Michigan State Capitol

Dave Thompson of Thompson Photography, LLC brings Michigan’s rich history to life through his lens. His practice has captured the rebirth of towns and villages in the Great Lakes State, but his passion for history and visual storytelling comes to life most poignantly in his role as the official photographer for the Michigan State Capitol Commission. In this role he documents some of the Capitol’s most significant moments with a blend of technical precision, discretion, and deep respect for the architecture and design genius of the Capitol’s Architect Elijah M. Myers.

Beyond large-scale projects, Dave brings museum-level care to photographing Capitol artifacts, from Civil War battle flags to 150-year-old furnishings. His work ensures Michigan’s history, both monumental and intimate, is preserved with clarity, accuracy, and respect.

“I’ve loved all aspects of history since a very young age,” Dave says. “So it’s an honor to help preserve and tell Michigan’s story through photography.”

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Michigan State Capitol Building Interiors

Dave’s interior photographs rely on patience and precision, capturing moments when light aligns with architecture.

By controlling contrast and color temperature, he maintains the warmth of the space while honoring its historic materials. The resulting images are immersive and contemplative, capturing the Michigan State Capitol’s interiors as living spaces shaped by light, proportion, and time. Reflections are handled with restraint, enhancing symmetry without overpowering the frame, while tonal transitions guide the viewer through halls, rotundas, and corridors.

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Interior Dome Restoration

A chapter of Dave’s work includes photographing the multimillion-dollar restoration of the Capitol rotunda, a once-in-a-century project. Over the course of a year, Dave and his team spent their days perched atop a 16 stories of scaffolding constructed inside the dome, capturing both sweeping views and fine details of the rotunda’s transformation, documenting the craftsmanship of world-class historic restoration artists. His images preserve the scale and complexity of the restoration for historians, architects, and the public.

“The Capitol building is so alive with light, and she shows different sides of her personality depending on the time of day and the weather outside. Can you believe the images above are the same rotunda, photographed over the course of a year, and without filters or post-production software enhancements?”

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Hidden Gems

Dave has a gift for noticing small details that many people overlook, especially within the Capitol’s exquisitely restored and well cared for interiors. His eye is drawn to the quiet elegance of the space, the precision of carved moldings, the harmony of painted and polished wood and fabric among the building’s noine acres of decorated surfaces, and the way light moves across carefully crafted furniture.

Rather than focusing on scale alone, he captures refined details of the historic building’s original architectural elements and furnishings into moments of visual poetry. Through his photographs, the Capitol’s interiors feel both stately and intimate, their beauty revealed through thoughtful attention to form, texture, and light.

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Heritage Hall

In 2022, Dave also documented the completion and public debut of Heritage Hall, Michigan’s $40 million visitor and events center. His photography highlights how contemporary design and state of the art construction and was thoughtfully integrated into a historic setting, turning construction milestones into a cohesive visual narrative.

The hall is a vast 40,000 sq. ft. of bright open event spaces bathed in sunlight, even as it resides below street level, preserving the classic views of the Capitol building above it.