Let me hit you with two hard truths:
1. The best camera is the one in your hand.
2. The worst photo is the one you didn’t take.
You’ve got a miracle of technology sitting in your pocket—your smartphone. But like most people, you barely use it. And when you do, you shoot vertical video like a teenage TikTok addict. Knock it off.
We live in a widescreen world. Your phone shoots 16:9 for a reason. Want your footage to look professional, not pathetic? Turn that damn phone sideways. No one needs ten feet of floor and a ceiling fan in the shot.
Legal Landmines
Before you start playing James Bond, don’t be a dumbass. Never, ever record in places where there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy. Bathrooms, bedrooms, changing rooms. That’s how you end up in court or worse, in cuffs. Know your state’s laws about audio and video recording. Ignorance isn’t a defense.
Body Cams: Your Silent Witness
If you serve legal process, you need a body cam. Period. People lie. They say they were never served, didn’t answer the door, or that the big scary PI assaulted them. A cheap body cam from Amazon turns all that noise into solid proof. Game over.
Real Cameras, Real Tools
Get yourself a real camera. I like the Canon M50 Mark II with a wide-angle or kit zoom lens. Add a matching speedlight, a wireless mic like the Rode GO or DJI, and a monopod. You’re now ready to document accident scenes, interview witnesses, and shut down nonsense in court with crystal-clear imagery.
Don’t know how to use it? YouTube is your training academy. No excuses.
Edit Smart, Keep Everything
If your footage ends up in court, you’d better have the original. Edit clips all you want, but never delete the raw footage. Use simple tools like iMovie on your iPhone to clean it up and make your work look like it belongs in a courtroom, not a kid’s science project.
Surveillance? Go Pro or Go Home
If you’re working subrosa or long-distance surveillance, your toy phone won’t cut it. You need a high-end DSLR or mirrorless rig with a serious telephoto lens. Think NFL sidelines, not Instagram selfies. But here’s the trick. Get closer if you can. Zooming across a parking lot will give you shaky garbage. Proximity equals quality. Just don’t blow your cover. Balance stealth and clarity.
Hidden Eyes in the Wild
Need to watch someone’s yard or catch sneaky activity? There are trail cams with cellular tech that look like rocks, plants, or trash. Hunters use them. So do good investigators. Out of sight, always watching.
The Gold Standard
Forty years ago, I took my first investigative photography class from Tucson PI Tony Zinkus. He said it best:
Photos are golden. The more you take, the more the client wants, and the more they’ll pay.
He wasn’t kidding.
Drones: The Next Level
Drones are no longer toys. They’re tools. Want breathtaking crime scene footage? Want to track movement discreetly from above? Use a drone. Most fly for about 20 minutes. That’s plenty of time to capture magic. Image quality? Stunning. You’ll blow your competition out of the sky.
Final Advice
Stop leaving your best tool in your pocket. Take the shot. Take every shot. Video. Stills. Wide. Tight.
An investigator who can document everything with powerful images is unstoppable.
And that should be you.
Comments