Forensic Photography: History and Techniques

• Forensic photography involves recording objects and scenes for legal purposes, resulting in photos used for documentation, analysis, intelligence, and court presentations.
• Any photograph adding information required by the court can be considered forensic and admitted as evidence.

Pioneering Days

• Alphonse Bertillon, a French photographer, realized the need for standardization in crime scene photographic documentation.
• Bertillon advocated for uniformity in lighting, scale, and angles for offender identification.
• Bertillon promoted full-face photographs, anthropological studies of profiles and his work "La Photographie Judiciaire," published in 1890, established a scientific style of identification photography.

Fundamentals of Forensic Photography

• Pattern
• Balance
• Negative Space
• Grouping
• Closure
• Color
• Light/Shadow

Uses of Forensic Photography

• Provides a permanent record of the crime scene and evidence like injuries, footprints, and tire prints.
• Helps reconstruct events that occurred at the crime scene.
• Assists in identifying suspects with an objective view of the scene.
• Can aid in developing a psychological profile of the perpetrator.
• Essential for prosecuting defendants.
• Can be used as evidence in court.

Crime Scene Photography

• Documents the scene layout, entry/exit points, and relationships between objects, giving investigators a full view.

Overall shots

• Wide-angle photos capture the entire crime scene, including surrounding areas for context.

Mid-Range shots

• Focus on specific areas of interest, such as doorways or the victim's location, bridging overall scene and close-up evidence photos.

Point-of-View shots

• Taken from the victim or witness perspective, providing an immersive view and revealing details potentially missed from other angles.

Crime Scene Navigation

• Securing the Scene
• Assessing the Situation
• Recording the scene
• Photographing the Victims
• Photographing the Evidence
• Placing Evidence Marker
• Specialize Imaging Methods

Evidence Photography

• Captures close-up images of physical evidence like fingerprints, footprints, tool marks, bloodstains, and weapons.
• Close-up techniques are crucial for analysis and comparison.
• High-resolution images are taken of individual pieces of evidence, such as fingerprints or weapons
• Including a scale or reference object in each photograph provides size and proportion for accurate measurements and comparisons.
• Lighting techniques such as flash or UV light, illuminate evidence and reveal hidden details.

Comparative Photography

• Compares known and unknown evidence to find potential connections.
• Overlaying images using software allows for direct comparison of features of known and unknown evidence.
• Placement of images side by side allows for a visual comparison of patterns or shapes.
• Macro lens photography or digital image enhancement can be used to magnify details that might be difficult to see.

Mugshot Photography

• Takes photos of suspects for identification, as a standard law enforcement procedure, creating a visual record.
• Mugshots typically include front, profile, and full body shots of a suspect.

Special Imaging Techniques and Lighting

• Alternative light sources (AIS) such as lasers, blue or green lights and colored filters help make the photograph show latent fingerprints and other hidden evidence.
• Oblique angle lighting, using low-angle flashlights, camera flashes, or ALS, casts shadows to help capture imprints of evidence.
• Macro lenses are used to take close-up images (1:1 or 1:2) of small items like tool marks.
• Infrared Photography uses infrared light to reveal hidden details not visible under normal lighting.
• Ultraviolet Photography uses ultraviolet light to detect bodily fluids.

Equipment

• Camera
• Lenses
• Tripod
• Lighting

Ethical Considerations and Challenges

• Sensitivity: Photographers need to respect the dignity and privacy of victims and their families.
• Chain of Custody: Maintaining proper documentation of photographic evidence is crucial to ensure admissibility in court.
• Distortion and Bias: Inadvertent distortion or bias due to camera angle, lighting, or framing can lead to misinterpretation or misrepresentation of evidence.

Professional Pathways

• Education and Training: One can pursue various education and training pathways. Online courses, certificate programs, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forensic science, photography, or related fields
• Forensic photographers can work in law enforcement, forensic science laboratories, and private sector companies alongside various professionals in the criminal justice system or as professional photographers specializing in work for law firms and insurance companies.