Forensic Photography

Organs in situ, flashbulbs burst, it makes the still life glistenImmortalizing bisected innards meticulously dissected apartTissue samples documented with a camera by the proprietorOf anatomical scientific photographic artThe forensic photographer preps the lighting as I soften up his subjectThe 35mm camera and ring flash will capture every subtle textual nuanceThe flash system uses shutter speeds of 1&250 to eliminateThe reddish yellow tinge fluorescent overhead lights tend to illuminateTaking care to avoid reflective glareAnd including wound marker measurement scalesUsing ISO 64 Kodachrome® color temperature filmDuplicates the gory mess in wondrous detailTools of the trade: tripod, ring flash, and lensSnapshots of grume: sanguineous celluloid to offendThe corpse holds its pose, each picture taken twiceOne with and without an Autopsy ID Number plateThe forensic photographer shoots the results of each sliceIt's the cold end of life that his art imitatesPutrefactive apertures and fetid f-stopsShutter speeds and scalpels, vignettes of viscous slopAs medical evidence presented in a court of lawThe film is developed by officers of the courtPrints are circulated for trade medical journalsNegatives are housed and filed deep in the morgueFrom the crime scene splashed with tissue and boneTo the autopsy suite, under saw, clippers, and knifeTo the funeral home where the cadaver is shownBodies are photographed more in death than in life