Would you believe this isn’t straight out of the camera?  Of course not!   We’ve all seen the power of Photoshop from places like the Dove Evolution Campaign to the Photoshop Disasters blog.  The above image came out much different from the RAW image in the camera (see below).

As you can see the image is a lot flatter, this provides a wider range between the light and dark areas of the photo and allows me to creatively adjust the lighting.  The red light in the foreground was from a red LED street sign, it was flooding the parking lot with a strong red light.  A simple GOBO would have been ideal, but this was a quick shoot between rain showers.  Also, there were several lights out on the building, easily replaced in Photoshop.  Finally, the client requested the drop off to be removed from the image.  So, as you can see, it takes some time and work to make a truly presentable image.

The next morning we took off early in the morning and started the drive towards Roanoke.  The view along the road was gorgeous, especially when we got up into the mountains.  By late afternoon we arrived in Roanoke and found our way to the Hotel Roanoke right in downtown.

Once in Roanoke we got a chance to explore the downtown area.  Marisha and I had a wonderful breakfast at Tudor’s Biscuit World and then we walked through the farmer’s market and enjoyed the architecture in the area.  Of particular interest was the Taubman Museum of Art with it’s contemporary architecture designed by Randall Stout.

If you’d like to see more, please visit my Flickr Page.

I just finished processing the images from my latest photoshoot.  C.T. Hsu + Associates needed images of their prototype Fire Station designed for Orange County.  Fire Station 35 is located on the quieter side of town by Windermere.  While the weather wasn’t the greatest – the clouds moving through had a few breaks in them to allow for some nice images.

Jason Frazier (www.frazierfoto.com) and I recently did an interior photo shoot at the Serenity Towers in the gulf side community of South Pasadena.  The facility is an independent living senior high rise which was recently renovated.  You can view more photos on my Flickr page.

Yesterday I got a chance to run out and photograph the newest addition to Valencia Community College’s West Campus – Building 11.  The building was designed by C.T. Hsu + Associates.  What makes the building especially interesting is it will be shared with the University of Central Florida and it will be a LEED Certified building.  With two weeks to go, they were still moving in the furniture and finishing some of the common spaces, but it looked really nice.  More photos to follow.

Florida Ranch Style, originally uploaded by Tom Smalling Photography & Design.

I have the opportunity this morning to photograph a nice renovated home in Altamonte Springs for Brentwood Custom Homes (remodeling division). The shoot went great, although it was really humid at 7:30 in the morning. Be sure to check my Flickr page to view more images.

It’s time to unveil the 2009 CT Hsu + Associates Calendar. This is the same design as previous years (2007, 2008), but the big difference is my photograph of the Goodwill Store is the header image.

I had the opportunity last week to shoot my first job with Brentwood Custom Homes in Lake Mary. The home was one of their renovation projects, consisting of a nice sitting room with a bar and wine cellar. The owners were very nice, and I’d like to give a big thank you for being patient and letting me spend the time to get some nice images. There are 18 shots in all that showcase the project, you can view them on my Flickr account.

This past Sunday I was contracted to take photos of the new Goodwill Building in Winter Springs, Florida. The building has a beautiful street presence! Please be sure to look at some of the other shots on my Flickr Page.

I had the opportunity this weekend to take photos at one of American Satellite’s jobsites for their website.  The Sollak Residence is located in my hometown of Wellington, Florida.  Be sure to stop by my Flickr site and enjoy the beautiful home.