"Ever tried using a grease pencil or wax crayon directly on the pipes?"
Actually, yeah—wax crayons saved me when I redid my rainwater harvesting setup last spring. Masking tape just turned to mush after the first drizzle, but the crayon marks stayed readable for months. Still, photos were a mess to decode later... angles and lighting made it tricky. Ended up sketching a rough diagram too, which helped way more than expected.
Wax crayons are legit underrated for plumbing notes. I used them on a boiler job once, and they held up great even with heat and moisture. But yeah, totally agree—photos afterward were a headache. Half my shots had glare or shadows blocking key info, and I spent way too long squinting at blurry pipe labels. Learned the hard way that pairing crayon marks with quick sketches is the move. Now I just scribble out a rough map on scrap cardboard or plywood—nothing fancy, but saves me from decoding cryptic photos later. And bonus points if you stash it somewhere obvious (unlike me, who once lost a diagram behind the toolbox for three months...).
"Half my shots had glare or shadows blocking key info, and I spent way too long squinting at blurry pipe labels."
Yeah, glare is the worst. I've tried wax crayons too—definitely solid—but honestly, nothing beats a quick sharpie sketch on a scrap of drywall or plywood. Photos always seem great until you're back home staring at a blurry mess. Ever tried labeling pipes with colored zip ties? Saved me a few headaches, especially in tight spaces where notes just aren't practical...
Colored zip ties are pretty clever, but honestly, I just grab some masking tape and scribble on it with a sharpie—cheap, quick, and easy to peel off later. Photos always seem foolproof until you're squinting at your phone in frustration... been there too many times. Ever found a reliable way to avoid shadows when taking pics in cramped spaces? I'm tired of playing flashlight gymnastics every time I'm under the sink.
Totally with you on the masking tape method—cheap and foolproof, especially when you're in a hurry. As for shadow battles under sinks, I've found a cheap LED headlamp to be a lifesaver. Frees up both hands and keeps the shadows mostly at bay, way better than juggling flashlights or awkwardly propping up your phone. Still get some weird angles sometimes, but it's definitely cut down on my frustration level...and neck cramps.
