10 Tips for better construction photography
10 - Be consistent from job to job
In past columns I have given tips on tools and techniques that are useful in making your construction photos as good as they can be. In the end however a construction photo is only useful if you or someone else can find it when they need it. Consistency in what pictures you take, how they are organized how they are archived is key to easy access in the future.
If both John and Samantha take pictures of your projects there will come a time when Samantha needs to find a picture that John has taken. If their images are stored in different computers using different file-naming conventions it could take a long time to search and find the image of interest. If it takes too long Samantha will probably do the job without the benefit of pictures, adding time and additional risk to the project.
Having a consistent process for taking, organizing and archiving construction photos will make those photos more useful to your organization. How are your projects stored? Do you refer to Projects by their street address or by the client’s name? Do you have a central server where you store data and images for all projects, or does each project manager keep their own files on their own computer? It pays to set standards for image management and then make sure everyone in your organization understands them.
It makes sense for a project manager or construction supervisor to have images of any projects they are working on but they should also upload those images to a central location where other people in your organization can access them if necessary. We deliver our images on the web as well as on hard drives or CDs. We have had clients in the field call into the main office and ask what was behind a wall. In one case a contractor responded to a homeowner who had just moved into their newly remodeled home. The homeowner noticed that a wall was very hot and was concerned there might by a problem in the wall. The contractor assessed the situation and then called the home office and asked them to look at the images of that wall before sheet rock. The stud bay in question had no wires or pipes or gas lines running through it. They ultimately concluded that a mirror on a discarded cabinet had reflected sunlight into the room and heated the wall.
Another contractor was meeting with clients in their home after a cabinet maker had installed bookcases. The homeowners asked where they could tap the power wiring for an electrical connection at the back of the bookcase. The contractor didn’t have images with him and knew that there was no one in his office at that hour. He was able to use the homeowner’s computer to log into our website and find the images he needed. Knowing how and where to find the image you need is key to enhancing the value of images to your organization.
Consistency from job to job will insure that ten years from now you will still be able to find images from the projects you are doing today. Set up a standard naming convention for the file directories used to store your images. Make sure that you and everyone else in your organization knows the conventions and abides by them. Designate a central file storage location where all images from all projects are stored. Archive past projects from that central location on a regular basis. If you archive to CDs or DVDs, keep those discs in a secure location or in two geographically separate locations to reduce risk of loosing the archives to fire, flood, or man made disaster.
What I am suggesting may seem like a lot of work but it can be as simple as finding the best practice in your organization and adopting that as your standard. A little bit of organization and forethought now can save you much pain in years to come. I know this from experience. We have evolved the file organization that we use to store our construction images. When I go back to access images from early projects I have to think long and hard where to find the images I need. I kick myself every time that happens. Save yourself from that abuse, be consistent.
Ken VanBree is the owner of Imaging Perspective, a Bay Area firm that specializes in as-built construction photography. Questions or comments are welcome: ken@imagingperspective.com