Legal Photography: A Complete Reference for Documenting Scenes, Situations, and Evidence for Civil Cases

by Stan Sholik

Overview

While the number of assignments available in many photographic specialties is decreasing, there are still relatively untapped growth areas for still photographers and videographers. One of these specialty fields is legal photography.
Legal photography involves working closely with lawyers in law firms to provide photographic or video documentation relevant to their civil, not criminal, cases. It can involve a range of other photographic specialties from macro photography to architectural photography. No matter what is involved in a legal photography assignment, it is generally interesting and presents a new, unique set of problems to solve. Legal photography is far more technical than creative, but it is also in demand and is financially rewarding.
Civil cases brought to arbitration or jury trial range from simple to complex. Common to all cases is the need to present evidence in a fair and accurate manner. In this book, readers will learn how to take responsibility for ensuring that the images captured and delivered for presentation are a “fair and accurate representation” of the observed scene. That responsibility begins with the choice and use of the proper equipment (e.g., camera type, sensor size, capture mode, the correct focal-length lens for the job), through the techniques used during image capture (exposure, lighting, camera angle, camera-to-subject distance, white balance, etc.), to the processing of the captures for output. Sholik also points out that documentation is required for each step to ensure all parties that the representation is indeed fair and accurate—and the details of how this can be accomplished are outlined in this book as well.
Also covered is information about how to proceed should you be asked to give testimony as to the accuracy of your work and information about the requirements to be deemed an “expert witness.” For most photographers, doing assignments in the field of legal photography is the easy part. Getting the assignments can be more of a challenge, so the process of marketing yourself as a legal photographer is covered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608958597
Publisher:	Amherst Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/17/2015
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Stan Sholik: Stan Sholik has spent over three decades as a commercial, advertising and illustrative photographer in Orange County, CA. During that time he has developed a national reputation in a wide range of technology-oriented specialties for his clients in the computer, electronics, medical device and food industries.

Early in his career he began specializing in closeup/macro photography, motion-simulation and in-camera photocomposition to enhance the images created with his large-format cameras. The acquisition of a high-end computer workstation in 1993 enhanced his capabilities in all of these areas, allowing him to create images that could not be created cost-effectively with the camera alone. He is now working extensively with both 4x5 film and a high-resolution digital capture back for his large-format images and lower-resolution digital cameras for other applications.

He has also gained a reputation as a writer on both conventional and digital imaging topics with articles in View Camera, Shutterbug, Professional Photographer, After Capture, Rangefinder and other magazines. His first book, Close-up and Macro Photography Handbook was published by Amherst Media, Inc. in 2000. Stan's second and third books, Photographic Filter Handbook, and Handbook of Digital SLRs were also published by Amherst Media. His latest book, Professional Filter Techniques for Digital Photographers, was published by Amherst in 2006.

Self-taught as a photographer, Stan holds a BS degree in Physics and an MA in English from Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, PA.

Table of Contents

Introduction 8

Why Legal Photography? 9

Digital Capture 9

Admissibility 9

Some History 10

The Role of the Legal Photographer 11

Disclaimer 11

1 Equipment Considerations 12

Camera Selection 12

Camera Type 13

Image Resolution 15

Sensor Size 15

ISO 15

Exposure Modes 16

White Balance 17

Image Capture Formats 20

EXIF Metadata 20

Lens Selection 21

Exposure Considerations 25

Depth of Field Considerations 28

Hyperfocal Distance 33

Video Capture Considerations 34

Tripod Considerations 36

2 Lighting Considerations 40

Available Light 40

Electronic Flash 42

Speedlight as the Main Light 44

Speedlight as a Fill Light 45

Continuous Light 47

3 Photographing the Scene 49

Required Views 50

Establishing Photos 50

Mid-Range Photos 51

Close-Up Photos 53

Record Keeping 53

Recording Information in Images 53

Paper Records 54

4 Photographing Evidence 56

General Considerations 56

Lighting Techniques 62

45 Degree Lighting 62

Diffused Lighting 63

Oblique Lighting 63

Bounce Lighting 64

Transmitted Lighting 64

Axial Lighting 65

5 Photographing Specific Types of Cases 68

Personal Injury 68

Sips and Falls 69

Wounds, Dog Bites, Burns, and Other Skin Injuries 73

Sports Injuries 76

Property Damage 77

Traffic Accidents 77

Medical Malpractice 84

Product Liability 87

Intellectual Property 91

Other 93

6 Legal Photography 97

General Considerations 97

Software Considerations 99

Adobe Lightroom 102

Adobe Photoshop 102

Image Authentication 106

Workflow 108

7 The Legal Photographer as Witness 110

Lay Witness 110

Expert Witness 113

Deposition 115

8 Marketing Legal Photography 118

Your Legal Photography Website 119

Social Media 122

Legal Organizations 122

Trade Organizations 123

Index 125

Editorial Reviews

Stan Sholik is a credible, consistent voice in the industry who has established a following among our readers.” —Jacqueline Tobin, Former Editor-in-Chief, Rangefinder magazine

“Stan Sholik is a great asset to our organization and its members.” —Amelia Montgomery, Former Executive Director, Orange County Women Lawyers Association

From the Publisher