Idaho POST-certified. 40 credit hours. In-person, agency-hosted delivery only.

Crime Scene Photography for Law Enforcement is a four-day program that takes officers from basic camera operation through advanced evidence documentation. The course runs on a progressive case design: evidence is seeded in the scenario environment on Day 1 and staged throughout the week. By Day 4, each officer has contributed photography to a single fictional case. That case goes on trial in a courtroom integration debrief. What holds up? What gets challenged? You find out before a defense attorney does.

No skill is applied in the scenario environment before it has been introduced and drilled in the classroom. The sequence is always: lecture with hands-on, then scenario application. Up to 20 students per session. No more than 60 to 90 minutes of instruction passes before a hands-on component.

What the Course Covers

• Camera operation in manual mode: exposure triangle, back button focus, focus modes, and drive settings under field conditions
• The three-photo-type sequence (overall, midrange, close-up) and linking technique for court-ready scene documentation
• Evidence photography for footwear impressions, tire impressions, latent prints, injuries, and bloodstain patterns with correct lighting, scale placement, and sequencing
• On-camera and off-camera flash: bounce, diffusion, oblique lighting, and sync speed
• Alternate light source evidence photography: barrier filters, camera settings, and documentation sequence
• Cross-polarization: when to use it, how it works, and how to defend it under Daubert challenge
• Laser trajectory setup, illumination, and documentation
• Low-light and no-light scene documentation using timed exposure and painting-with-light technique
• Reflective surface documentation using a systematic problem-solving hierarchy
• Chain of custody, EXIF metadata, photo log standards, and admissibility requirements
• Courtroom testimony: authentication, lay vs. expert witness, and common photo exclusion grounds

Accreditation

Idaho POST-certified for 40 credit hours. RTI obtained IAI approval for the inaugural delivery of this course and pursues IAI-approved credit hours for each scheduled session. Contact us to confirm IAI credit availability for your session before scheduling.

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.

Is Crime Scene Photography for Law Enforcement Idaho POST certified?

Yes. This course is Idaho POST certified for 40 credit hours.

Is this course available online?

No. This is an in-person, agency-hosted course only. The progressive case design, scenario environment, and hands-on exercises require a physical facility, so there is no self-paced or online version of this program.

How is this different from the 2-hour online Crime Scene Photography course?

Crime Scene Photography for Patrol is a 2-hour self-paced introduction built for the on-shift officer. Crime Scene Photography for Law Enforcement is a 40-hour, 4-day in-person program built around a staged progressive case and a courtroom integration debrief on Day 4. Same subject, different depth.

What camera equipment do I need?

Bring a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Canon is the primary platform taught, with Nikon controls referenced at every step so Nikon shooters can follow along. You will also need a tripod, off-camera flash, your department alternate light source, and a standard evidence scale. A full equipment list is provided before the course.

Do I need prior photography experience?

No. The course starts with basic camera operation and builds to advanced evidence documentation technique. No background in photography is required.

How many officers can attend a session?

Up to 20 students per session. RTI will advise on the right cohort size for your facility.

What does enrollment include?

Each seat is $500 and enrolls one officer. RTI provides the instruction, scenario staging, and all instructor-supplied materials, including the cross-polarization rig, bloodstain materials, impression substrates, latent print surfaces, injury proxies, ALS-visible evidence, and the laser trajectory kit. The host agency provides the training facility and one vehicle for the vehicle zone exercises.

How does the progressive case design work?

Evidence is staged in the training environment on Day 1 and stays in place all four days. Every scenario session contributes photography to a single case. On Day 4, that case goes on trial in a courtroom integration debrief, where students assemble their documentation and defend it against challenges from the instructor playing defense counsel.

What is the IAI credit situation?

RTI obtained IAI approval for the inaugural delivery of this course. IAI credit is pursued for each scheduled session rather than approved as a blanket course credential, so confirm IAI credit status with RTI before scheduling.

How do we schedule a session for our agency?

Contact RTI directly. This course is agency-hosted only, so scheduling depends on coordinating dates, facility readiness, and the vehicle zone with your training coordinator.