Look, I’ve sat down with hundreds of tradies across Brisbane. Plumbers, sparkies, landscapers, roofers—you name it.
And I always ask the same thing: “How do you prove you’re better than the cheap bloke down the road?”
Most guys say, “Oh, I do a proper job, mate. I don’t cut corners.”
That’s great. But your customer doesn't know that. To them, you’re just another quote on a piece of paper. If you want to stop competing on price and start winning the big jobs, you need to stop talking and start showing.
I’m talking about before and after photos.
Now, don’t roll your eyes. I know you’ve got a phone full of blurry photos of pipes and half-finished decks. But most tradies are doing this completely wrong. They’re treating their photo gallery like a scrap book, when it should be their best salesperson.
Here’s the truth: a bloke looking for a $20,000 roof restoration or a $50,000 kitchen Reno isn't looking for the lowest price. He’s looking for the guy who won't mess it up.
Photos are your insurance policy. They’re proof that you’ve done this before and you’ll do it again.
Why Your Photos Are Actually Losing You Money
I see this all the time. A landscaper finishes a massive job in Ascot. It looks incredible. He takes a photo at 5:00 PM when the sun is down, there’s a pile of rubbish in the corner, and his ute is blocking half the view.
He puts it on Facebook and wonders why nobody calls.
It’s because that photo looks like work in progress, not a finished dream.
If your photos look sloppy, people think your work is sloppy. It’s unfair, but it’s how the human brain works. If you want to stop losing high-paying jobs to the competition, your photos need to look like they belong in a magazine, not a crime scene investigation.
The Psychology of the 'Before' Shot
Most guys forget the 'Before' photo. Or they take a quick snap of a hole in the ground.
The 'Before' photo isn't just a record of the mess. It’s the "Pain."
When a homeowner looks at a nasty, rusted-out gutter or a bathroom from 1974, they feel a bit of stress. That’s what they’re living with. When they see your 'After' photo right next to it, they feel relief.
You aren't selling plumbing or carpentry. You’re selling the transition from "This is broken and ugly" to "This is fixed and beautiful."
If you don’t show the before, the after doesn't look as impressive. It loses its punch.
How to Take Photos That Actually Sell
You don’t need a fancy camera. Your iPhone or Samsung is plenty. You just need to follow a few rules that most of your competitors are too lazy to do.
1. Clean the site first
I can’t stress this enough. If there’s a Red Bull can, a Maccas bag, or a pile of offcuts in the frame, you’ve failed. Spend five minutes moving the junk. It makes you look professional and respectful of the client's home.2. Find the light
Don’t take photos at midday when the sun is harsh and creates black shadows. And don’t take them in the dark. Early morning or late afternoon is the "golden hour." Everything looks better in soft light. If you’re indoors, turn on every single light in the room.3. The same angle is king
This is the secret sauce. If you take the 'Before' photo from the front gate, take the 'After' photo from the exact same spot. It makes the transformation look like magic. If the angles are different, the viewer's brain has to work too hard to figure out what changed. Don't make them work. Make it obvious.Where to Put These Photos (Hint: Not just Instagram)
Social media is fine, but it’s a flash in the pan. You post it, people see it for ten minutes, and it’s gone.
If you want these photos to make you money for years, you need to put them where people are actually looking for help.
Your Google Business Profile
This is the big one. When someone searches for a "plumber near me," Google shows the map. If your profile has 50 incredible before and after shots, and the other guy has a photo of his van, who are they going to call?Google loves fresh photos. It tells them you’re active and real. It’s one of the easiest ways to get tradie jobs for free without paying for expensive ads.
Your Website Gallery
Don’t just have a page called "Gallery." Call it "Our Work in [Your Suburb]."If you’re a roofer in Brisbane, show a roof you did in Coorparoo. People love seeing houses that look like theirs. It builds trust instantly. They think, "If he can fix that place down the road, he can fix mine."
Turning Photos Into a Lead Machine
Once you’ve got the photos, don’t just dump them. Tell a story.
Instead of writing "New deck finished in Chermside," write something like:
"The Smiths couldn't even walk on their old deck because the wood was rotting through. They wanted a space where they could host Sunday lunch without worrying about the kids' safety. We ripped out the old timber, reinforced the frame, and laid down some beautiful spotted gum. Now they’ve got the best entertaining area on the street."
See the difference? You’re talking about people, safety, and lifestyle. That wins jobs.
The "Tradie Trend" for 2025 and Beyond
We’re seeing a massive shift in how people hire. They’re getting sick of the big directories that sell their lead to five different people. They want to find a local expert they can trust.
Video is the next step. A quick 30-second walk-through of a finished job on your phone—just you talking naturally about what you did—is worth its weight in gold. It shows your face, your voice, and your expertise.
If you’re in a competitive trade like fencing or roofing, this is how you win high-value roofing jobs while everyone else is fighting over scraps on Airtasker.
My Honest Take
Most marketing agencies will try to sell you complicated "strategies" and "funnels."
Honestly? For a local tradie, 80% of your success comes down to: 1. Doing a good job. 2. Getting a review. 3. Showing the proof with photos.
It’s not rocket science. It’s just about being consistent.
If you start taking two minutes at the start and end of every job to snap a decent photo, your marketing will basically take care of itself. You’ll have a library of proof that makes you the obvious choice.
What should you do tomorrow?
Tomorrow morning, at your first job, take a photo of the problem. Before you touch a tool.
Then, when you finish, spend three minutes cleaning up and take the same photo.
Do that for a week. By Friday, you’ll have five pieces of content that are better than any ad you could pay for.
If you’re too busy running the business to worry about posting these or making them look professional on your site, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane tradies turn their hard work into a phone that doesn't stop ringing.
Drop us a line at https://lmgroup.au/contact and let’s see if we can help you get off the tools and start winning the jobs you actually want.