When we built the photo bank for trades, we started from the bakery and asked: what’s the equivalent? The baker’s morning bun is the photo everyone understands immediately. For a carpenter or a groundworks contractor, it’s before and after – the same view, two moments.

The trouble is that before and after means remembering the before photo before the work starts. That gets forgotten more often than you’d think. So it is rarely the biggest angle in the bank – and that’s why the other seven are needed.

Eight angles for trades and construction

  • The work in motion. Hands and tools in the middle of a moment. Movement and a little blur are perfectly fine.
  • The result. Finished details and surfaces, up close. The most used angle – and the one that wears out fastest.
  • Before and after. The same view, two moments.
  • The people. The team at work. Faces aren’t needed – hands and backs work just as well. Always with consent.
  • The workshop and the everyday. The machines, the van, the morning before anyone arrives. What gives character.
  • Materials and technique. What you build with, and why. Professional content without becoming advertising.
  • The place. The town, the building, the area you work in. Only places where you actually take jobs.
  • Documents and proof. Certifications, inspection records, trade-offs. No readable personal data.

Proof says more than promises

The last angle sets construction apart from most other industries. Someone looking for a tradesperson wants to know the job will be done right, and a certificate or a completed inspection record says that better than any text. The only requirement is that no customer’s name or address can be read.

The Place angle also has a rule that’s easy to miss: only show towns where you actually take jobs. A photo from a job far away can attract enquiries you’ll have to turn down anyway.

Update 13 October 2026: The construction demo is now open, with three fictional businesses: carpentry, ventilation and groundworks. The photos in that demo are licence-free examples. Open the construction demo →