stand out from the competition, contact me to see how I can help you be more successful!

HDR (High Dynamic Range) image with all artificial lights on. Three photos were taken and combined together ("correct" exposure, 2 stops over exposed, and 2 stops under exposed) This is a pretty typical photo style. No flash used. Auto white balance, and that's about it. Not bad but not great either. 

HDR image with the lights turned off using only ambient light. This is another popular style shot. It's relatively easy as you only have one color light to contend with. However, it lacks depth. The image is flat with little definition from shadows and flat color.

Did you notice the missing panel for the dishwasher? The custom panel wasn't finished at the time of the shoot. Rather than leave it this way I created one in photoshop to match the look.

Precise color is critical. For this shoot I'm creating images the builder will use for his portfolio. They will use it with potential clients to help them select the style for their home. It's critical that the color they chose based on my photos is accurate. Digital cameras aren't very good at getting it exactly right. This is especially true in complex lighting situations. I use a "gray card" to use as a reference in the computer after the shoot. This insures consistent and accurate colors.

Architects don't design crooked homes and builders go to great lengths to make sure everything is level. In spite of that it's actually quite difficult to create photos that have straight vertical and horizontal lines. Normal lenses create distortion even a slight tilt in the camera's position will leave the image askew. I use special Tilt/Shift lenses and a geared tripod head to make sure all lines are straight and true.

To create a final image with depth, contrast, and interest, I light sections of the image with a strobe. I'll use multiple strobes and combine multiple photos for the end result. The look is natural but nearly impossible to pull off with one shot. Great photos aren't taken, they are created.

Here is the final image. I've covered dishwasher, blended the ambient daylight and artificial lights, the color is accurate, and there is depth without looking fake. Which one would you rather present to a potential client?

See more photos from this project in this blog post.

Learn more about my commercial architectural photography services in Birmingham, AL.

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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Cantina Laredo - Birmingham AL Commercial Phototography /  by Tommy Daspit

I haven’t been able to blog in awhile. There’s been a lot going on lately and I’m just now catching somewhat of a break!

I’ve been wanting to post about this shoot I did for Cantina Laredo in Uptown Birmingham for a couple of months now. The’d installed a huge TV wall in their upstairs, open air bar area. This is perfect for watching the most important thing in Alabama, college football. Try as they might with their phones and personal cameras, they could never get a good photo of it. Either the screen was too bright or everything else was too dark. Finally after many frustrated attempts they decided to call in a professional.

The problem they were running into has to do with the limited range of brightness a digital camera is capable of capturing. This is called “dynamic range” Our eyes can see a very broad dynamic range but cameras need some help. When they exposed for the TV (which was MUCH brighter than everything else), the background would be super dark. Exposing for the background made the TV blown out.

The solution is not to take a single photo, but rather several and combine them into one. For the main photo above no less than 20 images were used to create the final product. Each exposure range was captured and then blended. I used a flash on a stick (photographer slang for monopod) to light key areas of the photo. 

In total it required 30 minutes of shooting and 3 hours at the computer to create an image that represented what the human eye would actually see when there. The end result is something that grabs the attention of the potential patron and makes them want to go there. That’s what I do. I create images that show off a space for potential customers. I help architects, builders, businesses, and designers put their best foot forward. This takes time and attention to detail. Something that can't be done with an iPhone!

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