Basic Shot List
For a given situation there are some required shots. Of course, the greatest flexibility is to have all of the shots set up just for you to photograph. If you are specifically photographing for your own company, this may be possible. Usually it is not. Try to coordinate with the owners so that all of the equipment is clean and that best work practices are followed. Here are a few shots to start your list.
On the project.
Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign.
Owners have gone to great effort and expense to keep their signage clear and accurate. We will take advantage of this for our photographs. Every project is associated with a road. Take a shot of that road sign. It may be an Interstate, US Route, county road or city street.Also if possible take a few mile marker shots. When in the city, take shots of the street signs at both ends. For new construction, you may have to return to get exact signage.
These signs allow you to identify the road to anyone who sees the pictures. It also allows you to better archive your photos. Keep these sign pictures with the rest of your shots so that 5 yrs from now you will know where they came from.
Decals.
We use decals to identify the players. On any project you will have a choice of equipment with decals. Find a pickup, tool truck, or other equipment that will allow you shoot the decal at 90 degrees. Choose the cleanest vehicle with the newest decal, clean the decal if needed. Leave a bit of room around the decal so that the image can be squared in post-processing. Get pictures of the owner, general contractor, and major sub-contractors decals.
Identity.
Here again, road signs can help. Get a shot with the nearest city's name on it. Get the company sign or subdivision sign when working on a parking lot or residential street. Any other identifying marker or sign will help.
The environment.
Get pictures that display the type of working environment. Are you on steep grades? Urban? High traffic? You need not have the equipment in the pictures. Let people whose only connection to the project is your pictures understand the type of working conditions.
You may be working on a quiet looking rural road, but if you turn around and get the Walmart Distribution Center in your picture, people will have a much better idea of your environment. If you are working near a recognizable landmark, get a picture. This will immediately connect the viewers to the area and the work.
Distress
Document the distress in the road. Depending on the condition you may take 3 pictures, you may need 300. Cover the common distresses such as rutting, block cracking, etc. Use a common object or ruler to show the scale of the distress. A common item such as a quarter or keys is usually sufficient to scale all but the most technical reports. A pen with your company name works very well.
Before and After.
Take shots of the same location both before and after the work is done. Especially effective is a shot showing one lane without treatment and the adjoining lane after receiving the treatment.
The Exceptional Shot.
Document anything out of the ordinary. Anything that requires special consideration, planning or equipment. Probably better to over document in this case.
At the facility (processing plant, lab, etc.)
Most of the items addressed in documenting onsite work applies to these area also.
More Signs, Decals, and Logos.
Get pictures of the overall facility. Look for the best vantage point. Just like project documentation, include additional signs, markers, and logos to identify where and who. Give credit where it is due.
Indoors.
You will likely need to use your flash indoors for natural looking photographs. Office and industrial lighting is often a mix of window light, fluorescent, tungsten, and anything that the process itself produces. If you are documenting a process or laboratory operation you may need several flash units. Make sure you are not in an explosive environment when using flash.
After reviewing a few pictures, decide whether your equipment and expertise is up to the process. You may be able to rent additional lighting equipment if you are near a large city. You may find that a professional photographer will bring in the equipment and make the photographs at a price lower than equipment rental alone. Check rates.