Crime scene photographs are very valuable in providing an overview of the layout of the scene and the location of physical evidence. Crime scene photos provide the most accurate depiction of the scene.

Currently, there are two options for crime scene photography: 35mm film and digital photography. In 35mm photography the image is stored in film, whereas in digital photography, the image is stored on digital storage media and then downloaded into computer databases or stored on CDs or DVDs.

Digital photography has been criticized because the images can be easily manipulated with computer software programs. Since crime scene photographs are introduced in court as evidence, the authenticity of digital images has become an issue of admissibility.