How to take before and after photos of a job

Key takeaways

• ✓Same spot, same angle, same light.
• ✓Take the before photo before anything is moved or removed.
• ✓Clean up first, then take the after photo.
• ✓Keep addresses, faces and cars out of the frame.

Why matching photos matter

A before and after only works if people can see it's the same place. When the two photos line up, the change is obvious in a second, and that's what makes people stop scrolling.

Taking the before photo

• Take it before you unload a single tool. Once work starts, the before is gone.
• Pick a spot you can find again: a corner of the driveway, the edge of the patio, a doorway.
• Take one wide shot of the whole area and one close-up of the problem.
• Hold the phone upright if you'll post the video vertically.

Taking the after photo

• Clean up first: tools, debris, tarps and trash out of the frame.
• Go back to the same spot and match the angle. Open the before photo on your phone to line it up.
• Try to shoot at a similar time of day, so the light and shadows match.
• Take the same close-up you took before, now fixed.

Tips by trade

• Roofers: shoot from the ground or a ladder at the same corner of the house. Add a close-up of the old shingles.
• Painters: turn the lights on and open the curtains for interiors. Show one detail, like a crisp trim line.
• Landscapers: water the beds and let plants settle before the after shot. Shoot from the street or patio.

Privacy and permission

Ask the homeowner before you share photos of their home. Keep house numbers, street signs, license plates, faces and personal items out of the frame. Name the town or neighborhood in your post, never the street address.

Questions