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Forensic Photography Certification Requirements
  1. General Requirements
    1. An applicant for certification must be of good moral character, high integrity, good repute and must possess a high ethical and professional standing.
    2. An applicant for certification must be primarily employed in the field of Forensic Science whose duties include forensic photography.
  2. Education and Experience Requirements

    An applicant must have a minimum of three (3) years of experience working in the area of photography and/or digital imaging, a law enforcement related field is preferred.

  3. Training Requirements

    An applicant must have satisfactorily completed a minimum of forty (40) classroom hours of photography courses, either police or college level.

  4. Endorsements

    All applicants must submit two letters of endorsement, one of which must be from an individual actively working in the area of photography and/or digital imaging, and one of which must be from the individual's immediate supervisor.

  5. Examinations
    1. Certification shall be determined by testing. The certification test was developed and is maintained by the IAI Forensic Photography Certification Board. Applicants have three (3) hours to complete the written examination and ninety (90) days from receipt of certified mail to work and return the practical test.
      1. The written test shall consist of 100 multiple choice and true/false questions, including, but not limited to, history of photography, cameras, lenses, film, exposure, depth of field, light and color theory, lighting, filters, close-up photography, presentation and digital imaging. Passing grade 75%. The test questions will be written from three designated texts.
      2. The practical test shall consist of submission of ten (10) assigned images prepared by the applicant, five (5) of which are from a required list and five (5) from a list of optional assignments.
        1. Evaluation of the submitted images are based on a pass/fail basis, using the following factors:
          1. Compliance with requirements
          2. Utilization of proper photographic techniques
          3. Overall image quality
        2. Images are to be submitted as transparencies, 8"x10" prints, or on a CD-Rom in Tiff format (1,000 ppi with output size of 8"x10").
  6. General Provisions Concerning Certification
    1. The right to deny certification is reserved by the Forensic Photography Certification Board.
    2. Applicants who are denied certification by the Forensic Photography Certification Board may appeal such action in writing to the IAI Board of Directors within sixty (60) days of such notification.
    3. Certificates issued by the IAI are non-transferable. They remain the property of the IAI; but every person to whom a certificates has been issued shall be entitled to its continued possession unless and until such certificate is revoked.
    4. Certificates are issued for a period of five (5) years, subject to renewal upon application by a member. Such application for renewal shall be subject to standards in effect at the time of the request for renewal and payment of the established fee.
    5. Membership in the IAI , or any of its state or regional divisions, is not mandatory for certification.
    6. Certificates may be suspended or revoked by the Forensic Photography Certification Board for any of the following reasons:
      1. Violation of the IAI or Forensic Photography Certification Board code of ethics.
      2. A misstatement, misrepresentation, concealment, or omission of a material fact or facts in an application or any other communication related to certification.
      3. Conviction of an applicant for IAI certification or holder of an IAI certification by a court of competent jurisdiction of a felon or any crime involving moral turpitude.
      4. Issuance of a certificate contrary to or in violation an any of the laws, standards, rules or regulations of the IAI; or determination that the person certified was not in fact eligible to receive such certificate at the time of its issuance.
      5. Unethical conduct or other conduct by a holder of a certificate which brings the speciality of forensic photography into dispute.
  7. Certification - Grandfathering

    No waivers or Grandfather provisions are in this program.

Test questions are taken from the following publications:

Photography Ninth Edition by London Stone Upton
Police Photography 5th Edition by Larry S. Miller

For further information, contact:

David T. Gamble
Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
132 A Jerseyville Ave
Freehold, NJ 07728-8835
Phone: (732) 294-5906
Fax: (732) 409-7521
E-mail: dtg56@aol.com