Todd's history & background as an artist::

 From 1984-1993 I worked and lived in Spain. During that time I enrolled in photography courses, took countless photographs in black and white in medium format, exhibited images and passionately studied the masters of photography such as Walker Evans, Henri Cartier Bresson, Ansel Adams and above all, my main source of inspiration, Eugene Atget.

Furthermore, I traveled to Greece, Italy, France and Scotland and was mesmerized by the historic quarters and spaces of these countries. In Barcelona I had several images published in magazines and had three individual exhibitions. Upon my return to the U.S. in 1993, my activity in photography decreased until I moved to Tampa in January of 2001. Immediately, the historic districts of Tampa and Ybor City rekindled my interest in photography.

I have exhibited works at the Lyssa Morgan Gallery of Tampa, the Ybor City State Museum, the prestigious TECO Gallery in Tampa and at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, where “Vintage Barn” took 2nd place and the Members’ Choice Award for 2006. In September 2007 I was awarded first prize in the Architectural Photo Competition sponsored by the prestigious Architects Institute of America based in downtown Tampa. I currently have works on display at American Institute of Architects, at the Tampa Artist Emporium in Old Hyde Park Village and the Howard Johnson Plaza next to the Tampa Performing Arts Center as well as in several private collections in Tampa.

I recently completed “Preservation 10” in collaboration with Reclaiming Our Heritage.org which has had ample media coverage in the Tampa Bay area. This new exhibit was unveiled at the Tampa Museum of Art on April 7th, 2008. This collection can be viewed at www.oldworldimages.com “Preservation 10” portfolio.

Since my residence in Barcelona, my passion has been to photograph historic urban landscapes, specifically historic architecture. In July 2003 I discovered the quality of digital photography and learned how to convert color images to black and white. Since then I have not looked back; I have traveled and carefully photographed the historic districts of New Orleans, St. Augustine, Tampa, Charleston, Savannah, St. Petersburg, Paris, New York Venice, Tuscany and the spectacular landscapes of Northern Arizona including Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon.

Poetic juxtaposition and light guide me whether it be a Romanesque façade or a forest. I continue to closely study the work of the master, Eugene Atget, whose images of Old Paris are visual poems. His poetic vision continues to inspire me and teach me. Equipped with state-of-the art photographic equipment and Atget as my muse, I plan to continue to capture the architectural richness here and abroad. I feel a tremendous aesthetic and technical need to reinterpret and revisit old architecture wherever it may be.

I shoot exclusively digital and my production is almost entirely in black and white My limited editions are archival inkjet prints printed on Epson’s Premium Semi-Gloss paper using Epson’s latest 8 color Ultra Chrome K3 inks. My images are available in other sizes; nevertheless, my forte is 13x19. Print orders and all inquiries may be directed at todd@oldworldimages.com or by calling Todd McDonald at 813-469-3765. Visit my recently revised website at: www.oldworldimages.com