Seasons change, and so does your construction site. Your media should be keeping up with what’s going on, not still showing what was happening several months ago.
A scheduled visit on a monthly basis means no scrabbling around to figure out when the last visit was, argue about who’s meant to be organising it, which permissions, or having to discuss what’s expected. Projects come together (obviously) during the construction stage. This is where the excitement builds, where your team’s skills are on show, and what clients ultimately pay for: a smooth running, efficient, tidy, safe site.
Sheer scale. Sports hall on the second floor of Woolwich leisure centre by Faulkner Browns
Facade panels being delivered and installed at Golden Lane Estate for Hawkins\Brown
Set it up once
Most of the friction is admin, so sort it at the start. Name one person on site as the contact. Agree the induction and RAMS, the PPE, where to park, and who escorts the photographer. Then every later visit is a calendar entry, not a project.
Choose the visit, not just the date
A monthly rhythm works best when it follows the programme. If the façade goes up in week three, the visit should catch it. Ask for the dates the shareholder report, newsletter and board packs go out, and work back from them so images land before the deadline. Think about the light too. In winter the sun sets early, which is handy for a twilight exterior, so say when you’d like one.
What to shoot
The hero shots. The external façade, or the cores and frame if it’s early, plus any primary internal space. These are the images that open a report or lead a post.
The details. Structure, windows going in, a concrete pour, anything unusual. These show quality and expertise, and they’re what a specifier or client lingers on.
The people. We all relate to people in photos, and they give scale and interest. Agree upfront how workers are photographed and whether they’re happy to appear. Make sure the pictures show good practice, with correct PPE and a tidy site, because a comms images can’t show poor safety standards, and must be vetoed.
The scale of the work. Show it from the ground, from a rooftop, from a cherry picker, or from the air. With a drone, allow time for airspace checks, landowner consent and notice.
The in between. Light catching a façade, or the shapes made by the bones of the building. These often become the image people share.
Site activity. On Woolwich leisure centre roof by Faulkner Browns
Stair cores going in. Shot from cherry picker.
What you actually receive
Expect a hero image, a small set, and a quick selection for social within a week. Captions say what, where, when and credit. Print size files go to the shareholder report, web size to the newsletter, and LinkedIn crops are ready to post.
Agree who can use them
Say who may use the images, and whether subcontractors and bids are included. Do it at the start. It’s far easier than a conversation in month six when someone wants a picture in a tender.
Same view, months apart
Add one or two fixed viewpoints to every visit. After six months you have a “then and now” for the newsletter, and it costs almost nothing. Reference buildings, and the final size need to be communicated and considered.
Next step
If a monthly visit sounds useful for your site, send me an email, or click the Contact button. I’m happy to start with a free call to talk through what you need.
