Brazoria County Sheriff's Department

Identification Division

Crime Scene Photography

The photographs taken at a crime scene are critical to an investigation. I am often asked how many photographs should actually be taken at a crime scene? There is no magic number when it comes to properly documenting the scene through photographs. It will actually depend on an investigators opinion as to when he/she feels enough photos have been taken to properly preserve the state of the scene in its original condition upon his/her arrival.

The purpose of crime scene photographs are to give a documented record of the scene as it is observed. There is a special skill and technique to crime scene photography. Therefore it takes training and practice for the investigator to be proficient in the task. The investigator should first become familiar with the camera equipment used by his/her agency or department. That equipment should include the flash system as well as the lenses and a tripod. The time to become familiar with a particular piece of equipment is not during a major case when it is taken out of the vehicle.

Most training classes available to the investigator in crime scene photography or forensic photography deal with bench or close up photography using special lighting techniques. These are good courses to begin with since these are the areas that present the most difficulty to the photographer in the early career or training stages. In the field the investigator will find that these techniques are generally used less than a third of their time.

The investigator should begin taking photographs of the scene as soon as possible after arriving on the scene. This will assure that the scene is depicted as it is observed in its original uninterrupted state. Nothing should be touched, moved, or initiated into the scene until it has been thoroughly photographed and documented.

In crime scene photography there are three (3) general positions or views which are necessary. Those views consist of overall photographs showing the entire scene, mid-range photographs showing a relationship of the items, and a close up photograph of the items of evidence themselves.

When taking general photographs of a home, business, or vehicle make sure to take photographs showing the windows, doors or all entry locations. If a numerical location is displayed on the outside of a structure or on a mailbox make sure it is photographed.

As an example of the number of photographs which may be taken at a particular scene, take a standard bedroom, the investigator may choose to take an overall from each wall as well as from each corner of the room. That gives eight (8) different overall view points in the room. The mid-range and close up photographs would be dependant on the associations or relationships of items that might be needed as well as a particular piece of evidence in the room that may need to be documented.

At an outdoor scene where you have a nearby balcony or stairwell, take a few photographs from the highest point showing the overall scene. The investigator is only going to be limited to his/her imagination.

If you are asked to photograph a particular item of evidence make sure you use a neutral background. First you want a contrasting background, second you do not use a red or dark red background that might be considered inflammatory and not be allowed into court.

When taking photographs of a vehicle for documentation, make sure to do an overall from each side, front, back, all four (4) corners of the vehicle. Included the license plate, V.I.N, any decals, custom accessories, any damage, inside the trunk, the front and rear interior, glove box, ignition area, and the instrument panel of the vehicle.

Another tool in crime scene photography that is very important which is rarely covered in lectures or taught and is often overlooked is special techniques photography with the use of resources like cones depicting a trail of blood, photographic numbers and letters depicting areas and items of evidence, Dow rods and string depicting pathways of projectiles, stick on numbers or letters depicting the bullet holes in a door or ricochet marks on a wall or vehicle, etc. The use of this systematic approach in photographing the scene creates an excellent tool for telling the scene story through photography of the conditions and locations of evidence at the scene. Make sure that everything is consistently organized and corresponds with the crime scene sketch. Have all of the letters and markers facing the same direction for the photographs. All of these tasks make for a professional looking presentation at a briefing and allows for a user friendly or clearly understandable presentation during a trial or court room proceeding. Again the limitations that you have as an investigator are your own imagination.

Practice and knowledge of the equipment is the key to gaining the confidence in properly documenting the crime scene through photography. Good luck!

Mike Byrd, Miami-Dade Police Department, (Florida)