A Day in the Life of a Kiwi Police Officer Photographer

The Auckland, New Zealand police department posted this interesting 9-minute behind-the-scenes video that shows a day in the life of a Kiwi Police Photographer.

The video follows a photographer named Rhonda, who shows us the ins and outs of what a typical day looks like as a member of the Police Photography Section.

There are three cars in the department that are dedicated to photography gear — the trunk contains each photographer’s Canon 5D camera kit, accessories, and other items the photographers might need in the field (e.g. crime scene number placards).

The photographers wear plain clothes, but they carry along vests and gear that allow them to step into police roles when needed, whether it’s assisting at a crash scene or pulling over cars over.

Over the course of the day, photographers get called to different crime and accident scenes to help shoot evidence for police investigations.

And at sensitive scenes, photographers need to wear a lot more gear to prevent their DNA from contaminating the area.

Back in the office, the photographers load up Lightroom and make basic adjustments (e.g. exposure) to improve the photos.

“What I’m taking photos of is very different to what I was taking photos of for fun,” Rhonda says. “Obviously the nature of our photos is pretty gruesome sometimes. It’s definitely something that’s not for everyone.”