Harrisonburg PD officer uses crime scene skills to photograph the world

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Photographing crime scenes has become a strong skill for Jonathan Snoddy, Harrisonburg Police Department’s lead evidence technician, in the past 14 years. He said his work has become his passion, and now he takes it with him off the clock.

“I started getting some professional gear and really got into it. So, I took what I used on crime scenes for my job and I kind of funneled that into a passion for travel and documenting my travels,” Snoddy said. “The crime scene stuff is a job and I know how to do it. I do it pretty well. But my passion is going out into the field and capturing things of beauty, as opposed to what I normally see in this line of work.”

Snoddy said he grew up traveling around the United States with his family, but it wasn’t until after he and his wife got married that he would begin venturing outside the country.

“I think the first trip out was Belize, and that was it,” Snoddy said. “We went out there, and it was so amazing to see other cultures. Ever since then, we’ve just kind of gone wherever we wanted to and really enjoyed it.”

The passion for traveling and photography only continued to grow after the trip, as Snoddy would eventually visit 21 countries. He said photographing places around the world has allowed him to find peace away from the crime scenes at work.

“I think going out and exposing myself to other cultures and really seeing how other people live gives me perspective, and I just enjoy seeing that side of life. There’s more outside of just the darkness that I see in my job,” Snoddy said. “We’ll be going to Japan in the fall and just getting some new images — just always trying to improve get new stuff … That’s kind of how I unwind, so [I’m] always looking forward to the next trip.”

Snoddy said he hopes to continue his passion for photography when he is ready to retire from the police department and possibly use what he has learned toward future endeavors.

“I’d love to transition to full-time photography. That is my passion. I’m not too sure if the market is too saturated with photographers to actually make a career out of it, but I would love to do that,” Snoddy said. “With having all the crime scene experience, maybe I could transition to teaching classes on that — passing on what I’ve learned in my years here to people who are just getting into the field.”

Snoddy’s work is on display at Harrisonburg City Hall on Friday from 5-7 p.m. For the event, visitors are able to come see his work, meet the artist and purchase some of the pieces for themselves. The work will be on display for the rest of the month with visitors still able to purchase his work on his website.

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