A.J. Hewitt is a former Police Forensic Photographer and Senior Photographic Officer with New Scotland Yard and in her book The Darkroom - Case Files of a Scotland Yard Forensic Photographer, she takes us through her career.
For almost a decade, Hewitt was required to photograph the scenes of workplace accidents, accidental deaths, suspicious deaths, suicides and homicides. She frequently photographed and documented the injuries of survivors of assault, attempted murder and domestic violence.
The author explains how she was able to establish a quick rapport with victims in shock, and the gruelling repetitive nature of the work she conducted. I didn't appreciate just how physical the role is, and Hewitt explains how she had to navigate the sometimes remote and challenging terrain, or operate in tiny spaces with her camera gear without compromising the crime scene.
I never really considered the value of aerial shots and Hewitt was required to produce aerial shots from a police helicopter prior to major events or police operations which provided vital information in the planning stages. It sounds like a great job until the author explains how cold it is hanging out of the window at an angle to get the perfect shot. A particular case in the book that stuck with me was the search for human remains at a rubbish tip that took multiple resources and days of hard labour before partial success. The difficulty in photographing the scene from above was made clear, as was the fact that forensic staff strived to provide as much information as they could to aid in the upcoming court case.
Hewitt spends much of the book citing different cases and scenarios, with the names changed of course. One of the well known incidents she attended was the Marchioness disaster in 1989, which I mentioned in my review of Unnatural Causes - The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist by Dr Richard Shepherd. Given Hewitt also took photographs during post mortem examinations I couldn't help but wonder if she and Dr Shepherd often worked alongside each other.
Always respectful of the dead, Hewitt rages against femicide and violence against women and girls.
"Male violence against women and girls is now at epidemic proportions worldwide. Women are exhausted." Chapter 6, No Monsters, Only MenIn her career, Hewitt says she only photographed one scene where a woman had killed a man, and noted that none of her colleagues mentioned doing the same, when they would have given the rarity. Later in the book, Hewitt also laments the epidemic of male suicides.
My only quibble was the number of times the author referred to being one of the only females on site, how rare it was to be the only woman on a search team and the fact that some of the uniforms didn't fit because she was a woman. I know I'm being a little harsh here, but perhaps the fact that I was a woman in the ADF means that this isn't such a big deal to me. I wish her message had been more about why women would be great in this role and encouraging more women to consider this career path instead of continuing to point out how unique she was in her field.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emma Spurgin Hussey and the content is quite graphic at times but it won't come as a surprise to those who pick up a book like this wanting to learn more about the role of a forensic photographer.
The Darkroom - Case Files of a Scotland Yard Forensic Photographer by A.J. Hewitt is recommended for readers of true crime and anyone considering a career in police forensic services.
