Scene Photography

Photographing scenes is important for various reasons, whether it is for a police related investigation, an insurance investigation, or a photojournalist image. The critical issues in taking preeminent images of any scene involve capturing comprehensive and concise images shot from various angles and in a specific pattern so the incident being recorded has relative reference points to the overall view of the scene. The scene photographer must be careful to preserve every nuance of a scene, down to the minutest detail, photographically. Caution in moving about a scene while shooting images is imperative to not in any way shape or form move or damage any items or details of an investigation.

Many times a photographer will be the first individual to be released to view a scene and to record the details for future references in putting together what actually occurred prior to the incident, during the actual incident, and the aftermath of the episode. The photographer and his gear become the investigator’s eyes and memory of the details. Every shot has to be clear and well lit; grainy, and ambiguous images could harm a case because they are not succinct and precise enough to help fill in the blanks on the most critical parts of the facts at a scene.

Probably the most productive scene photographer to every have worked the investigative camera beat was photographer Arthur Fellig or “Weegee.” The New York street photographer captured explicit scene photographs by being the first on the scene to record every detail; whether it was a gory murder scene, a big time bust, or a horrific car crash, Weegee was on the scene.