I had the impetus to write this in order to try to explain what is involved with, and how it feels to be employed to take photographs of crime scenes. I'm not sure I can accurately describe how I felt at each scene as they are all different in some way. The whole ethos behind the task is to be able to 'capture' the scene as witnessed by the CSI upon arrival; in order to inform magistrates, juries, police personnel or anyone else involved in the course of the investigation so that they do not need to visit the crime scene for themselves.
On occasion juries do ask to visit the crime scene if there is something they do not understand or something that the images do not show.Strictly speaking, the latter reason should not happen!
During my training course in 1995 I was trained in the use of 35mm, medium format, and 5x4 large format. However on reaching my Constabulary they almost exclusively used the 35mm FM2. The only exception to this was when someone took (what was considered by the Pathologist) a less than acceptable photograph at a post mortem and as a result the force bought a Bronica for sole use at pm's. This was despite the fact that the pathologist knew nothing about photography, and despite subsequent images being larger they were taken in exactly the same way as before. We did get a Brony out of it though!
'Fixing' the scene (photographing it) is one of the first tasks a CSI must carry out on arrival after they have reviewed the cordon or erected it if it has not been carried out by the police officer. Hopefully this should ensure that nothing has been moved or disturbed prior to their arrival. The scene is photographed in its entirety from all angles looking inwards. Usually there is a focal point of the scene (especially outdoor scenes) usually either that of a vehicle or a body but it could be anything. Obviously you cannot just walk up to the area of interest as you may remove or damage forensic evidence, and so a 'common approach path' has to be set up. This can be a long drawn out process, however once completed a safe path is created which everyone uses to access the 'inner scene'.
All evidence by this time should have been recovered up to the area of interest and the immediate area around it. This will now enable photographs to be taken from all angles looking inwards, and outwards, in order to show what an offender may see of the area around him/her, and to be able to identify possible escape routes from the scene.
'There is no room for creativity in forensic photography' is what I was told. You must not show any regard for how a photograph portrays the surrounding area in its social context, nor must you show any regard for the posture, positioning or otherwise of the deceased. Over time you develop a complete impartiality to the sometimes upsetting scene in front of you, which , as a result of the limited field of view of lenses, can seem a very clautrophobic experience.
This can often prove very stressful and counselling is offered if required. I once attended a counselling class, as we were required to when it was first introduced.The counsellor informed me how police officers must 'go through hell' especially traffic officers who witness all sorts of collisions and entanglements of bodies with vehicles. I felt the need to enlighten her to the fact that once the cordon is set up and the ambulance has arrived the police officer will turn away and direct traffic, it is the CSI who has to 'get intimate' with the carnage by way of, sometimes very close photography. Every aspect of the collision must be photographed, and then the vehicles may be winched into the position they were in upon impact, and again must be photographed from all angles. It could be that there are skid marks on the ground, damage to the surrounding areas, kerbs, walls etc all of which must be photographed. If the collision happened at night then you may have to arrange for the road to be closed again the next day in order to re-photograph.
That is not the end of it, as albums must be constructed by the CSI and reviewed before going to court. So, as I informed the counsellor, you actually relive the scene many times.
Back to the crime scene... once the scene has been recorded in its entirety from all angles, the CSI then begins recovering individual items of evidence. Each and every piece of evidence must be photographed before recovery, with a scale and descriptive label.
With the exception of overall scene photography (outside scene), the photography of evidence must be carried out with the use of an off camera flashgun held at an oblique angle in order to create shadow and avoid hotspots from reflections, especially in footwear marks and tyre marks to accentuate the pattern.
When examining a scene there are many things to think about other than photography, especially as most of the time you are working alone in a hostile environment. Scenes that I have experienced previously include completley black, sooted fire scenes, derelict buildings, lofts, building sites, cellars, exposed outdoor scenes, railway lines, motorways and Blackpool Pleasure Beach! Scene examination must be completed in full protective clothing (one piece scene suit, gloves, mask, overshoes), which in the summer is too hot and in the winter isn't warm enough. Some people are never satisfied!
As can be seen crime scene photography, by necessity, is almost as objective as is possible, for several reasons. The scene has to be portrayed as it was found, without regard to ethics, or surroundings, also personally, I have found that you need to become almost 'detached' from your task and not to think too much about what you are actually photographing. Having said that, you then put down your camera and try to make sense of it all!
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