How to Photograph Injuries
Accurately capturing the results of abuse is integral to documenting many crime scenes. I've taught forensic photography to police officers for more than 10 years, and I always start my presentations with the notion that good photographs start even before the camera is out of the bag. You have to have the proper mindset because images documenting injuries are some of the most important photos we take.
Since patrol officers are generally involved on the front end, the photographs you take may be the best representation of an injury's severity. Also, remember that documenting injury on a suspect's body is just as important as documenting visible injuries on the victim's body. Many of the guidelines we follow for crime scene photography also apply to documenting injury. Generally, it's best to start with overall photographs and then take closer, more detailed pictures.
