Photographs can be an effective way of capturing data and supplementing a written description for records whilst also providing a visual aide.

Digital photographs will be required when you nominate a property for the Merseyside Local List.  Thankfully, you will not need an expensive camera, any kind of digital camera should be sufficient for capturing images for the digital platform, including those found on most mobile phones.

When photographing an asset, you should:

• Get a general view or views of the heritage asset (if possible, include its wider setting or landscape).
• Try to get external photos of each side (elevation) of the building where possible.
• Try to get images that reflect the original design intentions of the builder or architect, if known or can be understood or interpreted from the building or setting.
• Try to include images of structural and decorative features which are relevant to the heritage asset's design, development, and use
• Images of any dates or inscriptions; any signage, makers plates or graffiti that contribute to an understanding of the building.  If characters are hard to decipher, a transcription would be helpful.
• You are not required to provide internal images of your proposal, but if you have images of machinery, decorative details, structural elements of the asset, these may be used to support your nomination. Please ensure there is no personal information or identifiers visible in your images.
• Photographs should be taken from public land, unless you have the express permission of the owner to take images within the boundary of their property.  We do not want to cause any trespass issues, and please be sensitive to privacy issues.
• Uninterrupted photographs are best, where this is not possible, try to take photographs that do not include people or vehicles, or at least do not include people’s faces, car number plates etc.
• Taking photographs of assets is often best done when it is overcast rather than full sunlight as you get less shadow, though sunlight may help show architectural details more clearly.  However, any clear photograph will be accepted and uploading several images should make assessment easier.