Jessica Burstein, a veteran photographer who helped capture the Law & Order franchise, has died following a battle with lung cancer, according to her sister. She was 76.
Her sister Patricia Burstein told The New York Times that she died April 11 at her home in Manhattan.
Born on April 7, 1947, in Mineola, New York, Jessica grew up in nearby Lawrence. After she graduated from New York University in 1968, she worked for commercial photographer Bert Stern for several years. Then, in 1974, she was believed to be the first woman to work as a staff photographer at NBC.
It wasn’t until the early ’90s that Jessica met Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order. He ended up hiring her to photograph the weekly crime scenes for the original series and eventually became the show’s photographer from 1994 to 2010, until the show was canceled. (It was revived in 2022.) She also photographed the spinoffs, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit until 2007, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent until 2011.
When she wasn’t working for the hit crime drama, Jessica photographed famed restaurant and celebrity hangout Elaine’s, which eventually became her virtual studio from 1992 until 2011, at the request of the owner. She was also commissioned to photograph the new Yankee Stadium as it was built.
She has two published books, including The Grandmother Book: A Celebration of Family, which she worked together with her sister Patricia on, and Law & Order Crime Scenes. She created Last Looks to memorialize Law & Order: Criminal Intent’s final season.
Throughout her career, her work has been featured in private and corporate collections, galleries and museum exhibitions, as well as appeared in several publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, TV Guide, Rolling Stone, People, Time and Vanity Fair. And from 2007 to 2013, she served on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers Guild.
Jessica is survived by sisters Patricia and Karen Burstein and two brothers, Judd and John.
