Pole Height Photo

Stand at approximately a 45 degree angle from the pole. This angle is best to capture any bisecting down guys (as well as any equipment that may otherwise be obstructed by any crossarms) to provide the most visibility of the pole’s attachments for those working in the back office. You can take this photo at any 45 degree angle so you will want to avoid having the sun in the background and try to maximize visibility of all attachments and equipment.

Stand at least a pole’s length away when taking the photo. Standing too close to the pole will introduce parallax, which will make taking an inaccurate photo more likely. A best practice is to ask yourself, "if the pole were to fall over, would it hit me?" The answer should be “no.” If “yes,” the main camera operator is too close to the pole. In situations where the main camera operator cannot safely stand a pole’s length away, they should use the maximum focal length possible to properly frame the photo.

Take the photo in portrait orientation. While the software allows landscape height photos, taking the photo in portrait orientation ensures more pixels are delegated to the subject of interest in the photo. Frame the photo so there is sky above and ground below the pole. Ensuring proper framing around the pole not only reduces parallax, but it also provides additional environmental context for the back office to understand what is surrounding the pole. If the photo is framed too tightly, the main camera operator is too close to the pole. Standing too close to the pole will introduce parallax, which will make taking an inaccurate photo more likely. Well-framed poles will also provide a more polished deliverable.