Tholos Training

Tholos Training

Expertly Delivered

Are all your surveillance team members capable of obtaining imagery?

We will teach your team to take evidential quality images daytime and night-time.

One of our courses will convert a complete novice into a competent surveillance imagery operator with stills or video cameras who, with practice, will become a much greater asset than they were before…

Some images taken at night by Students on Day 4 of our 5 day course.

Taken under street lights in a Tesco’s car park. The image is grainy because it was taken at a high ISO setting.

Modern digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras like the Nikon D6 have a huge ISO range (sensitivity of the chip) which will allow a trained operator to obtain useable images at night provided there is some ambient light.

Camera manufacturers are undergoing a major change at the moment by discontinuing DSLRs and going mirrorless. Most of the latter currently have a more limited ISO range and, therefore, a poorer low-light performance. We provide advice and guidance on equipment through our close links with WEX photographic and video suppliers who supply many UK Police forces and units.

A less grainy image taken under the whiter and brighter lights around the Tesco’s cash point.

Tradecraft is a massive part of every course with more than 40 years of operational experience helping to show the Students some short cuts and top tips. The cash points at Sainsburys are more dimly lit with sodium lights giving an orange tint. Choosing a good place to ‘ambush’ the subject is an art.

The lights at each of the supermarket chains around the UK are all the same and a good operator will build up a memory bank of the camera settings needed under each lighting condition to guarantee a useable image. This is all part of what we teach.

Taken under the canopy at a Tesco’s petrol station.

We debrief all Student images on a TV monitor and stop to discuss learning points along the way. This again is a good ambush opportunity with nice bright, white lighting. The subject has to stand in one place to refuel and may also give a second opportunity for imagery by going into the pay kiosk.

We will also debate the need to get in close for imagery when you could call back later and retrieve the CCTV footage with no risk of compromise. The obvious choice is not always the best option.