Nationwide Industries® 2024 Photo Contest is already underway! Last year’s entries included a variety of fencing solutions, and we loved seeing and showcasing your work! Since we’re searching for the most beautiful shots of fence and gate hardware installations, we’ve gathered some tips and tricks to help capture your projects. Plus, Joe Everest recently put out a video with all of the details you’ll need.
Whether or not these tips help you win first prize (and $500!), you will be sure to come away with best practices for social media images, website case studies, or even a brag book that lives in your phone’s camera roll.
Consider all the Angles
Instead of a quick snapshot:
- Take a couple of extra moments to move around the latch, hinge, lock, or fence line.
- Take multiple photos that show the same hardware from different angles (high and low)
You can always delete photos later, so have some fun experimenting.
2022 Photo Contest Winner Fay Kopp
Time of Day and Weather
Because the quality of light changes by the hour, choosing the perfect time of day can transform a dull product photo into high art.
There are a handful of times of day which give you the best chance of capturing your installation in the best light. “Golden hour” light is late day sun known for dappled shadows and warm, indirect rays. “Early morning” light can also create a beautifully framed scene to highlight your gate hardware.
Pro Tip: The direction of light (very early morning, or very late afternoon) might just make your hardware shine!
Ideally, you want to shoot your hardware installation pictures when you can clearly see the product. When the sun is too strong, metal objects reflect light in a way that can cause overexposure. If we’re unable to see the fence latch, or the detail of the accessory, it won’t make the cut!
Overcast skies can also be your friend. Moody skies make for dramatic pictures that can give a sense of drama. Shooting in the rain is a great way to showcase the all-weather attributes of Nationwide Industries® hardware.
Use these tips when shooting your entries and you just might be our 2024 winner!
Visual Clutter
Our judges focus on the Nationwide Industries® hardware used in your installation project. Make sure to pay attention to anything that could potentially pull away focus in the frame. Things that draw the viewer’s eye away from the fence, handle, lock, or accessory can lower your photo’s effectiveness.
Pro Tip: You’re the one who decides what your viewer focuses on. Adjust your frame; try to only show what you want the viewer to see.
The key here is to make the fence hardware the star of the show. If they don’t add anything to the feeling of the photo, crop them out!
Rule of Thirds
Not every photo should be straight on with the subject in the center. Instead, consider using the rule of thirds to create visually interesting compositions. The rule of thirds divides the frame into three equal sections, both horizontally and vertically.
Pro Tip: When you compose your fence hardware photo, place the subject in the crosshairs.
See the illustration below:
That said, rules are made to be broken! Play with the composition of your photo to find the lines that are most pleasing to your eye. You might love a macro closeup of your installation, and that’s fine too!
Experiment with placement and capture as many different photos as it takes.
Photography Best Practices
There are a couple of photography best practices that every entry should have:
Good Photos Take Effort
While photo apps can be fun, take the time to get your perfect shot with no-filter. Nationwide Industries® wants to see the best side of your installation and the innovative solutions for fence and gate hardware that you’ve designed for your clients!
In Focus
The subject of your entry should be clearly in focus in your photo, but everything else doesn’t have to be. If you shoot manual settings with a camera, a shallow depth of field allows for things close to your lens to be in focus with a blurred-out background.
Unless you are tightly focused on a Nationwide Industries® product, we’ll miss the star of the show.
Pro Tip: This is the same shallow depth of field that the iPhone uses in portrait mode.
Final Considerations
We know that capturing your installations isn’t always top of mind after a long day in the sun. But using our simple tips and tricks, you can get the perfect photos in a snap!
When you’re taking pictures, ask yourself if you’d want to see these on a sizzle reel or showcase of your work. If the first couple photos are duds, give yourself a few extra minutes to frame, light, and compose a winner.
Most of all, have fun with the Nationwide Industries®2024 Photo Contest! We know you’re just as proud of your hard work as we are. Your photos should showcase the pride you take in being a Nationwide Industries® installation expert.
Remember you have until December 31, 2024, to enter.
For information about the Nationwide Industries® 2024 Photo Contest, and to submit your entries, visit our website!
Learn more about Nationwide Industries 2024 Photo Contest here: