Memorial Day

First, Thank You to our veterans on this Memorial Day weekend.  Here are some images from various Rolling Thunder motorcycle rallies in Washington, DC, over the years.  Please click on images to enlarge.

The gentleman in the foreground is photographing the riders going past him.  The patch on his vest is what caught my eye.  I slowed the shutter and held the camera steady to add motion blur to the motorcycle.

Marine Vietnam veteran.  The patches, military decorations and pins tell each rider's story.

 They'll never forget.

 President George W. Bush aboard Marine One in 2008 as Rolling Thunder passes the US Capitol.  The rider in the foreground with the huge Marine Corps flag attached to his motorcycle typifies most Marines: they display their branch of service proudly whenever and wherever possible.  Someone once said that if you counted the number of Marine Corps bumper stickers on vehicles you'd think we were the largest branch of service.

 Here I slowed the shutter and panned the camera with the motorcycle to blur the background.

Little girl reaching out to the riders to show her support.  I loved how she held her American flag so proudly.

Former WWII Marine Phil Davidson holding a picture of himself taken in 1937 on his first Harley-Davidson motorcycle.  As soon as I saw the 4th Marine Division pin on his vest, I knew he fought on Iwo Jima.

Todd A. Smith is a retired US Marine and a professional No. VA, VA, DC, DE, MD, 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.

Quality in the Details: Tradition Homes

Had the pleasure of shooting for a new client this week, Tradition Homes of McLean, Virginia.  Tradition Homes builds custom homes in the time honored tradition of excellent design, quality material and impressive craftsmanship.  The two homes I photographed felt solidly built the minute we walked in. My assignment was to illustrate Traditon Homes' range of woodworking options on such details as door trim, crown molding, coffered ceilings, wainscoting and newel posts.  Please click on images to enlarge.

 Crown molding in coffered ceiling.

 Stairway newel post.

 Baseboard with plinth on door frames.

 Beadboard ceiling and crown molding.

 Crown molding.

 Interior passage door frame.

Wainscoting in stairway.

It was a pleasure to see the quality of the materials and workmanship in Tradition Homes properties.  And its great to see homebuyers recognize such quality and invest in a home that will last for generations.

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

Pentagon Attack Remembrance

As the world contemplates the demise of Osama Bin-Laden, I want to share an image I took on September 11th, 2006.  These are beams of light that went up from the Pentagon on the night of the fifth anniversary of September 11th, 2001. There is one beam of light for each of the 189 victims and here is how it looked.

Please click on image to enlarge.

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

View From London Hotel Room

With all the attention of the Royal wedding this past week, I am reminded of an image I created in London.  A few years ago, I had the pleasure of working in London for the Washington, DC law firm of Covington & Burling.  The firm put us up at the Savoy Hotel right on the Strand, just a few blocks from their London office.  When I saw this view from the window in my room, I just had to photograph it.

Please click on image to enlarge.

From left to right, one can see: the London Eye, Hungerford Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament), Victoria Tower, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey.

Would love to return to London some day soon with my cameras as I did not have time to explore the city while on assignment.

Todd A. Smith is a Washington, DC, VA, MD, 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.

Why We Have Earth Day

Paper mill, Iwakuni, Japan.

Please click on to enlarge.

This paper mill runs 24/7 everyday of the year.  One can smell the output from the smoke stacks miles away.  Note how the homes are right next to it.

Todd A. Smith is a Washington, DC architectural photographer with offices in Alexandria, VA and Spring Lake, NJ. Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see examples of his architectural photography.

Old Town Alexandria, VA

Took a walk through Old Town Alexandria, VA last week and did a bit of street photography.  Please click on images to enlarge.

Carlyle House

I like the juxtaposition of the old fashioned paddle wheel with the modern propeller.

"Lou" the cat in the window of K. Aubrey Flowers.  She is focused on a fly on the window.  Lou and her sister Lou Lou live in the flower shop.

Todd A. Smith is a Washington, DC architectural photographer with offices in Alexandria, VA and Spring Lake, NJ. Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see examples of his architectural photography.

Spring is Finally Here

With today being the first day of Spring, I thought I would share a couple of images of Spring.  Please click on images to enlarge.

US Capitol.

Artist painting cherry blossoms in Bethesda, MD.

Todd A. Smith is a Washington, DC architectural photographer with offices in Alexandria, VA and Spring Lake, NJ. Please visit www.tasphoto.com to see examples of his architectural photography.

Ebisu Shrine, Iwakuni, Japan

My photograph "Good Luck Masks, Iwakuni, Japan" of the Shinto Ebisu Jinja (Shinto God of Wealth or Business Shrine) was just selected for exhibition in the March 2011 monthly show "Carnevale" at the  Art League Gallery in Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Please click on image to enlarge.

Only 108 out of 400 pieces were selected for this show.  The juror was sculptor David Page, adjunct professor of sculpture at Towson State University and the Corcoran College of Art+Design.  Professor Page said he hoped to see a variety of lively, energetic work in the show and his expectations were met.  He said he was most interested in the "communication of energy" and when jurying an exhibit he first looks for the artist's personal vision in the work.  He added that he is attracted to works with freshness - whether it is in the style, medium, or subject matter and wants to be moved by the work - to experience some sort of emotional/psychological shift.  In this case he states that he wanted to experience "delight."

This image was taken on 4x5 Fuji Velvia color transparency film.  The brightly colored masks and surrounding dark wood were at opposite ends of the tonal scale, very bright and very dark.  This made it a challenge to expose because of the slow speed of the Velvia film which I rated at e.i. 32.  It was fortunate to be there on a sunny day.  The grounds were covered in a light sandy soil that reflected the sunlight up into the masks.  This not only brought out the vibrant color of the masks but it illuminated the wood structure and its weathered grain.  This reduced the contrast in the scene, allowing the film to record all the detail.

The contrast between the brightly colored masks and dark weathered wooden structure is what initially caught my eye.  I worked with the composition until I got it just the way I wanted and then went on to manipulate the camera swing and tilt movements unitl I got all the elements in the same plane of focus.

Todd A. Smith is a Washington, DC architectural photographer with offices in Alexandria, VA and Spring Lake, NJ. Please visit http://www.tasphoto.com/ to see examples of his architectural photography.

Aerial Photography from an Air Force Tanker

The news of Boeing's new tanker contract reminds me of flying in an Air Force tanker during my US Marine Corps avionics days.  I worked on F-4 Phantom fighter jets.   This is my shot of two F-4S Phantoms flying over the Caribbean on our way back from a deployment in Puerto Rico.

Please click on image to enlarge.

I made this shot from the boom operators station in a McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) KC-10 tanker.  The Phantoms would refuel in flight every so many hours, saving them from having to land and refuel.  While flying in formation behind us, the rear Phantom suddenly did a barrel roll.  I thought it would make a great shot so I asked the boom operator, who was in constant radio contact with the Phantoms, to ask the pilot to roll again.  Not only did he roll but he stayed inverted for a few seconds, giving me time to get the shot.  It resulted in this unique image and remains a favorite in my collection of aviation photographs.

Todd a. Smith is an award-winning Washington, DC architectural photographer with offices in Alexandria, VA and Spring Lake, NJ.

Please visit Todd A. Smith Photography, LLC to see more of Todd's work.

Wisconsin State Capitol

With all the attention the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison is getting recently, I thought I'd share some of my photographs of it.  Please click on images to enlarge.

Capitol reflected in the Skidmore, Owens & Merrill (SOM) designed First Wisconsin Plaza at dusk.

Reflection in an office building on W. Mifflin Street in late afternoon. Took a bit of subtle maneuvering to get the reflection just the way I wanted.

Interior detail with young lady in red descending stairway.

Rotunda view showing East Gallery wing and Robert M. Lafollette bust.

The Wisconsin State Capitol was designed by George B. Post and Sons in 1906.  The Capitol was begun in late 1906 and finally completed in 1917.  This is by far my favorite building in the world.  The design, materials and workmanship are amazing.

On a note of interest, Madison used to be famous for its Italian restaurants downtown and in the Greenbush neighborhood.  The marvelous stone and marble craftsmen who built the Capitol were mostly from Italy.  They brought their families when they settled in Madison.  Sadly, only a few of these restaurants remain.  One of the best, Paisan's still does.

Todd A. Smith is an architectural photographer in Washington, DC, VA and MD with offices in Alexandria, VA.  For projects in NJ, NY and PA he has a second office in Spring Lake, NJ.