The practice of photography includes a number of highly specialized branches that require specific training and experience. One of the most challenging examples is medical photography which combines unusual working conditions, difficult subjects, and a web of rules and regulations that can inhibit an inexperienced photographer. Practitioners of this art need to master several important skills.

Ultra-Sharp Images

In a standard family portrait, subjects won't care if you can't count every hair in an eyebrow. In fact they might even be thankful if certain features are a bit indistinct. Medical photography deals with fine details, and it is essential the image be in sharp focus. Macro imaging broadens the depth of field to ensure every part of the photograph, not just the central area, is clear.

Standardized Scaling

Without a sense of scale, it is difficult to get full information from an image. However in medical photography it is often not feasible to place a ruler or other scaling reference in the image. Photographers should be familiar with the Westminster Scales, a standard set of magnification ratios used in medical imaging.

Non-Studio Conditions

Medical photographers might have to work in doctors' offices, operating rooms or laboratories. They don't have full control over lighting or subject position and may have to take photographs during a procedure without getting in anyone's way. Photographers have to be able to think on their feet and find creative ways to get the shots needed.

Unusual Locations

Photographers might have to take an image inside a patient's mouth to document a dental procedure, or have to document an endoscopic procedure. Lighting and camera positioning are especially challenging under these conditions.

Unusual Light Spectra

Not all medical photography involves taking pictures of patients in visible light. Some images will need to use infrared or ultraviolet light, require fluorescent imaging, or even be shot through a microscope (a process called photomicroscopy).

Patient Privacy

Laws such as HIPPA protect patient information, and medical photography is covered under those regulations. Photographers should understand how they will be affected by these laws as well as any rules at the facility where they will be filming.

Stressed Subjects

Patients might have given approval to be photographed, but they are not being shot at their finest moments. Photographers must sometimes work with subjects who are already nervous about their medical situation and are now more anxious because they are being photographed. Even if the patient is sedated, during ongoing procedures the photographer needs to be careful not to get in the way. A surgeon trying to save a patient's life may not appreciate an intrusive photographer.

Medical photography is not something anyone with a camera can do. It requires specialized equipment, extensive experience, and a unique ability to work in unusual situations without interfering with ongoing activities.