Rotating orthogonal polarization imaging provides images of the polarization properties of scattering media which are free from surface reflections. Previously the technique has been demonstrated using manually rotated Glan–Thompson polarizers to control and analyze the polarization state of the light entering and emerging from the tissue. This paper describes a system that performs these functions using liquid crystal retarders. The system is tested using a polarizing target embedded within a scattering medium and is compared with Monte Carlo simulations. The results compare well with those obtained with manual rotation of polarizers. The liquid crystal based approach has advantages over the previous system in terms of ease of use, speed, and repeatability and is therefore an important step towards taking the technique into routine clinical use.