How to Get Crime Scene Photos

Taking crime scene photos is a grizzly but important procedure.

Every year, thousands of murders, rapes, robberies and other crimes are committed in the United States. Studying and photographing crime scenes can reveal a great deal about how the crime was committed and who did it.

Instructions

1. Gain clearance to enter the crime scene. If you are not already authorized to enter the crime scene area, contact your local police to ask if they need a crime scene photographer. Alternatively, if you discover a crime scene before police arrive, you may be able to use a camera with a zoom lens to take photographs without actually entering the crime scene.

2. Take photographs of the dead body or bodies. Shoot from various angles, then take photos to the crime laboratory where they can be scanned and studied.

3. Answer questions such as the following:

   (1) What position is the body in? What position was the victim in when he was killed?

   (2) What type of weapon was used? What parts of the body was it used on?

   (3) Were any special chemicals involved? Among those who knew the victim, who had access to, or regularly worked with, such chemicals?

   These questions will provide you with ideas of what things at the crime scene need to be photographed as evidence.

4. Analyze blood splatter, if blood is present, and photograph it. This is an important component of a murder investigation. Blood can flow from the victim in a variety of ways: It can spurt from an artery, gush from a major wound, drip on the floor, splatter on the wall, or be smudged. At what angle did it come out, and in what direction?

References

• Crime Scene Investigator: Bloodstain Photography
• Crime Scene Investigator: The Admissibility of Digital Photographs in Court