How to Get Into Police Photography

Most law enforcement agencies use photography to preserve crime scenes for use in court, both to refresh officers' minds and present visual evidence. Here's the way most police photographers get their start.

Instructions

1. 

   Get an education. A post-secondary education in pre-law, law enforcement, forensic science or photography will most probably be your best bet to become a police photographer. Most departments hire only personnel with at least 60 hours of post-secondary education, at minimum. Make yours in a field that is relevant to the position. An associate degree in law enforcement will get you in the door at most qualifying exams. Once you've got a job, you can begin specializing in forensic photography.

2. Accept the fact that police photography is not an art but a directed science. Police photographers are directed by officers or detectives (usually by the use of those little numbered tags) to record various items that should be recorded at the crime scene. This may mean taking pictures of obvious evidence like shell casings or bodies but you might also be directed to record things that have seemingly little relevance to the case. The photographer is not an independent artist in this job--he is, literally, the eyes of the state and must record what the officer in charge decides will make the state's case.

3. 

   Possess considerable discipline and a good understanding of geometry and optics. Photographs are often used for relational purposes or to establish positions and distances. A good "eye" for angles, perspective and foreshortening can make or destroy a case based on the evidence presented in photographs. There are directions that an officer in charge cannot give because she doesn't know how to preserve the visuals. The photographer must supplement her direction with his skills, just as he relies on her skills to identify evidence.

4. 

   Whatever your educational background and experience, you must develop a skill in using all types of photographic equipment. You will probably be one of the few people in the department to understand the science involved in photography. There will always be new equipment (consider the recent revolutions in video and digital photography) to challenge your expertise. You must be the visual record authority and understand how to improve your skills as the technology develops. Your job may involve other tasks, too, such as cruiser camera maintenance, photographing suspects at arrest or even doing portraits for professional license background checks . These may all be parts of the visual record for which you're responsible. In a small department, you'll probably be expected to be able to fix the copy machine, too.

5. No matter how talented you are, you must get accredited training in photography and the recording of physical evidence. Get any special training necessary to be accepted as an expert in court and develop the verbal skills necessary to present yourself clearly and authoritatively.

Tips & Warnings

• If you think you might enjoy a career in law enforcement or forensic science, see if your local police department conducts a "Citizen's Police Academy," a program that allows citizens to join public safety personnel in activities designed to show exactly what it is that these public servants do all day (or all night). There's generally a major emphasis on collecting and preserving evidence and you can find out just what does get photographed at a crime scene.

• Forensic photography is a science in itself. Many medical schools and law schools offer coursework in visual records. The more training you have, the more valuable you become to your department.

• If you crave artistic freedom, by all means develop photography as a hobby. The discipline of forensic photography will make you a better artist. Beautiful work by police photographers (and just plain officers who do forensic photography in small departments) often finds its way into collections, galleries and publications.

• Most departments do not use non-employee photographers in their investigations. Those who do vet them thoroughly because the photographer is a vital part of the chain of custody for evidence. Her choices affect how the pictures look and can influence a court's consideration of the evidence. If you're not a police officer, be prepared for a complete background investigation of your life, your family and your associates.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish