Do you specialize in residential remodeling or restoration? Great! This guide to job-site photography is written just for you. Learn about the gear you need, reasons for taking photographs, when to shoot photos, tips for taking good shots, and the importance of good photo organization.
Online Cloud Storage – This is ideal if you plan on taking a lot of job-site photos.
A Tripod – You can purchase a digital-device tripod for a reasonable price, and it’s a minor investment with a major payoff. Using a tripod will make a huge difference in the quality of your photos because it prevents movement that can affect the focus. Plus, a tripod makes it easier to take before-and-after shots from the same spot.
A Digital Floor-Plan App That Allows You to Create Photo Reports - A good app will make this process fast and easy for you – so fast, that you can do it in mere minutes right at the job site! Look for an app that lets you:
scan a room with your mobile-device camera to create an instant floor plan
add photos of the room effortlessly for contextual documentation
insert notes for any of the photos
save the ‘floor plan with photos’ as a single report
share the report via email
Construction site photography is vital for the following reasons:
Make planning easier and more effective
Strengthen team communication
Enhance client communication
Improve decision-making
Oversee and record work progress
Document the project to help protect against disputes and litigation
Supplement reports
Prove you achieved successful and timely project delivery
Bolster your work portfolio
Showcase your expertise via your website, social media and printed marketing materials
Create a useful picture history of previously completed projects
Read more: 7 Reasons to Visualize Residential Contractor Jobs With Your Mobile Device
Ideally, you should do so during three different stages:
With a little technical know-how, you can fine-tune your photography skills and capture optimal images.
See the light. If a work zone is lacking enough brightness for picture taking, increase the amount of natural light by opening blinds, curtains and exterior doors. If that’s not enough, avoid using your flash and add some extra interior lighting instead. But try to keep light sources behind you to improve the look of your construction photos.
Change your perspective. Try shooting from a higher or lower vantage point. Get closeups when you want to accentuate details or high-end finishes. Also, photograph each scene from different angles
Check the background. Too busy or distracting? Then try framing the shot differently. Or remove clutter for a cleaner look.
You don’t want to waste time sifting through job-site pictures when searching for a certain image. Prevent that from happening by arranging your photos in folders labeled with key information, such as project names, dates and invoice numbers. And be sure to identify individual shots as well. For example, "2022-04-08-kitchennorthwall.jpg" could be the file name for a kitchen remodeling or restoration picture photographed on April 8, 2022.
Detailed project documentation is invaluable for a number of reasons. However, written records cannot tell the whole story. Taking photos throughout a project’s lifecycle provides clarity about work details and progress, and is useful for many purposes. With the right gear, some practice, and a good photo-organization system, you can make job-site photography a rewarding part of every project.
Read our guide on how to impress potential customers at spring home shows.
Or learn how magicplan's photo report feature lets you capture images while scanning a room with your phone camera quickly.