Photographer - Assistant Forensic Practitioner - Specialist Imaging
Job Title: Photographer - Assistant Forensic Practitioner - Specialist Imaging
Salary: The starting salary is £35,085, which includes allowances totalling £2,928.
The salary is broken down as £32,157 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £35,306. Plus a location allowance of £1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.
Please note - the role holder is expected to commence working a shift pattern within one year of employment, at this point a 12.5% shift disturbance allowance will be applicable.
Location: Lambeth - which is an accessible building. (15-minute walk from both Vauxhall and London Waterloo stations, 15-20 minutes from Victoria station)
More Trust, Less Crime, High Standards.
The Met serves London 24/7 policing a city with over nine million residents. Forensic Services helps keep London safer by providing an invaluable response to the capital’s complex policing challenges and you’ll have a key part to play in that.
Forensic Services
As an integral part of the Metropolitan Police Service, Forensic Services contributes significantly to making London safer through a wide range of technical and scientific expertise in order to detect, investigate and reduce crimes. Forensic Services is the largest multi-faceted forensic organisation within Policing across England and Wales. We provide technical and scientific expertise in crime scene management and examination, specialist imaging, evidence recovery, exhibit analysis, fingerprint comparison and digital examination.
Within Forensic Services, Physical Forensics delivers casework across a number of disciplines (including Specialist Imaging, Biology and Trace, Fingerprint Enhancement & Firearms) to the Met in support of Policing objectives to address investigative requirements and provide forensic evidence to the Criminal Justice System. The range of forensic services includes the recovery and enhancement of fingerprints and footwear marks, the identification and recovery of body fluid stains, blood pattern analysis (both within the laboratory and at scenes of crime) submission for DNA profiling.
The Role
Assistant Forensic Practitioners within Specialist Imaging are professionally qualified Photographers. They support Practitioners to undertake casework that has been submitted to the laboratory and deliver a bespoke photographic/specialist imaging response at crime scenes, in support of investigations. They are required to use 360 immersive image capture, video, drone photography, x-ray and specialist high speed video with the use of industry standard software such as Photoshop, Premier Pro as well as other specialist imaging equipment and software.
Macro photography skills are used on a regular basis to capture evidence. This includes the searching and photographic retrieval of latent evidence (including post-mortems), utilising skills alongside Scientists and Forensic Practitioners from other disciplines. This could be within both DNA and non-DNA accredited laboratories or crime scene environments (including post-mortems) in order to capture fingermarks, body fluids, fine detail and other evidence.
This role is demanding and challenging, but it will also bring huge job satisfaction and reward in contributing to the effective delivery of quality forensic science casework to the Met and the Criminal Justice System. You will be required to present evidence in court. Attention to detail, teamwork and the stamina for a physically demanding job are key for this role. The role holder will have to be resilient to deal with distressing incidents and attend mortuaries to examine/record cadavers. Counselling and support will be available throughout your career.
The role will build on your current professional photographic qualification and experience through undertaking an initial mentored training program. You are required to pass probation at 12 months. Following this your future progression to Forensic Practitioner, band P, is dependent upon achieving and maintaining competence across all the necessary and relevant evidence types for the discipline you are working in, which is expected to be achieved within 2- 3 years.
Forensic Services provides a service 365 days a year. The role requires shift working made up of a mix of early, days and late shifts, including weekends and bank holidays. Please note driving is essential for this role.
Key Activities:
- Organise workloads and photographic deployments ensuring delivery of service to serious crime scenes across the Met.
- Assist in the searching and imaging of footwear marks and friction ridge detail in support of serious crime investigations.
- Assist in the imaging of other types of latent evidence such as Luminol, body fluids, fibres and hairs or concealed or erased writing in support of serious crime.
- Assist Scientists and Forensic Practitioners within both DNA and non-DNA laboratories in order to capture fingermarks, body fluids, gunshot residue and other evidence.
- Assist in high-speed imaging.
- Assist in the use of video imaging.
- Assist in the capturing of injuries of victims in the studio using specialist lighting techniques.
- Assist in the utilisation of a number of bespoke elevated imaging platforms (including piloting, image recording or assisting in the deployment of a UAV (drone) in support of casework investigations).
- Assist in the capture and compilation of immersive imaging evidence (within controlled environments and at crime scenes) and to produce interactive court presentations.
- Assist in undertaking the delivery of X-ray examinations within the lab and at crime scenes.
- Ensure image post-production is undertaken using the most appropriate enhancement techniques in an efficient and timely manner.
- Produce statements and take responsibility for imaging evidence and present expert evidence as required within the judicial process and attend case conferences as requested.
Application Process
Your initial application will be assessed against the following CVF elements:
- We collaborate – Level 2
Provide an example of when you have worked with others to achieve a goal, what considerations did you make? (max 500 words)
- We take ownership – Level 2
Provide an example of a time when you have influenced change, to improve performance or improve an outcome. What action did you take and why? (max 500 words)
After receipt of your initial application, you will be contacted regarding the submission via email of a portfolio in PDF format, no more than 20mb.
The PDF portfolio must contain only 10 photographs taken by you. We require 2 examples from each of the below 5 categories: -
- Property interior
- Macro
- Landscape
- Studio Portrait
- Night photography
Candidates successful at the paper sift and PDF portfolio review stage will be invited to interview which will include an assessed pre-interview exercise to test your photographic skills and knowledge.
The interview will be assessed against the Competency and Values Framework elements listed below all at Level 2:
- We are emotionally aware.
- We are innovative and open minded.
- We support and inspire.
- We analyse critically.
As part of the interview, you will also be asked to discuss your previously submitted PDF portfolio.
How to apply
To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply button “. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, and an online application form. Your CV which must not exceed 2 pages (information exceeding this will be disregarded). The CV is to include details of your photographic qualifications and any relevant experience as well as confirmation that you hold a driving licence (which must have been held for a year, meet UK DVLA standards, be full, manual, clean and valid).
Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 7th December 2025.
Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence mid to end of January.
Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence beginning to mid-February.