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Updated: Since originally posting this article smart phones even better cameras supplanted the cheap point-and-click camera. The spirit’s the same.

An inexpensive digital camera (or smart phone camera) comes in handy, for sure.

Here are Four Uses for the Camera during Home Improvement

Scouting Inspiration

* While collecting inspiration for your next home project.  You’ll snap pics at the design showroom, at the home center and at Mrs. Jones’ down the street;

Communicating

* When communicating ideas to designers, suppliers, contractors and/or to your Aunt Myrtle and Uncle Frank. You’ll say, “I want this, but like this. See.”;

picture at night of various cameras on a wicker table polaroid

Documenting

* Prior to closing the walls up. You’ll document where and what lives in them: framing, plumbing, electrical, and low voltage raceway, etc. (Make sure these pictures ultimately stay with the house.);

&

(My personal favorite!)

Use in Disassembly

* When performing a repair task that requires you to disassemble, then later reassemble something. You’ll take pics at every stage of the way. If you get lost while putting things back together, you’ll simply refer to the pics you have right there in the viewer.

And it’s just one of the reasons why the camera ended up on my list of 10 Essential Tools for Homeowners. Your digital camera lives in your (figurative) toolbox right next to your pocket notebook.

— Can you think of more around-the-house uses for the digital camera?  Please feel free to add them in the Comment section below.  Thank you. ~jb

6 thoughts on “Building Moxie Archive: Do You Have a Digital Camera in Your Toolbox? :: Four Uses for a Camera during Home Improvement”

  1. JB, I love this site! Nice job. Good article also. Wanted to add that I’m doing Real Estate Listing Photography as well as Children’s Photography. Maybe I could advertise on here to get more contacts? Let me know how to go about it.

  2. dawn — thank you for dropping in and for the comment. if you want to talk about ad space email me @ [email protected]. otherwise drop your contact info here and/or on the facebook page. you could hit me there with some of your gorgeous photos. . . I am always in the need for house-type photos. they make things look pretty.

  3. I love it! I came here from the 10 essential tools article (http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2011/04/building-moxie-gets-a-reader-question-the-ten-essential-tools-for-homeowners/). I thought for sure the photos were for writing up a “how to” blog article. haha. I do really like the idea of shooting the walls before you close them up. I should have done more of that with our kitchen remodel, and boy would that have helped if all the prior homeowners had taken photos… Our house is like a history of electrical wiring (100 years old and many different electrical changes/additions along the way.)

  4. I believe it! and as much as it feels like this is not the case … we are simply the most well equipped diyers so far… and as hacked up as we can make things sometimes… usually still better than what they came up with a few decades back. for the record – can’t take credit for the open walls documentation, did read it somewhere… I like the one about photographing while disassembling or even replacing something … I find that I get confused sometimes when I go to put something back together. happy days Peter — thanks for the comment. This post *was* a little too lonely.

  6. thanks for swinging over John. obviously I wrote this article several years ago and I do find now that I reach for my smartphone in most all cases. But maybe it is worth a revise. Putting eyes where they aren’t – I love improvising on the fly and this one definitely ranks. Wishin’ you the best with the rest of this repair. cheers my friend. ~jb

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