Documenting property

In a previous post, I wrote about a quick job undertaken locally for a good client of mine. Well, in this additional follow-up, I thought I'd speak about the idea of photographically recording your building either for future reference or for promotional purposes.

So, the second shoot, about three weeks later at the same location. This time around, the properties in question were covered in a delicate veil of snow, which had fallen the previous night. Luckily, I was just about able to navigate to treacherous roads to get there; but even more lucky (photographically, at least) was the fact that the snow had not been disturbed around the buildings, so I knew they would look wonderful in the pictures.

The first picture here shows the scene which presented itself back in November. A very simple shot, it illustrates the property clearly and smartly.

Nothing more than that, it is a simple record shot - and one which has already been used in a number of promotional activities by the client.


The second shot - very obviously the same building, and essentially an identical shot, but this time with a slightly different message behind it. Specifically, this picture illustrates how these new-build houses offer comfort and shelter from the elements. If this is not immediately apparent, it is perhaps worth mentioning that I also shot some interiors, featuring inhabitants, in order to support the 'making this house our home' message.

To all you business owners out there, I would say this: Regardless of your sector or type of property, it's always worth considering how you might go about exploiting your premises in order to educate and encourage new customers. After all, assuming that you are paying out on a lease and utilities, it makes sense to get the most out of such a great asset.

With the change of seasons comes a fresh set of new opportunities for exploiting what you have at your disposal. Perhaps you run a hotel which looks equally lovely at first light in the summer months as it does last thing at night as it is bathed in the crisp winter light. Or maybe you are a landscape designer who could be documenting the changing face of a client's gardens.

And if the above does not fit with your requirements, because you are not thinking in business terms, there is still relevance here. It might be worth you documenting the various changes your property goes through over the years - whether this be because you want to track building work and modifications, or because you have family and/or sentimental reasons for doing so.

On this latter point, you only have to see the popularity of activities such as the tracing of one's family tree to see the value of keeping a photographic record for future generations.

Whatever your situation, it's well worth giving this some thought.