Using photographs as evidence
Photographs prove condition and prove absence. Both are worth more than description.
A photograph does something no table can: it shows a board something they would otherwise have to take on trust.
What they prove well
- Absence. The outbuilding on the record card is not there. The record says finished basement; here is the basement.
- Condition. Deferred maintenance, a failing roof, foundation issues, an unfinished interior — things a model calibrated on typical condition cannot know.
- External factors. Adjacency to a commercial use, a substation, a rail line, drainage.
How to present them
Date each one. Caption each one with what it shows and why it matters. Two or three that make a specific point beat a folder of the house looking nice. If you are proving absence, include a wide shot that establishes location as well as the close-up.
What they cannot do
Prove value. A photograph of a tired kitchen does not establish an amount. Pair condition evidence with a repair estimate if you want it to translate into a number.
A caution
Photographs cut both ways. If your house is better than the record says, pictures showing that will be in the file permanently.