Forensic Photography Facts



Description of Forensic Photography

This is refered as forensic imaging or crime scene photography. This is the art of accurate reproduction of crime scene or accident scene to the benefit of a court of law or to aid investigation. It is a vital part of evidence collection. It provides investigators photos of bodies, places, and items involved in an crime senie. Forensic photos also show broken machinery, or car crashes. Forensic photographers need to use correct lightning, accurate lenses, accurate angle of lenses, and collect different viewpoints with image scales for dimensions refences. Forensic photographers provide support to forensic scientists, medical examiners and law enforcement agencies. Forensic photographers provide techniques to record, develop and/or enhance altered, obliterated or obscure documents or document entries, impression evidence, fingerprints and other related evidence to preserve and reproduce evidence in adequate detail.

 

When Was Forensic Photography Discovered

Ealiest experimental forensic photography was recorded in Belgium in 1843-44 and Denmark in 1851 where to document of prison inmates. At this time there were no developed technical rules or legal regulations. Those earlier piniors took mug shot resemblances to prisoners in their cells. There were no training required and were taken often by amateur photographers, commercial photographers and even policemen or prison officials.

 

After 1870s, ealier forms of forensic photography practices had spread to various countries and limited to larger cities. Portraits of crimals were taken by professional photographers. This is when was forensic photography discovered by standard mug shot known today. At this time there were no set standard yet. No creative lighting or angles exployed at that time for those mug shots. Thisi is the first time portrait photos used other than art. Initially photographing criminals were slow, later it became widespread end of 19th century where one's picture taken and archived individuals convicted of serious offenses. This is at the discretion of the police.

 

With the number of criminals climbing, number of criminal smug photographs climbed. Problems of storing and archiving became a problem. In 1850s, earliest collection of those "Rogues Galleries" was found in Birmingham, England. Soon after standardization of smug shots of criminals took place.

 

Alphonse Bertillon as First Official Forensic Photographer

Without using same lighting, scale and angle, French photographer, Alphonse Bertillon, realized forensic photograghs has no indetification value. He introduced reliable identification system using anthropological studies of profiles and full-face shots of criminals. Bertillon published scientifical rules for exact form of identification in La Photographie Judiciaire (1890). The rule was criminal should be full face well lit with ear visible photos. Bertillon is credited for inventing the proffessional forensic mug shot which became widly accepted.

 

Some experts believe using Darwinian idea that criminals were physically distinguishable from law-abiding citizen influed Bertillon that to come up with above standard smug shot for criminal identification. It is speculated that stereotypical criminals look of skin color, eye color, hair color, body type and more came to movies, books and comics. Current crimal indentification standard is fingerprinting however his standardized photographs survived.

 

Forensic Photography Ultraviolet Photography Difficulties

Using filters on IR for UV light, authonticate suspected documents alterations, blood splatter, seminal fluids, gun shot residue and other latent evidence that’s invisible to the naked eye.

 

Forensic Photography Methods

Forensic photographers are mainly captured in color but also shot in blank and white. Forensic photos of skid marks used during reconstruction of accident to indentify how and why serious injury occured. Color forensic photos gives important aspect of to trace evidence. Traces of paint or dye shot in color is crucial evidence to solving a crime. Policies vary from country to country on 35 mm film or digital photograph. Conventional photographs have the advantage of have a high resolution and greater enlargement capability for great details and closer examination needs. Surveillance camera picture are gaining as important source of evidence for courts. Pictures taken by bystandarders on mobile phone is also as important in crime solving. Automatic date and time markers on each digital photo is important in image verification. However, conventional photographs without such marks must be authenticated by witness statement. Sequence of events are established by relative position of objects. Advances in digital camea technology and camera software, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras regularly used by Police for forensic photography methods.

 

Examples of Forensic Photography

Image provide remider of events as well as better understand of crime scene. Using different views taken from different angles helps to reduce the problem of parallax. Images without scales gives the overall picture and general layout (e.g. murder house of succepted). Evidence in context is shown in a context images (e.g. e knife next to the chair). Fine details of artifact is shown in close ups (e.g. fingerprint on a knife). Overall layout taken from many different angles with close up significiant damages or traces of evidence such as tire marks in Road Traffic Incident (RTI) photographs shown in at a car crash scene. It is crucial that the pristine and untouch nature of crime scene to be preserved before forensic photographer to preserve the authenticity. Rescurers or other intervention must be recorded by crime sence photographers for photos authenticity.

 

Untampered Forensic Photos

Just like other evidence on a crime scene, chain of custody must be recorded and maintained for crime scene photographs. Only on specialized forensic photolabs classic photos are allowed to develop due to risk of tampering and quality of pictures. Forensic photographers need to record where, who and how photos are handled. At the accidient scene pictures should also be identified and sourced. Police photographs taken at the crime scene is often being court cases.

 

Analysis of Historic Photographs

Analysis of Historic Photograhs Forensic Photographs

(Photograph of 1880 showing fallen Tay Bridge caused by design flow and defect)

The Tay Bridge disaster of 1879 where half-mile section of new bridge collapsed in a storm while taking down express train to Tay river where 75 passengers were killed. A set of picture taken after few day of the accident were enlarged an analyized in 1999-2000 to show crusial details. Original high resolution large pate camera photos with small aperture with small grain film showed crucial details suggesting a design flow and defect in cast iron column that supor the center section that led to catastrophic failure. The enlarged re-anlaysis supported the court of inquiry dismissed wind blew bridge during a storm.

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