Crime scene photography is a subset of photography that focuses on taking accurate photographs of crime scenes and criminal evidence for use in criminal investigations and prosecutions. Professional crime scene photographers with special training in forensics and photography are employed by some police departments and law enforcement agencies, while others rely on officers who can take photographs in addition to investigating.
Since the invention of the camera, people have been photographing crime scenes, realizing that photography could be a useful tool in criminal investigation. Modern crime scene photography is intended to capture an accurate, detailed, and truthful image of the scene, as well as to meticulously document both the scene and the criminal investigation that follows.
The first people allowed into a crime scene are crime scene photographers. They begin by taking broad overviews of the scene to establish context, then gradually move in closer to take midrange and closeup shots of specific areas of interest. They may use evidence markers, rulers, and other tools to provide context and references, and they must frame images carefully to maintain relevance and scale. Crime scene photographers try to work quietly so that detectives can see an unblemished scene, and they also document the investigation of the crime scene, including evidence tagging and removal.
Officers can use crime scene photography to reconstruct a crime scene and investigate a crime. The photographs could also be used in interrogations and in the courtroom to show the judge and jury what the scene looked like. In a stabbing, for example, the photographs could show the knife as it was discovered at the scene, as well as documenting the knife’s path through evidence.
Digital cameras have vastly expanded the field of crime scene photography because they allow photographers to shoot indiscriminately, capturing every relevant detail at the scene, including crowd shots that may be useful later. In this field, photographers tend to go overboard, believing that it is better to sift through hundreds or thousands of photos than to miss something by being too conservative with the camera.
Several law enforcement agencies provide training in crime scene photography, and some people learn on the job as well. In addition to photographic skills, forensic skills are required, such as knowledge of how to maintain the integrity of a scene, how to handle evidence, and how to take photographs that will be admissible as evidence in court.
Despite the fact that this branch of photography is primarily used for practical purposes, some crime scene photographs have evolved into works of art in their own right, in addition to serving as useful evidence. Photographs of lynching crowds, for example, have been displayed in museums and art galleries.