Help Center → Capture
Understanding Photo Quality Requirements
The AI that analyzes your inspection photos has specific requirements for lighting, sharpness, angle, and coverage. Here's what it looks for and what gets flagged.
6 min read
Understanding Photo Quality Requirements
Estimatics runs every photo through a quality check before AI analysis. Photos that don't meet the minimum requirements are flagged — they won't produce accurate damage findings, and in some cases they won't be processed at all. Understanding these requirements helps you capture better evidence from the start.
How photo quality is evaluated
When a photo uploads, Estimatics automatically checks for:
- Sharpness — Is the subject in focus?
- Exposure — Is the photo properly lit (not too dark or overexposed)?
- Resolution — Is the image large enough for AI analysis?
- Angle — Is the camera angle usable for the subject type?
- Coverage — Does the photo show the claimed subject clearly?
Photos that pass all checks move directly to AI analysis. Photos that fail one or more checks are flagged with a specific reason so you can retake or supplement them.
Quality flags and what they mean
| Flag | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Blurry / Out of focus | Camera motion or subject too close | Tap to focus before shooting; hold steady |
| Underexposed | Too dark — detail lost in shadows | Tap the bright area to adjust exposure; use flashlight for interiors |
| Overexposed | Too bright — detail lost in highlights | Tap a bright surface to expose correctly; avoid shooting into direct sun |
| Low resolution | File too small for analysis | Avoid screenshots; use the native Estimatics camera |
| Extreme angle | More than ~60° from perpendicular | Shoot more directly at the surface |
| Subject unclear | Damage area not identifiable | Retake closer or at a different angle |
| Duplicate | Near-identical to another photo in the same area | Remove one; duplicates don't add evidence value |
Flagged photos are still stored in the job — they're just marked for your review. You can override a flag if you believe the photo is usable.
Minimum technical requirements
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 4MP | 8MP+ (iPhone default is 12MP+) |
| Focus | Subject in focus | Tap-to-focus on damage surface |
| Exposure | Key damage detail visible | Properly exposed for the surface, not the sky |
| Angle from perpendicular | Less than 60° | Less than 45° for measurement accuracy |
| Subject in frame | Damage area occupies >15% of frame | 25–50% for close-up detail shots |
The three-distance rule
The most common quality issue isn't technical — it's coverage. Inspectors often submit only close-up shots without the context shots that make them meaningful.
For every significant damage area, capture photos at three distances:
Establishing shot (15–30 feet away) Shows the full surface — the entire roof plane, the whole elevation, the complete room. Gives context for where the damage exists within the property.
Mid-range shot (3–10 feet away) Shows the damage area within the surface. The viewer can see both the damage and enough surrounding area to understand its extent and location.
Close-up shot (1–3 feet away) Shows the specific damage detail the AI needs to classify — impact marks, granule displacement, crack patterns, water staining boundaries, mold growth, etc.
All three distances together are significantly more defensible than close-ups alone. A carrier can't dispute damage they can see at all three levels.
Common photo problems in the field
Shooting directly into sunlight
Problem: Backlighting makes damage invisible even when it's clearly present. Fix: Reposition to put the sun at your back, or wait for the sun to move. For roof shots from a ladder, shoot in the early morning or late afternoon.
Dark interiors
Problem: Room lights are off and natural light is insufficient — damage details lost in shadows. Fix: Turn on every light in the room. Supplement with your iPhone's flashlight (swipe up to Control Center, enable flashlight, then open the camera). Tap the darkest area of the frame to expose for it.
Ladder shake
Problem: Photos taken from a ladder while holding the device one-handed are frequently blurry. Fix: Brace your elbow against your body or the ladder. Use the volume button to trigger the shutter instead of tapping the screen — it produces less camera movement.
Wet or dirty lens
Problem: Fingerprints and moisture on the camera lens reduce sharpness across the entire photo. Fix: Wipe the lens with a clean cloth before starting any inspection session. Check again after handling gutters or dirty surfaces.
Screenshots of paper documents
Problem: Some inspectors photograph paper sketches, printed reports, or handwritten notes. Fix: Don't include these in the Capture module — they don't add AI-analyzable evidence. Use the Notes section for text context.
Reviewing flagged photos
After uploading, go to the Capture tab on the web dashboard:
- Click the Flagged filter to see only photos with quality issues
- Review each flagged photo and the reason
- If the photo is still useful, click Keep Anyway to override the flag
- If it needs to be replaced, go back to the field (or the best available alternative) and re-shoot
Best practice: Do your quality review before leaving the property. It takes 5 minutes and saves a return trip.
Frequently asked questions
Will flagged photos affect my AI findings? Flagged photos that are kept in the job will still be analyzed, but with lower confidence. The AI notes which findings came from lower-quality photos. For CERTIFY plans, flagged photos reduce the Defendibility Score.
Can I manually mark a photo as high-priority for the AI? Not directly. The AI processes all photos in an area. To improve findings for a specific area, add more high-quality photos to that area.
My photos look fine on my phone but get flagged — why? iPhone screens are very high resolution and bright, which makes most photos look good on-device. The AI is analyzing the actual pixel data, which can reveal sharpness or exposure issues not obvious on a phone screen. Compare on a computer monitor for a more accurate assessment.
How many flagged photos are acceptable? For launch: zero. Aim to have no flagged photos by the time you close a job. For CERTIFY plans, a high number of flagged photos will visibly lower the Defendibility Score.
Capturing photos
Field technique and coverage guidelines for every inspection type.
Reviewing and managing media
How to navigate, filter flagged photos, and manage your media library.
How media syncs
What happens to your photos after you take them.
Photo markup and annotations
Add callouts to photos to highlight damage for reviewers.
Last updated: March 2025 · Questions? Use the Resources panel in the app or email support@aiestimatics.com
Last updated: March 2025 · Feedback on this article