Todd Smith Photography

Lightning

2011-08-15T09:59:00.003-06:00

So I will admit, between school, moving, and an active summer I've fallen a bit behind on the blog. As I work to get more images put on the blog, here are some lightning images I took last night. - Todd

Sunrise...

2011-03-03T12:20:00.002-07:00

Another beautiful sunrise, captured this morning just before the sun broke the horizon. - Todd

Riding the Thermals

2011-03-02T08:49:00.003-07:00

I watched this eagle ride the thermals around our house yesterday...and of course took pictures. - Todd

Swimming Lessons

2011-02-07T19:16:00.003-07:00

Jeffrey and Ethan have been taking swimming lessons for the past month. This last Saturday was my turn to take them and I took my camera with me. - Todd

Boeing 787

2011-01-27T14:07:00.003-07:00

It's back.... One of Boeing's 787 test aircraft again came to Great Falls today. I could watch this aircraft fly around all day long! - Todd

Around Great Falls...

2011-01-23T15:10:00.002-07:00

A couple of pictures taken while out and about around Great Falls last week. - Todd

Boeing 787

2011-01-21T10:26:00.002-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from yesterday. It was kind of cool that while the 787 was going around doing "touch and go's" the MANG F-15's were also flying around and I got one picture that had both. - Todd

Boeing 787

2011-01-20T19:38:00.003-07:00

The new Boeing 787 payed another visit to Great Falls today. Here are a few images I took of it. - Todd

Older Pictures Remastered

2011-01-04T11:24:00.002-07:00

Over the past few days I've been going through some of my older pictures. I've picked a few and worked on them with Photoshop to see what I could come up with. Here are a few I liked. - Todd

From the deck

2010-12-31T15:12:00.003-07:00

Taken from the deck this afternoon. - Todd

Snow...

2010-12-31T12:39:00.002-07:00

In our backyard. - Todd

More Photoshop Stuff

2010-12-29T10:33:00.002-07:00

This is another assignment I had to do for my Photoshop class. - Todd

Photo Concepts and Design Final Project

2010-12-19T15:44:00.003-07:00

One of the natural wonders that define the city I live in is the river that runs through the middle of it. This river, the Missouri River, is a defining force in our city. Though it would continue to run through the area without us, it is our interaction with the river that defines us. How do we live with the river? How do we enjoy the river? It is in this series of images I want to show the answers to these questions...our existence with that of the river that has run through this area long before we were here.

Eagle at Giant Springs

2010-12-19T13:41:00.003-07:00

I was out taking pictures for a school assignment and I ran across a Bald Eagle. I got a few shots before he spooked. These were the best two images. - Todd

Frozen Waterfall

2010-11-29T13:43:00.003-07:00

Taken at night of the water below Black Eagle Dam. - Todd

787 In Great Falls

2010-11-06T11:31:00.004-06:00

It is back...this time one painted with the Boeing livery landed in Great Falls this morning. - Todd

Mid-term Project

2010-11-02T11:17:00.003-06:00

This was my mid-term project for my Photo Concepts and Design class. - Todd

They Are Multiplying!!!

2010-10-23T07:30:00.004-06:00

These images were made for my Photoshop class....

Boeing 787

2010-10-10T12:24:00.003-06:00

Again the new Boeing 787 made a visit to Great Falls this morning as one of it's test flights. Luckily I knew a bit in advance and was able to be up at the airport to watch it land. It is quite a nice aircraft. - Todd

Warrior Angel

2010-10-07T21:18:00.001-06:00

This is another image for my Photoshop class. In this we had to combine two different images to make one using various masks. I choose the Warrior Angel statue from the Montana Veterans Memorial here in Great Falls and added the sunset cloudy sky to the background to increase the effect. - Todd

Photo Concepts and Design

2010-10-06T14:30:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures from my Photo Concepts and Design class. The sunrise was taken from our deck. The flag series, taken in various places, was a set where you had to have one common object in different contexts. - Todd

Jeffrey

2010-10-06T14:26:00.005-06:00

Jeffrey did a little modeling for me. He did quite well! - Todd

A little experimenting

2010-10-06T14:23:00.002-06:00

So we have been studying HDR and Panorama development in my Photoshop class and I've been out experimenting with it a bit. Here are a couple of my better images. - Todd

Spider Webs....

2010-09-24T14:33:00.002-06:00

Ethan, Brendan and I went for a walk along the River's Edge Trail yesterday morning and I found these interesting spider webs on the bridge near Black Eagle Dam. I thought they turned out pretty cool.

- Todd

First post from the fall semester

2010-09-20T16:33:00.003-06:00

So the fall semester has begun...and one of the classes I am taking is People Photography. Not that I am a big fan of people photography, but it is something I certainly need work with and need to learn more about.

My first assignment was a self-portrait...which makes things worse, not only do I have to make an image of a person, it has to be me :-(

My second assignment, which I am posting here, I had to take three images of one person, the first in direct sunlight, the second in the shade and the third in the shade using a reflector or some other form of fill light. So, when the sun broke out yesterday, I grabbed Ethan and told him I was going to take some pictures of him. I haven't received my grade on the assignment yet but I was happy with how they turned out.

- Todd

Moon over Great Falls

2010-08-27T14:06:00.001-06:00

A picture taken from our deck....

Summer Semester

2010-07-23T21:15:00.004-06:00

Unlike the previous two semesters the summer semester has allowed for little time to goof off. Though I am only taking two classes, an art history class and a photography lighting class, it seems like the pace in the abbreviated summer semester is so much faster than when I take four classes during a normal semester.

With that said, the one photography specific class I am taking is primarily focused on the proper use of studio lighting (something I am not to particularly fond of) and a little bit of natural window light. Nothing too exciting out of the class so far image wise, but I thought I would post a few of the images I personally like thus far.

- Todd

PH 233, Color Photography, Final Project

2010-05-18T17:01:00.002-06:00

Narrative....

The concept I chose for my final project is the “Emergence of Spring”. As winter comes to a close and spring ramps up into full swing I went on a search for plant life as it was emerging from it's winter nap.

I believe the theme I choose is an important theme, not only to my intended audience but to myself. As another cold Montana winter comes to a close it is important to me to realize that the beauty of summer is fast approaching and with the snow and cold of winter brings the warmth and beauty of spring and summer. As much as I enjoy these images and the subject matter now, this project is one I will be sure to put aside to enjoy next winter and to remind me of what is forthcoming after enduring the harsh, cold times.

My ideal audience for this project is anyone who enjoys the simple beauty of nature. An audience that can appreciate the simpler things in life and can appreciate that these living beings have survived the winter to come back to life as spring time once again comes to our part of this planet.

Color and Concept

2010-04-27T14:01:00.003-06:00

Again, images for my Color Photography class. The idea here was to use color as part of your concept. I chose to use the blues of the sky as my color and the concept tying the sky and what is beyond to the earth in the images - Todd

Night Images

2010-04-27T13:59:00.003-06:00

These photographs were also created for my Color Photography class. The requirement was to make photographs at night - Todd

High ISO Images

2010-04-27T13:48:00.003-06:00

These two images were taken for my Color Photography class. The requirement was to take photographs using higher ISO, ISO 800 or better - Todd

Multiple Light Sources

2010-03-23T16:34:00.002-06:00

In this assignment we had to have multiple light sources in each photograph. In the images of the front door, with the stained glass, I used incandescent light, day light and fill flash from my camera. In the other two I used day light and florescent light to make up my light sources.

Same Light Source

2010-03-23T16:29:00.003-06:00

Here is a series of photographs I recently did for school. Each had to be taken with a single source of light, in this case I used florescent light. The images also had to be related in concept and I used some of the boys' toys for this.

Three Images on the Same Theme

2010-03-03T11:25:00.003-07:00

On this assignment we had to create three images that were along the same theme. I choose youth and learning.

Photo project - narrative

2010-02-23T11:16:00.003-07:00

In this assignment we had to create an image that told a story. I used Ethan as my model, looking out the window wishing he could go outside and play (at least that is the story I had hoped to tell).

A new semester

2010-02-12T22:33:00.003-07:00

So it is now 12 days into the Spring 2010 semester at Academy of Art University and most of the work in the classes has been kind of "mechanical" versus creative though I've tried to be creative in my work.

I have made a few images I like and thought would share them here.

From Mount Helena

2010-01-13T16:51:00.004-07:00

So this afternoon I took a little walk up the trail on Mount Helena. Didn't quite make it to the top as the trail was getting a bit icy, but it was a nice walk and some beautiful scenes - Todd

Canyon Ferry Lake in the Winter

2010-01-11T14:42:00.003-07:00

They boys and I took a short trip out to Canyon Ferry this afternoon and took a few pictures of it frozen over. This one is my favorite of the group - Todd

Giant Springs

2010-01-08T12:02:00.002-07:00

This photograph is one I took in 2006. It has always been one of my favorites.

Motion

2010-01-06T16:06:00.003-07:00

Another exercise for school...in an image we had to show motion. This is a photograph of a couple walking past the apartment building across the street from our house.

Size and Scale

2010-01-06T15:58:00.003-07:00

This was one of my favorite exercises from last term. We had to show size and scale...so I loaded one of Jeffrey's trucks up with some coins, parked it in front of a painting and took it's picture.

Forest Fire north of Helena - Fall 2009

2010-01-06T12:37:00.002-07:00

Here are a few photographs of a helicopter being used to fight a forest fire north of Helena.

A few more....

2009-12-31T13:56:00.003-07:00

Here are a few more photographs taken around the Helena, MT area.

A first few samples

2009-12-31T13:47:00.003-07:00

Here are a couple of examples of some work I've done in the past few months; please feel free to let me know what you think - Todd