Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Washington, DC

The Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC recently completed extensive renovations.  I photographed for the architect Jonathan Nehmer + Associates in Rockville, MD and the interior designer HVScompass Boston, MA, office.

The quality of the design, materials used and workmanship were impeccable.

Here are a few images from the two day assignment.  Please click on image to enlarge.

Lincoln Suite Parlor

Capitol Suite Parlor

Capitol Suite Parlor Vignette

Oval Suite Parlor

Presidential Suite Bedroom

Presidential Suite Bathroom

Please visit Todd A. Smith Photography, LLC website for more of his work..

Ground Zero, Hiroshima, Japan

This image of the Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Promotion Hall, aka Atomic Dome, was created while studying photography in Japan in the mid 1990s.  This was ground zero in Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945 for the world's first atomic bomb dropped during warfare by the B-29 Enola Gay.  It was built in 1915 and designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel.

I used my Toyo 4x5 view camera with Fuji tungsten balanced sheet transparency film.  This image was created using two separate exposures on the single sheet of film.  The first was at 1/15th of a second to expose the sky.  Since the building was backlit, it remained in shadow and did not register on film.  The second exposure was taken several hours later when darkness fell, and the building was dimly illuminated.  The second exposure was for 6 1/2 minutes.  Now the sky was black and wouldn't register on the already exposed sky.

Click on image to enlarge it.

I knew what my exposures would be since I had previously scouted the location and took a series of test exposures for the sky and building.  It was critical that the camera remain absolutely still during and between exposure's so the two exposures would remain in perfect register.

My camera set up.

I just love creating a technically challenging photograph as I feel it makes for a more memorable and distinctive image.

Todd A. Smith is a No. VA, VA, DC, MD, DE, NJ, NY architectural photographer with offices in Alexandria, VA and Spring Lake, NJ.  Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see examples of his architectural photography.

Published Article Image

Click on image to enlarge.

This is the original Yale Steam Laundry Lofts image used in the AIA/DC News article.  Visit Todd's website at http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see more of his work.

Published Article

The Washington DC Chapter of the American Institute of Architects monthly newsletter, AIA/DC News, has a column called Photographer's Corner.  In this column, the featured architectural photographer discusses how a favorite image was created.  I am featured in the December 2010 issue.  Please click on the image to enlarge it to read.

Visit Todd's website at http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see more of his work.

US Air Force Memorial

I photographed to US Air Force Memorial in Arlington, VA for a personal project.  Architect: Pei Freed Cobb.

Day time.

Detail of one of the spires.

Detail of the glass wall featuring the "Missing Man Formation".  It took a while to get the camera positioned just right to get this composition with the memorial in the background.

Detail of the Air Force Honor Guard Statue.

Items left at the memorial.  On the left is a group photo from WWII.  On the right are letters from current school children thanking the Air Force.

Night time.

Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see more of Todd's work.

2010 Marine Corps Marathon

The start of the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon.  Note the Marine size starter pistol, a 105mm howitzer.

Marine Corps photographer getting a great angle of the race.

General Alfred Gray, USMC (Ret.) the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps and current Chairman of the Semper Fi Fund.

Helping hand.  Marine taking care of one of his own.

Nearing the finish line.

The winner of the handcycle wheel chair race with police escort.

On 31 October 2010 I volunteered my photography services to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund http://www.semperfifund.org/ to photograph members of the Semper Fi Fund Team participating in the 10k, marathon and handcycle-wheelchair races.  The Semper Fi Fund provides assistance and opportunities to Marines wounded in combat and their families. 

Alexandria Art League October 2010

The October 2010 Alexandria Art League Gallery show theme was "Dinner Party".  My entry "Dressing for Dinner" was juried into the show.

Click on image to enlarge it.

The image was taken in Tilghman Island, MD of a charter fishing boat crewman cleaning the catch of Striped Bass.

Please visit www.tasphoto.com to see more of Todd's work.

Basket Case

Who says you can't photograph animals with large format?  I saw this cat in Iwakuni, Japan, taking a nap in the bicycle's basket and thought it would make an interesting picture.  I only had my 4x5 with me, and knew with a shot like this, it's now or never.

Click on image to enlarge.

I set up my Toyo 45AII on my tripod around a corner as not to disturb the cat.  I quickly took a spot meter reading, set the lens to the exposure and readied a film back loaded with Fuji NPS sheet film.  Picked up the camera and set it down, looked though the ground glass, framed the image and checked focus with my loupe.  Loaded the film holder, pulled the dark slide and took the shoot.  This took less than 30 seconds which is very fast for large format.

The cat never woke up.

Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see more of Todd's work.

Alexandria Art League, June 2010

My image of the polo player at Great Meadow Polo in Great Meadow, VA title "The Attack" was juried into the June 2010 all media show at the Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA.

While my specialty is architecture, I enjoy equine photography in my spare time.  The fast paced grace is really an enjoyable change from the more static discipline of architecture.

Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see more of Todd's work.

Alexandria Art League July 2009

My image of the paper mill in Iwakuni, Japan, titled "Proximity" was juried into the July 2009 all media show at the Alexandria Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA.  "Proximity" also won an Honorable Mention from guest juror Kate Frazer owner of the Frazer Gallery in Bethesda, MD.

The title "Proximity" comes from the closeness of the paper mill to the residential neighborhood, and how the residents have to breath the fall-out from the smoke stacks.  The paper mill runs 24/7.

The get this angle, I had to climb a ten story fire escape on an apartment building at night.  I waited for the unique weather condition of a still, rainy night to capture the smoke rising straight into the atmosphere.  Normally, the smoke is blown out to sea by the prevailing winds.

I used my medium format Mamiya SLR with Kodak Tri-X black and white film.  The exposure was several seconds and determined by using my spotmeter.

Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see more of Todd's work.