creating beautiful before and after photos

Creating Beautiful Before and After Photos

You know you do awesome work, but you want to let your prospective customers know.

The easiest way to show this is through before and after photos.

Here are some tips to taking photos using just a smart phone.

More details on how to take beautiful photos with your phone.

1. Fill the Frame with What You Like

Fill the frame with as much of your intended subject as possible (those

perfect stripes on the lawn, or a recently vacuumed bedroom)

2. Landscape vs. Portrait Mode

landscape

portrait

Most of the time you will take photos in landscape mode—such as a big lawn.

But, if you need a tall, long shot (maybe you just installed a really

nice pool), you’ll want to

take it in portrait mode.

3. Blurry pictures?

• If your photos are blurry, your phone is probably moving too much.

Hold the phone with both hands. Keep your elbows tucked in against your body.

If you’re trying to snap a photo of your ride-along mowers zipping across the lawn, put your phone in ‘sports’ mode or ‘action’ mode.

4. Lighting is Everything

Too little lighting, and your shots are going to be muddy, dark, and unfocused.

Too much lighting, and your shots will look overly-dramatic. You’ll get all of these dark shadows, and frequently your subject will

be bathed in darkness.

The best lighting for outdoor photography:

• Morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not too high in the sky

• Partially cloudy or in the shade

• If the sun is high overhead, face AWAY from the sun

For indoor photography you need as much light as possible. Open all the windows and

turn on ALL the lights.

5. Use the Natural Lines

See those perfect stripes running down the lawn?

Compose your picture so that it follows along those lines.

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Our eyes are trained to naturally

follow lines.

For residential cleaners—long hallways are great for putting interesting lines

into your pictures.

6. Use the Rule of Thirds• Think of your camera’s

screen as a 3 x 3 grid.

• Easy mode: most smart phones have a setting that overlays your screen with a grid. Use it!

Examples for using the rule of thirds:

• Put the horizon in the bottom or top third of your shot.

• Put that perfect flower on the right or the left instead of in the center.

• If you’re shooting a tree line, maybe you want to line it up so there’s a tree in each third

Try to fit different elements into the “thirds” of your shot.

7. Make your Images Pop with Contrast

• Big vs. Small• Bright vs. Dark• Background vs. Foreground• Color vs. Color

If taking a picture of a lush, green

lawn, try to get a burst of white

flowers in your shot.

If you want a picture of

those huge, spotless

windows, put a small vase in

the foreground to give it

perspective.

Contrast elements make your images stand out.

8. Change Your Focus

• Tap on your screen to focus on different parts of the image

This change in focus can emphasize other aspects of your work, like that perfect trim

on the sidewalk, or those immaculately squared bushes.

Whether you’re in Lawn Care, or Residential Cleaning, before and after

pictures are a necessary part of the job.

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Use them for Marketing (on door hangers, your website), or in case a client has a

problem with your work.

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Using the Service Autopilot

mobile app, you can send the photos to the

office immediately!

Learn more at serviceautopilot.com