360-degree site photos: when they help and how to take them
The coordinator has panoramic photos of every corridor but none inside the service rooms before drywall. Two years later, the operator is looking for a valve that the corridor views never showed. The files are labelled by camera number rather than room.
Use 360-degree photos when the surrounding room matters, especially before finishes conceal services, and capture them on a named route at a planned stage. Save each view against its room or position on the plan. Add ordinary close-ups where labels or details need to be read. A panoramic record helps someone understand context, but it is not a measurement survey or proof that every hidden item was captured.
- Choose a stage with the work visible and the area accessible. Coordinate the route with the covering sequence so rooms are not missed merely because different trades finish on different days.
- Mark capture positions on the current room plan. Choose recognizable positions and record the camera's location and viewing orientation in the index rather than relying on memory.
- Prepare the room with the responsible trade: identify what must be documented, check safe access and keep unnecessary personal or sensitive information outside the recording.
- Capture each planned position and review the result before moving on. Check for blocked views, unusable lighting and gaps around the subjects the record is intended to show.
- Take separate photographs of labels, junctions or access arrangements that need detail. Associate them with the panoramic view so a reader can move from room context to the specific subject.
- File the capture date, room, stage and route index with the original images. Ask someone who did not take them to locate a selected feature before the work is concealed.
Common mistakes
- Treating one corridor position as coverage of all adjoining rooms.
- Assuming a panoramic image will make a small label readable.
- Uploading views without the capture position or stage of work.
- Calling the set complete without checking rooms that were inaccessible.
Checklist
Check your planned coverage
- Purpose and pre-cover stage
- Room route and capture positions
- Blocked views checked
- Detail photos linked
- Date and room identifiers saved
- Missing coverage recorded
Check your understanding
A room's panoramic photo hides the service wall behind stored materials. Should you mark that room complete?
