Photos that win you work: a guide for tradespeople

People can’t see your work until they’ve hired you. Photos are how they decide whether to. A clear picture of a finished kitchen or a neat bit of brickwork says more about you than any amount of writing.

You don’t need a professional photographer. Nearly every good trades photo we see was taken on a phone. What matters is a few habits.

Why photos matter so much

When someone’s choosing between three local tradespeople, they’re looking for reasons to trust one of them. Real photos of real jobs are the strongest reason there is. Stock photos do the opposite: people can tell, and it makes them wonder what you’re hiding.

Google agrees. For service businesses, its advice is to add at least three photos that show the services you offer, and it says photos “can also help make your business stand out on Google”.

When we built a website for a builder in Bury St Edmunds, we went through over fifty of his own photos to pick the best for each page. The ones that worked were never the fanciest. They were the clear, well-lit shots of finished work.

Taking better photos on your phone

Light

Daylight beats everything. Open the curtains, turn off the yellow ceiling lights if you can, and shoot with the light behind you, not behind the work. On a dull day, indoor shots often look better than outdoor ones.

Tidy first

Two minutes of tidying makes a huge difference. Move the tools, the dust sheets, the mugs and the bin out of shot. Close cupboard doors. Wipe the worktop.

Hold it straight, and step back

Hold the phone upright and level, at about chest height. Tilted walls and wonky door frames make good work look rushed. Step back far enough to show the whole job, then take a few closer shots of the details you’re proud of: a neat joint, a mitred corner, clean grout lines.

Before and after

Before-and-after pairs are some of the most convincing photos there are. Get into the habit of taking a “before” shot from the spot where you’ll take the “after”, so the two line up.

Landscape for the website

Take most photos sideways (landscape). They fit a website much better. Take a couple upright too, for social media.

What not to share

• Anything that identifies the customer’s home: house numbers, car number plates, post on the doormat, family photos on the wall.
• People who haven’t agreed to it, including the customer and their children.
• Other people’s work, or photos from the internet. Only ever use photos of jobs you did.

Always ask the customer if they’re happy for you to use photos of the job. Most are, and many are pleased you asked.

Where to use them

• Your website: a project or gallery page, and photos on each service page showing that kind of work.
• Your Google Business Profile: Google says you can show customers what you offer and tell the story of your business with photos. Add new ones every few weeks.
• Quotes and follow-ups: a couple of photos of similar jobs, with a quote, helps people say yes.

Make it a habit

The best time to take photos is the moment you finish, before you pack up. Make it the last thing you do on every job: tidy, step back, take a few shots. In a few months you’ll have a gallery that wins you work while you’re busy doing the next job.