The photo you snap today might need to convince an adjuster, a client, or a judge six months from now, someone who wasn't there and has no context. Most field photos fail that test. A few habits fix it.
Shoot for the person who wasn''t there
Assume the viewer knows nothing about the job. That means every detail shot needs a location, and every location shot needs detail. If a photo only makes sense because you remember where you took it, it won''t make sense later.
Get the basics right
- Light: shoot with the light behind you; avoid deep shadow over the detail
- Focus: tap to focus on the damage, not the background
- Scale: include a reference object when size matters
- Framing: fill the frame with the subject, not the sky
Capture context with every detail
Pair each close-up with an overview, and pin the close-up to its spot. A crack is just a crack until it''s a crack on this wall, in this corner, on this date. For why pre-job photos matter most, read Document Pre-Existing Conditions.
Keep the originals and the timestamps
A photo''s date and metadata are part of its value as evidence. Keep originals intact and organized in the job they belong to, instead of scattered across a camera roll where they get compressed, deleted, or lost.
Do this consistently and your documentation stops being a liability and starts being an asset, one you can pull up instantly when someone asks "are you sure?"