People have become more visual than ever thanks to apps like Instagram and Pinterest. In 2015, around 3.2 billion digital photos were shared by users on various social media apps.
Businesses are taking note of this surge in photo-sharing. Freelancers and companies in architecture and design are spreading their portfolios online to gain more followers.
While some businesses use photography as a marketing tool, those in the construction field can use it for prestigious and good advertising.
Let’s assume there’s an electrician by the name of Tom. Presumably, he has done an excellent job installing the electric wires and tubes in a building’s ceiling. But soon, a switch in a vital room stops working. Tom fixes a wire, pats your back, and tells you that all’s been taken care of.
When the client arrives a few weeks later, the same switch is not working.
How will you know which electric line is faulty if you don’t have photos from before?
Photographs are essential in construction.
In this article, we will cover the purpose of construction photography. How you go about taking quality photos that can be used for safety, solving future problems, improving overall record-keeping, and even marketing your general business.
In the business world, people generally take pictures for two reasons: to remember or sell. Construction photography is taken for the former reason: to document and remember what has been done (visual evidence).
This documentation becomes incredibly important as a construction project moves forward. If a problem occurs – like the faulty switch in our example – it can be quickly solved if there is an accurate photo record of the construction before the problem arose.
Construction photography also has other benefits:
-It can be used to assess safety hazards in the workplace.
-It can help improve overall record-keeping.
-Company portfolio can be used for marketing purposes.
Now that you know the importance of construction site photography, it’s time to learn how to take quality photos. Here are a few tips:
-Make sure the camera is stable.
-Keep the photos consistent in terms of quality and composition.
-Include people in some of the shots.
-Work with a skilled photographer, if possible. Capturing all aspects of a building’s design, including materials and finishes, can make a huge difference in how it looks on camera.
Quality construction photos will show off the final product for potential buyers. The more detailed your images are, the better impression you’ll make.
As a project manager, you want to ensure that your projects go seamlessly.
Let’s say a crew member notices a dangerous leak in a room, and they have to report it to the contractor responsible for pipe installation.
If the contractor is far from the construction job site, it’d be hard to know what to do. Simple photo capture of the leak would help the contractor remember the location of the pipes and come up with a necessary plan of action.
That’s why photographs taken during the construction of new projects are crucial to recording such incidents and should be taken during each phase. The photos must also include dates and times for more accurate record-keeping.
You can keep track of any mistakes and quality issues on your project through construction photography.
Construction photography can help solve problems that may arise on the job site.
If you’re having trouble with a switch not working, for example, you can look back at your photos to see if there was an installation error.
This also goes for anything else that may go wrong: did a pipe get cut too short? Did the electrician crimp too many wires? You can see exactly what’s going on if you have photos before it becomes an issue.
Photography can serve as proof of construction workers’ or subcontractors poor quality work. They can also prove when there’s a lack of safety compliance, that might endanger the lives of the construction team.
There is the most specialized construction checklist software that lets you include project photographs and equipment information. Any equipment that’s checked and meets the quality requirements can be added to the checklist. This way, you can pinpoint faulty equipment quickly and report it to the contractor.
Some construction projects might take six months to complete; others might take more than a year. Whatever the time frame of your project, taking photos of job sites is essential for record-keeping.
Before your project wraps up, photos of specific pipes and electric lines installed or bricks laid can provide step-by-step progress of your building through various stages.
If you need to repair a particular part or redesign it as per the client’s request, then you can quickly take out your photo and easily manage to make the needed changes. You’ll also know what’s behind every wall so you can avoid sudden damages and make your project planning more efficient.
Clients get excited about seeing the end-product. But they also like seeing the various stages of the project.
When you accomplish each milestone in your project, share some photos with your respective clients or stakeholders. They’ll be beaming once they know that everything is going according to plan.
Besides the clients, don’t forget to consider potential future clients. These people can either be contractors working in the construction industry or engineering and architecture students who want to gain inspiration by following construction companies on social media.
You can share aerial footage of your building during construction or use a drone for video footage to generate marketing buzz.
Before capturing photos, ensure your construction site is clean and tidy, and workers follow safe construction practices. Also, remember to blur out any sensitive information and faces of workers who don’t want their privacy invaded.
If you had a collection of photos but have not had time to organize them, you can get caught asking yourself:
“Where was this photo taken?”
GPS tagging for photos can be helpful to know the exact location of your tools and equipment, thereby eliminating manual work.
Though GPS cameras might also work, GPS tagging through mobile phones is much more efficient and faster when automatic tagging of photos can give you immediate information with a click of a button.
Learn more about the use of GPS in the construction industry through this article.
Construction photography is an essential element of marketing for any construction company. It gives your potential clients a visual representation of the quality and cares you put into your work, which can make or break their decision to hire you.
If you’re looking for a way to differentiate your company and create an image of professionalism, construction photography is the perfect solution. It can be used in many ways – from marketing materials to trade show booths – so it’s worth considering as part of your overall marketing strategy.
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