LEGAL PHOTOGRAPHY Legal photography is fascinating to many photographers, especially thosewith an analytical turn of mind and it is exceedingly profitable when you can deliver the goods, which means, make photographs under any and all conditions and bring home the results—not always results that look good to you, but results that will tell the story and win a case.
There are a number of high-class specialists in this line who have what I consider a nice business. The work calls for a great deal of technical knowledge outside of photography and the real specialists are generally form:: law clerks or those who have had close affiliations with law offices, and who have a'natural aptitude for photography and have become familiar with the requirements.
However, such a knowledge is not necessary when working under the direction of a lawyer or claim agent knowing his business, and while one is often called upon to perform a seemingly impossible stunt, it will generally be found that a way has been provided to obtain results. I have in mind a case where I was called upon to photograph the frequency of alternating current of electricity. When the job was turned over to me I thought to myself, "you cannot see electricity, how are you going to photograph it ?" But I started out with the electrical engineer and found that they already had an apparatus on hand, but required a man with a good knowledge of photography to operate it. There are very few jobs where one cannot pull out with results if a little headwork is used and by putting across 'three or four good ones, a reputation is established for making good. When a lawyer makes good, he charges and charges high, and there is no kick to what the photographer charges if he can help them make good. .
This branch of photography takes several forms. There are the making of photographs for evidence, photographs for records, handwriting, finger prints, accident cases and the photographing of special stunts like the one above mentioned, and of conditions of materials such as steel and other mdtals*.
The lawyer or corporation employing a photographer will know whether the photographs they are making will be admissible to court. Not all photo graphs are so admissible all the time, but that is a question concerning which there is a variance of opinion and requirements are different in different states, so I will not attempt to lay down any rules here.
Photographs of evidence to be used for evidence, must be absolutely clear and sharp and must be made to show the part or parts in exactly a natural way or light. This matter of light is somewhat important, as often times an unthinking photographer will go into a room, for instance, and bang away with a flash lamp and the result is anything but natural, possibly exag gerating the very details desired shown. Time and thought must be given to every job.
Also, a careful record must he kept and plates numbered to correspond therewith, of the lens used, diaphragm opening, exposure, time of day, month and year, distance from objects, and name of the case. These should be kept whether you are asked to or not for your own protection, as it is very annoy ing to get on the stand to identify those photographs later and be unable to tell the date they were photographed or some other important information, and in these days of wise lawyers, especially on technical matters and patent cases, who may have a good knowledge of photography—or thinks he has— questions may be asked that will completely upset you, and if such a thing happens, away goes your reputation as a legal photographer. Otherwise, you are one step more forward toward qualifying yourself as an expert, which means a good salary per.
The photographing of handwriting is not so difficult as might be supposed and is a branch in connection with which the photographer is the more often called upon. The general procedure is to photograph the original handwriting, being sure that the camera is absolutely parallel with the copy board in all directions and giving the proper exposure—if necessary, using a panchromatic plate. There are instances where a process plate can be used, but, in most cases, it is too contrasty for the fine shading of the lettering. The reason the camera should be absolutely plane with the copy is so that there will be no distortion, for, if the case gets the least bit complicated, enlarged trans parencies may be demanded for comparison with the original and forged writings and any distortion would not be tolerated, as may be imagined.