Ameristar Fence Blog

How to Take Better Project Photos

According to Social Media Examiner, the data has shown for several years that images will attract more customers to your business. And better quality photos lead to higher engagement wherever you place them. Taking high quality photos does not require a professional photographer. You can start taking better photos of your projects and products today with a few simple tips.

You Don’t Need An Expensive Camera

As long as you have a smart phone less than two years old, you can take high quality photos for almost any usage. The most important factor is that the images have a high resolution. You can generally tell if you have a high quality image, if it is very clear (not blurry), bright, and no grainy texture.

The Way You Hold Your Phone Matters

In most cases, you should turn your phone horizontally for a landscape photo. These are more versatile because they can be easily cropped to a smaller size. Additionally, landscape photos tend to fit better on a website or social media post.

A very common mistake is holding the phone at an angle. This results in a photo that is unbalanced, and it will ultimately appear to be of low quality even though if it isn’t. To avoid this, find the horizontal and vertical lines in the image (the horizon, side or top of the building/home, fence post, etc.) and try to visually line them up with the edges of your phone screen.

Red Lines Shown for Example

Remove The Clutter

When you’re ready to take pictures, look around the fence or gate to see if there are any items that could be moved out of the way, so that customers can focus solely on the fence.

• Remove orange traffic cones out of the view of the fence both front and back
• Move construction waste from around the fence/gate
• Remove construction equipment (wheelbarrows, shovels, etc.)
• No people should be standing in front of or behind the fence or gate
• No vehicles in front of the fence
• Take photos from all different angles and locations (it is always better to have too many photos to choose from)
• Be wary of shadows from you and others

Taking A Photo From Far Away

It is very tempting to zoom in on your camera when trying to get an up close photo, but this will drastically decrease the photo quality. If you can, it is always better to physically move closer the product. If you can’t, then crop the photo after you take it.

Perspective and Angles

• Pictures taken from a “straight on” point of view are difficult to use and does not show off the fence as well as it could at an angle.
• Don’t let the pickets turn into one blob of color.
• Instead try to capture an angle that allows the customer to see the individual pickets and more than one panel.
• The best fence pictures have some greenery in them. This makes them look more welcoming.

References https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/photos-generate-engagement-research/