Three-Shot Rule
Definition
The convention that every piece of evidence is photographed at three distances: overview (scene-context), mid-range (position relative to landmark), and close-up (with a scale).
- Shot 1
- Overview: item in full scene context
- Shot 2
- Mid-range: item relative to a fixed landmark
- Shot 3
- Close-up: item filling the frame, with a scale
- Applies to
- Every item of physical evidence before it is moved
Common questions
Why photograph before moving the item at all?+
Once an item is lifted, its original position and orientation relative to the rest of the scene cannot be recreated. The three shots preserve that spatial relationship for court, even after the item itself is packaged and removed.
What happens if the close-up shot has no scale?+
A close-up without a scale reference cannot be used to measure the item's true size later, and opposing counsel can challenge any dimension estimate drawn from it. Photographers carry an L-scale or ABFO ruler for this reason.
Related terms
- DSLR vs Mirrorless
- DSLR uses a mirror and optical viewfinder; mirrorless uses an electronic viewfinder. Modern Indian SOCO kits include both; mirrorless is increasingly the...
- Exposure Triangle
- Aperture, shutter speed and ISO. The three variables a photographer balances to produce a correctly-exposed image.
- Lens Classes
- Wide-angle (under 35mm full-frame) for overviews, normal (50mm) for mid-range, macro (1:1 or closer) for close-ups, telephoto for surveillance and exterior contexts.
- Photo Log
- The contemporaneous record tying each forensic image to its capture time, location, equipment, exposure settings, and subject description. The primary chain-of-custody document...