Jessica Burstein, an accomplished photographer who helped capture the Law & authority franchise, has passed away after a battle with lung cancer, according to her sister. She turned 76.
Her sister told Patricia Burstein The New York Times that she died on April 11 at her home in Manhattan.
Jessica was born on April 7, 1947 in Mineola, New York and grew up in nearby Lawrence. After graduating from New York University in 1968, she worked for several years for commercial photographer Bert Stern. 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 & authority. He eventually hired her to shoot the weekly crime scenes for the original series, eventually becoming the show’s photographer from 1994 to 2010, until the show was canceled. (It was revived in 2022.) She also shot the spin-offs, including Law & Order: special unit for victims to 2007, and Law & Order: criminal intent until 2011.
When she wasn’t working for the hit crime drama, Jessica photographed the famous restaurant and celebrity hangout Elaine’s, which eventually became her virtual studio from 1992 to 2011, at the request of its owner. She was also commissioned to photograph the new Yankee Stadium as it was being built.
She has two published books including The grandmother’s book: a family celebrationon which she worked with her sister Patricia, and Law & Order crime scene. She created Last looks to commemorate Law & Order: criminal intent’the last season.
Throughout her career, her work has been featured in private and corporate collections, galleries and museum exhibitions, and has appeared in several publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, TV Guide, Rolling stone, People, Time And Vanity purse. 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.
