by Brian Roberts, Roberts Adjusting Service LLC:

Since a picture is worth a 1000 words I have started a discussion to help the new people take better photos and understand one of their best tools. This came about because I recently talked to a friend of mine who works in an office and reviews adjuster reports and complained about how adjusters are taking photos. It is better to have good pictures than to explain something in writing. If you have been an adjuster long enough you will have made some of the mistakes I am about to describe. Hopefully, this little guide will help save you some time and money.

Camera & Stuff 101

# 1 Camera Size and Picture Size

Get a small digital camera with at least some amount of zoom 5 X or so. Small because you are going to take this thing with you in crawlspaces, attics, and roofs. You will put it under dishwashers and down chimneys etc so small is good (about business card size). Don’t waste money on a camera that will take photos in 15 megapixels because the photos will take up too much computer space and be impossible to e-mail. One that is 5 Megapixels or less is plenty for adjusting work.

When you put the photos in the estimating packages some will not take large photos and you will have to resize them. You need to take photos on a setting called TV screen or 640. The TV screen is the smallest size available. If you use MSB / Integriclaim that size is still too large and the computer program will ask you to resize almost every other photo. It works great for Xactimate or Simsol. If you take your photos on a large setting like 1 megapixel don’t worry there is a way to resize them to a smaller size. A photo program can shrink them or there was a neat program I came across where you could select a whole bunch of photos and resize the whole lot.

# 2 Flash and Macro Settings

You need to be able to adjust the flash on your camera. You need to be able to take photos with no flash and low light. Why no flash ? if you have a moisture meter or electrical outlet tester that has a digital gauge you will want to show the reading with no flash. Why low light? if you squeeze every ounce of daylight out of a day you will find the exterior photos show up better with no flash / low light / or night time setting in the morning and evening.

Macro is the feature that lets you take close up’s. It is the flower icon. You use the macro or close up for photos where you show minor details like small cracks in plumbing lines , brick work, hail impact, and hardwood flooring cupping etc. After you use the macro setting or no flash it is important to take it off and go back to normal setting. I have taken a bunch of photos in macro because I forgot to remove the macro setting after I took the one close up I needed.

# 3 Camera Extras

Memory cards, battery, SD card reader, carry pouch, spares, and repair shops.

Memory cards don’t matter much because you are taking TV screen size photos so a small card will take all the photos you can take in a day. A 1 GB card will do as many as 12 claims with over 20 photos per file and you will never run out. Carry a back up card just in case the memory card goes bad. There is no Wal Mart in a bad cat area. The battery dont matter but make sure you have enough battery to make it through the day.

I like a computer that will read the memory card your have. If your computer don’t read it you will need a little card reader or SD drive. Carry pouch on the hip or belt is what I prefer to a neck strap but it is personal preference. Neck straps are no good in crawlspaces because your camera is in the dirt. Neck straps are dangerous when climbing ladders so I am not a fan of the neck strap. A small hand strap is OK and can be useful.

Swiss Army Small Camera zipper belt clip pouch

SD Card Reader which works as a thumb drive and 1 GB card

SD Card Read fits in USB port if your computer does not have a built in card readerA spare camera is a super great idea in case you drop one off a roof or in some water. I buy Nikon cameras because in my town there is a shop that can repair Nikons. If you have a shop in your town that repairs a camera I suggest getting that brand unless you work out of town a lot. Why? because you don’t have a week to mail off a camera and get it fixed. You have to buy a new one. If this happens get it fixed, buy a new one and keep one for a spare.

# 4 Photo Taking Order

There is no way one could tell you how to take proper photos of a loss because there are so many different losses but I have put together a small layout of how it seems companies and supervisors like to see photos in reports. I think you will get the jist of the layout order.

Photo # 1 – address confirmation – picture of house number or mailbox – this shows you looked at the right house. Don’t laugh I have looked at the wrong house where it was an exterior only claim and the insured was not going to be home. The numbers on your assignment sheet are not always right – remember that.

Photo # 2 – Front of building – Fit the whole building in the photo.
Photo # 3,4,5 Sides and back of building
Photo # 6 – Most damaged area, the worst damage or focal point
Photo # 7, 8, 9 – Most damage area / room different view and close ups of plumbing line, hail, fire etc
Photos # 10 – Next most damaged area
Photos # 11- Next most damaged area
etc etc etc – get a couple different views of each room especially the kitchen and small bathroom.
Taking photos of a small bathroom is an art form. Take photos of the bottom half of the room then the top half if necessary. Usually there is not much wrong with the top of a bathroom except in the case of a roof leak or second floor to first floor plumbing leak or fire.
Do Not tilt the camera upside down this makes file reviewers crazy.
Photo # 12 – Photos of other buildings, personal items or contracts, estimates etc
Take photos of the labels on the stove, refrigerator, television on the macro setting to see the model and serial numbers clear.

ALWAYS DO THIS

If you learn just one thing from this guide learn this. You should review your photos with the small screen on the back of your camera before you leave your appointment. This only takes a second but will save you a lot of time down the road. This way you can see if you took 20 photos with the macro feature on, or you can barely see the house because it is dark, or you got so excited with measuring the house you forgot to take a picture of the room where the damage occurred.

Conclusion

You dont need a $500 tricked out camera with adjustable lens to take great claim photos. A $100 or less camera with some zoom will do just fine. Keep a spare if your budget allows it. Take photos in TV screen setting. Learn how to take photos with no flash and macro setting. Get a carry pouch so you don’t drop it when not in use. Keep extra batteries and a memory card just in case. Take photos in a logical order and don’t skip around. Don’t take photos with the camera upside down. Take a couple more photos and break up the top and bottom of a small room like a bathroom. Always review your photos before leaving your appointment.

If anyone can think of anything I left out or have any questions let me know.

Brian Roberts

Roberts Adjusting Service LLC

www.robertsadjusting.com