Crash RECON Photography is a two-day, 20-hour in-person course that teaches crash reconstructionists, traffic and patrol officers, and investigators to document crash scenes in manual mode: camera control, flash, a polarizing filter, timed exposure, painting with light, and drone exposure.

Most crash scene photos go bad for the same reason. The camera is in full auto and the scene is not. Wet pavement throws glare, headlights fool the meter, and a handheld night shot comes back as a blur. You already know what to shoot. This course covers how to shoot it, with a camera in your hands for most of both days. It does not teach reconstruction methodology, and nobody is going to read slides at you for ten hours.

• Length: 20 hours over two 10-hour days
• Format: In person, agency hosted
• Credit: 20 hours of Idaho POST credit
• Class size: Up to 20 students
• Bring: A camera with full manual mode, a tripod, an off-camera flash, and a polarizing filter. Bring your DJI drone for the drone block if you fly one.

Why Crash Scene Photos Fail

Crash scenes are hard to photograph. You work on wet or reflective pavement, in mixed light from headlights, emergency lighting, and streetlights, and often at night, with a camera set to a mode designed for birthday parties. The usual result is blurry handheld night frames, blown highlights off chrome and glass, and a photo set that does not match the report you write around it.

This course fixes those problems one at a time. Day 1 builds manual camera control and daylight technique. Day 2 puts you in low light and no light with a tripod, a timed exposure, and enough reps that the settings stop being a guess. Expect more shooting than listening. Each concept gets taught, demonstrated, and then you do it before the class moves on.

Day 1: Camera Foundations, Flash, and Daylight Reps

Camera Controls and Manual Mode

Find every control on your own camera and learn to run it without looking down. You shoot in manual mode from the first hour, because it is the only mode that lets you control all three exposure settings at once.

The Exposure Triangle

ISO, shutter speed, and aperture trade against each other, and every change costs you something: noise, blur, or depth of field. You shoot the same subject several ways and compare the results, so you see the tradeoffs instead of memorizing rules.

Back Button Focus and Focus Modes

Set up back button focus on your own camera, choose the focus mode that fits a crash scene subject, then lock focus, recompose, and fire without the focus point moving. Menus differ by brand, so bring your manual.

Documentation Standards

The three photo types (overall, midrange, and close-up) and how to sequence them so a viewer can follow the scene. Chain of custody and photo log discipline for the files you hand over.

On-Camera and Off-Camera Flash

Bounce, diffusion, and sync speed. You learn why direct on-camera flash flattens a scene and how to place light so tire marks, debris, and vehicle damage show up in the frame.

Polarizing Filter for Glare

Use a single polarizing filter to cut glare on wet pavement, glass, and vehicle paint and chrome. You rotate it, check the result, and learn when it helps and when it costs you too much light.

Daylight Crash Scene Reps

Day 1 ends on a closed road or parking lot with staged vehicles. You photograph the full scene using everything from the day while instructors work the line.

Day 2: Low Light, Timed Exposure, Painting with Light, and Drone

Mixed Light at Crash Scenes

Headlights, emergency lighting, streetlights, and flash can all land in one frame. You learn to recognize mixed light and pick camera settings that handle it.

Why Handheld Full Auto Fails at Night

The camera picks a slow shutter speed, you hold it by hand, and the frame blurs. You see exactly what happened in the camera, then fix it with a tripod, manual settings, and a timed exposure.

Timed Exposure Reps

This is the largest block of Day 2. You shoot timed exposures at different durations, check the result, adjust, and shoot again until the settings are second nature.

Painting with Light

In a no-light scene, a single flash does not reach everything. You learn to move a handheld light across the scene during a long exposure to light subjects the flash cannot cover.

Night Scenario Documentation

A full staged crash scene in a darkened simulated street block with vehicles. You work it start to finish: set up, expose, paint, and document.

Drone Exposure for Crash Documentation

Camera settings for DJI drone photos, by day and by night. The exposure principles match the ones you use on the ground. The block covers no FAA regulations and assumes you already hold your Part 107 certificate if you fly. If you do not, RTI offers FAA Part 107 certification for law enforcement.

Metadata and Report-Consistent Sequencing

Manage metadata on your photo files and order the set so it follows the story your report tells.

What You Will Be Able to Do

• Run a DSLR or mirrorless camera in full manual mode
• Set up back button focus and choose the right focus mode for the subject
• Photograph a daylight crash scene with overall, midrange, and close-up coverage
• Control light and glare with flash and a polarizing filter
• Capture low light and no light scenes with timed exposure and painting with light
• Set exposure for drone photographs in daytime and at night
• Keep photo files and sequencing consistent with your report

What This Course Does Not Cover

There is no reconstruction methodology, no measurement or diagramming, and no courtroom testimony block. You bring the crash knowledge. We handle the camera.

How This Differs From Crime Scene Photography

Both courses run on the same format of short instruction and heavy reps. Choose by the work you do: crash scenes, or general crime scene evidence. ALS, laser trajectory, and close-up evidence work are covered in RTI's 40-hour Crime Scene Photography course.

What to Bring

• A DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual mode (any brand)
• Charged batteries and a formatted memory card
• A tripod
• An off-camera flash with a cable or wireless trigger
• A polarizing filter that fits your lens
• Your DJI drone, if you fly one

Staged vehicles and scenarios are provided.

Accreditation

Crash RECON Photography carries 20 hours of Idaho POST credit.

Most law enforcement training exists because someone needed to fill a POST requirement. You've sat through that training. You know exactly what it looks like.

RTI courses are built by working investigators who got tired of watching officers fail in the field because their training never matched reality. Every module is grounded in current forensic science, tested against real case outcomes, and built to hold up in court, not just in a classroom.

No rubber-stamp certificates. No recycled slide decks from a decade ago. No instructors whose only qualification is that they once attended the course they're now teaching.

If you do the work, you'll leave with skills you can use on your next shift.
That's the standard RTI trains to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my handheld night crash scene photos blurry?

In full auto, the camera lengthens the shutter speed to gather light, and holding the camera by hand for that long blurs the frame. The fix is a tripod, manual settings, and a timed exposure. Day 2 of Crash RECON Photography is built around this problem, with repeated timed exposure reps.

Do I need photography experience?

No. Most students arrive shooting in full auto. Day 1 starts with finding the controls on your camera and builds from there, with a hands-on drill at every step.

Is this a crash reconstruction course?

No. It teaches photography only. You decide what to shoot, and the course teaches you how to capture it. There is no reconstruction methodology, measurement, or diagramming content.

What gear do I need to bring?

A DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual mode, charged batteries, a formatted memory card, a tripod, an off-camera flash with a cable or wireless trigger, and a polarizing filter that fits your lens. Bring your DJI drone if you have one. Staged vehicles and scenarios are provided.

Does it matter what camera brand I use?

No. Any DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual mode works. Menus differ by brand, so bring your manual or a PDF copy and the instructors will help you find each setting.

Do I need a drone?

No. The drone block covers exposure settings for DJI aircraft in daytime and at night. If you fly, bring your drone. The exposure principles are the same ones taught for ground cameras, so the block is useful either way. It does not cover FAA regulations, and it assumes you already hold your Part 107 certificate if you fly. RTI offers FAA Part 107 certification for law enforcement if you need it.

Does the course count for POST credit?

Yes. Crash RECON Photography carries 20 hours of Idaho POST credit.

How is this different from the 40-hour Crime Scene Photography course?

Crash RECON Photography is 20 hours over two days and focuses on crash scenes: manual camera control, flash, a polarizing filter, night timed exposure, painting with light, and drone exposure. The 40-hour Crime Scene Photography course adds ALS, cross-polarization, laser trajectory, close-up evidence work, and courtroom testimony. See the comparison table on this page.

Can my agency host this course?

Yes. Crash RECON Photography is delivered in person at host agencies. Day 1 needs a closed road or parking lot for daylight reps. Day 2 needs a space that can be fully darkened for the night scenario. See the in-person training page for how hosting works, or contact us to talk through your site.

Is there an online version, and how big are the classes?

There is no online version. The course is built around reps with a camera in your hands, so it is in person only. Classes are capped at 20 students.