Crime Scene Photography

6 Questions

It is the cornerstone of any criminal investigation and provides a valuable link between evidence and its context.

Forensic Pathologists, Forensic Units, and Courts of Law.

Adequate lighting, proper composition, and focus.

Correct exposures are necessary for the film to capture detail in all parts of a scene, including highlight areas and shadows.

Underexposed images lose detail in the shadows.

Overexposed images lose detail in the highlight areas.

Study Notes

Complete and accurate photographic documentation of crime scenes is crucial for any criminal investigation.
Images captured through digital photography provide a valuable link between evidence and the context in which it was found.
Downstream users of crime scene images include Forensic Pathologists, Forensic Units, and Courts of Law.

Crime scene photographers must properly "compose" their images, considering the mechanical operation of the camera.
Every evidence item needs to be oriented within the crime scene, shown in relation to other pieces of evidence.
Evidence items must be properly photographed in close-up detail.
Simply recording one or two images prior to an item's recovery is not sufficient for achieving a full understanding of the evidence.

Technical photographs are images that show as much detail or information about the view or object pictured as possible.
The best technical photographs have four key characteristics: correct exposure, maximum depth of field, freedom from distortion, and sharp focus.
Correct exposure is necessary for capturing detail in all parts of a scene, including highlight areas and shadows.
Underexposure results in loss of detail in shadows, while overexposure results in loss of detail in highlight areas.
Lighting is crucial for capturing forensic evidence, and accurate capture of light is essential for technical photographs.