About Our Founder and Photography Instructor

Michael J. Brooks, the owner of Aperture Photo Training, began his journey as a photographer in February of 1985, and upon enlisting in the United States Air Force.

In more than 35 years as a professional photographer, Michael has photographed as much a variety of subject matter, as he has been exposed to in the diverse nature of the students he feels fortunate enough to have trained, and mentored since becoming an instructor of photography in 1997.

Before joining the U.S. Air Force, Michael was attending college with a major in Speech Communication, with the hopes of one day becoming a Sports Broadcaster. While on break from college, and over the Thanksgiving holiday in 1983, Michael was handed a 35mm Canon AE-1 while on a fishing trip and made the first photographs of his life.

He could have never imagined how that first roll of film would change his life. While the photos were not the best, he was hooked by photography as much as Michael may have hooked a fish that weekend on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Michael subsequently dropped out of college, enlisted in the Air Force as a Still Photographic Specialist, and thus, began his journey with stops at George Air Force Base, Victorville, California, and Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden, (West) Germany.

After leaving the Air Force in late 1989, and returning to his home state of Virginia, Michael continued his federal government career, this time with the FBI.

Starting at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Michael first held a position as a photographer in the Photographic Processing Unit of the FBI Lab. As a photographer, Michael worked on every possible type of film processor imaginable and printed from a wide range of high-speed printers.

He also used enlargers and high-speed print enlargers for printing photographs from the smallest sizes, to wall poster sizes, and on systems that would be the envy of most photographers. He also was trained in the use of graphic arts cameras, and if I can use a phrase from a five-year-old boy, cameras of “ginormous” sizes.

In 1993, Michael was promoted to a position in the FBI Laboratory Division’s Special Photographic Unit where he assumed a position as a Scientific and Technical Photographer.

In that capacity, he was trained in scientific and technical photographic techniques, and he was at the same time, required to produce images of the highest quality.

In 1997, Michael was asked to help revamp the photography training program for new FBI Agent trainees at the FBI Academy. Shortly thereafter, he was offered a full-time position at the FBI Academy.

While at the FBI Academy, Michael oversaw the redesign of the FBI Academy Photographic Training facility, and he developed a comprehensive training program of photography courses designed to enhance the skills and capabilities of photographic program managers, supervisors, criminal investigators, forensic scientists, and crime scene technicians, and for a wide range of visual imaging needs at all levels of the public safety community.

In 2006 and into 2007, Michael took his vast experience as a photographer, and in training, and started his first training company, Brooks Photographic Imaging, which is now called Aperture Photo Training.

To date, Michael has trained over 16,000 students from all skill sets and job levels, many different job disciplines, and has taught them numerous photographic skills that are used on a full-time basis as a professional photographer, skills used as a secondary duty, or for fun as a hobby.

For his efforts, Michael has been the recipient of numerous military and federal awards, as well as having received recognition from many forensic organizations for his contributions as an instructor, and much praise from many of his past students.

Photographic Assignment Experience

As a U.S. Air Force Photographer:
Michael was tasked with documenting the mission of the USAF, and the Department of Defense. Photographic assignments covered have included:

Making formal studio portraits of military officers, enlisted airmen, and civilian executives for official release, as well as special duty assignment portraits and passport photos. Portraits were generally shot in the studio, but on occasion were shot on location.
While serving as the official Public affairs photographer and base Photographic Historian, typical assignments included: spot news, special events and major military activities, visits by government and military dignitaries, press conferences, sporting events, and other newsworthy events as requested, with all intended for the release to national, military-wide, base and local newspapers or other publications.
Photographically documented combat exercises and operations, medical photography, aerial photography, construction and industrial photography, and daily military life.
Photographed assignments in support of Air Force Accident Investigation Boards, Air Force Law Enforcement, and Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
To include Aircraft accidents, military vehicle accidents, traffic accidents, autopsies, physical and sexual assaults, domestic violence, and death investigations (natural, criminal, and accidental).

As an Air Force Photographer, FBI Photographer, and FBI Scientific and Technical Photographer:
Michael was charged with creating high-resolution, high-quality images of criminal investigations, crime scenes, and forensic evidence. He was also tasked with photographing historical collection objects.

In the course of his FBI photographic assignments, Michael would evaluate the technical requirements for photography and other imaging projects, against the end use for each product and the audience, which could be as high as the President of the United States, members of the Senate and Congress, U.S. Attorney General, FBI Director and other high ranking U.S. government officials.
Photographed a variety of assignments, often on very short deadlines or those of national security importance. Assignments ranged from, but were not limited to:
- Criminal and Terrorism Investigations
- Evidence Documentation
- Historical Documentation and Research Assistance
- Aerial Photography
- Infrared-Reflected and Luminescence Photography
- Ultraviolet Reflected and Luminescence Photography
- Micro and Macro Photography
- Microscopic Photography
- X-ray Photography
- Latent Print Photography
- Footwear and Tire Track Photography
- Questioned Document Photography
Photographed between 500 and 1000 investigative scenes, including aircraft accidents, moving vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides, accidental and natural deaths, domestic violence, and white-collar/financial crimes.
Photographed hundreds of military operations and operational readiness exercises, weapons testing, and other special events related to operations and readiness.
Photographed over 10,000 portraits, award ceremonies, graduations, weddings, and special events.
Photographed hundreds of events for local newspapers, including spot news, feature stories, sporting events, and other general news assignments.

[Select] Major Case Work (Provided Photographic Assistance):
- World Trade Center Bombing
- Unabomber Investigation
- Oklahoma City Bombing
- Nicole Brown-Simpson/Ron Goldman Murder Investigation (OJ Simpson Case)
- Atlanta Olympic Bombing

Technical Expertise

Michael has utilized a wide range of technologies over the course of his career, including the most modern film and digital imaging technologies, as well as a wide range of computers and various scientific technologies for specific applications.

Captured images using formal training, and in collaboration with the requestor to determine the equipment selected. Determined the arrangement of lighting, backdrops, and poses to increase the artistic effect.
Used macro lenses, tilt-shift lenses, or subject and equipment juxtaposition in order to enhance, modify, intensify or otherwise heighten the impact of the imagery or subject matter photographed.
Applied the appropriate filters or filtration as necessary and have done so using standard color correction filters, color compensation filters, high and low band-pass filters, polarizing filters, and used with film and digital imaging systems.

Carefully determined the range of films or digital ISO settings to be utilized, the selection of the appropriate lens, the need for a tripod or copy stand, and/or in the application of the appropriate lighting or light sources, which includes continuous point light sources, studio strobes, portable strobes, ultraviolet and infrared energy sources, narrow band wavelengths and visible light sources or those of an improvised nature.
Utilized with expert ability, a wide range of camera/imaging systems by Nikon, Fuji, Canon, Toyo, Hasselblad, Mamiya, Pentax, Graflex, Bronica, Robertson, and Princeton, among many others.
Imaging formats used were determined after consultation with the requestor, to include: 35mm SLR film and DSLR cameras, Medium format cameras of all sizes (2¼, 645, 6x7, 6x9), View Cameras (4x5”, 8x10” and 11”x14”) as well as x-ray systems, instant cameras of various sizes, and specialized reprographic imaging systems.
Selected and operated large format copy camera systems, shadowgraph cameras, and microscopic imagers when applicable and after determining customers’ final print or usage requirements.

Used skill, professional expertise, and experience in determining appropriate lenses for each assignment, including; having used fisheye lenses, normal perspective (prime) lenses, portrait lenses, zoom lenses, macro or microscopic lenses, and telephoto lenses up to 2000mm in focal length.
Processing included developing and printing black and white film, and color film (print and slide films), and doing so manually while using film size-specific tanks, dip and dunk systems, and tray processing of prints.Used various automated printers and film processors from Kodak, Fuji, Agfa, Noritsu, Hostert, Hope, Wing-Lynch, and Durst to also process and print B&W and color films.

Computer and digital imaging systems used include both Windows and Mac platforms. Systems were used for the following purpose:
- Uploading, sorting, and storing/archiving images and burning images to portable media such as DVD and CR-ROM.
- Image output is accomplished using various printers, including ink-jet printers, laser printers, dye-sub printers, thermal printers, and digital mini-lab printing systems.
- Image and video editing/management software programs used include Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Lightroom, and Adobe Bridge.
- Color correction and color calibration tools/software have been used when appropriate or warranted.
Those various programs have been used for the purpose of automated methodologies to process photographs accurately to detail the mission and impact of photographs to be used by the agency.
Employed standard workflow in the capture of imagery including job preparation, execution, distribution, and the archiving of imagery was used in accordance with standard operating procedure and methodologies.