Gardens & landscaping
Garden and Landscaping Before and After Photos
Gardens change with the season, the weather, and the time of day, even when nobody touches them. A spring before and a summer after can make any project look dramatic. Landscapers, garden designers, and gardeners get more convincing comparisons by fixing where they stand and when they shoot.
By BeforeAfterly · Practical comparison guide · Published
The practical takeaway
Choose fixed photo points, photograph them before work starts, and repeat the shots from the same spots, at a similar time of day, and ideally in the same season.
Set up fixed photo points
Land managers monitor change over years by returning to fixed photo points, and the same method works for a garden. Pick two to four spots that show the whole space and the main features — a corner of the patio, the back door, an upstairs window, the end of the lawn — and note exactly where you stood.
Record the camera height, the direction you faced, and the zoom setting, and save a reference photo of the spot. A permanent marker such as a paving joint, a post, or a fence corner makes it easy to return. An upstairs window gives an excellent overview of layout changes.
- Two to four fixed spots that cover the whole space.
- A note of height, direction, and zoom for each.
- One overview from a high point if possible.
- Detail photos of areas that will change most.
Match the season and the light
For an honest hard-landscaping comparison, photograph before and after in similar conditions: similar time of day, so shadows fall the same way, and similar weather. Overcast light is kind to plants and shows detail in shadows; low sun creates long shadows that change the look of a space.
Planting takes time. A newly planted border looks sparse at first, so show the finished build now and add a third photo from the same point a season or a year later. Label each photo with its date so viewers know how much is construction and how much is growth.
Choose a layout for wide scenes
Gardens are usually photographed in landscape orientation, so placing two photos side by side makes each one small. In the photo maker, choose Top and bottom with a portrait or story canvas, or Landscape with Side by side for a website banner.
For a design portfolio, an interactive slider lets visitors move across the same view. Use Crossfade to show a gradual transformation, or Split for a crisp line between old and new paving.
Make a top-and-bottom image · Embed a slider on your website
Permissions and privacy
Ask the owner before publishing photos of their garden. Check the frame for house numbers, cars, children, neighbours, and views that reveal the location. If you use a drone for overview shots, follow the drone and privacy rules where you live.
Common questions
When should I take the before photos?
Before any clearance starts, from every photo point you plan to repeat. Photograph the space as found, including problems the project will fix.
Can I compare photos from different seasons?
You can, but say so in the caption. Seasonal growth, leaf fall, and light can make a bigger visual difference than the project itself.
What is the best layout for garden photos?
Wide garden photos usually work best stacked top and bottom, or in an interactive slider, so each image keeps a useful size.
Put it into practice.
Load your before and after images and try all three comparison modes. Free, with no sign-up.
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