Forensic Photography PDF
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Robin P. Katikbak
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These lecture notes provide an overview of forensic photography, focusing on its historical development and fundamental photographic principles.
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Forensic Photography BY: ROBIN P. KATIGBAK AUTO ISO 90 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 600 Historical 01 Development of Photography AUTO ISO 90 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 600 What is Forensic? The term...
Forensic Photography BY: ROBIN P. KATIGBAK AUTO ISO 90 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 600 Historical 01 Development of Photography AUTO ISO 90 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 600 What is Forensic? The term "forensic" originates from the Latin word "forensis," which means "of or before the forum." In ancient Rome, a forum was a public place where legal cases were heard and debated, and the term "forensis" referred to matters pertaining to the courts or public debate. What is Forensic? Today, "forensic" is widely used in the context of "forensic science," which refers to the application of scientific methods and techniques to the investigation of crime. The term "forensic" now broadly encompasses various disciplines, such as forensic pathology, forensic psychology, forensic accounting, and forensic anthropology, all of which apply specialized knowledge to legal matters. What is Photography The word Photography literally means 'drawing with light', which derives from the Greek photo, meaning light and graph, meaning to draw. Photography is the process of recording an image – a photograph – on light sensitive film or, in the case of digital photography, via a digital electronic or magnetic memory. What is Forensic Photography? Forensic photography may refer to the visual documentation of different aspects that can be found at a crime scene. It may include the documentation of the crime scene, or physical evidence that is either found at a crime scene or already processed in a laboratory. Photograph vs Picture A photograph refers specifically to an image created by the action of light on a light- sensitive material, typically through a camera. It is a result of capturing real-world scenes using photographic equipment, either digitally or on film. A picture is a broader term that can refer to any visual representation, whether it’s a drawing, painting, illustration. It encompasses all forms of visual art and imagery, including those created by hand or through digital means. Timeline of Photography 2,500 years ago (5th Century B.C.) ○ wrote about how an image was formed upside down on a wall from a pinhole on the opposite wall. ○ The Chinese were the first people that we know of to write about the basic idea of the pinhole camera or "camera obscura" (Latin word meaning "dark room"). Timeline of Photography 1664 - 1666 ○ Isaac Newton discovers that white light is composed of different colors (Prism). Timeline of Photography 1665 ○ the camera obscura was used. What is Camera Obscura? The camera obscura (Latin for "dark room") is an optical device that creates an image by focusing rays of light onto a screen or sheet of paper. Its benefits for artists were noted by the Venetian nobleman Daniele Barbaro in 1568: Timeline of Photography 1685 Johann Zahn he detailed improvements to the camera obscura. This device had been used for centuries to project images onto a surface, but Zahn’s designs included enhancements that made the camera obscura more portable and practical for capturing detailed images. Zahn's version of the camera obscura was one of the first to include a lens and a mirror system that allowed the image to be viewed right-side-up, making it easier for artists to trace the projected image. Timeline of Photography Timeline of Photography 1700s ○ Box with a pinhole on one side and a glass screen on the other. ○ Light coming through this pinhole projected an image onto the glass screen and easily trace it by hand. ○ obtain an even sharper image by using a small lens in place of the pinhole Timeline of Photography Johann Heinrich Schulze (1687–1744) was one of the major pioneers of photography. In 1719, he discovered that silver nitrate was sensitive to light, and worked out that silver salts changed color in sunlight. This discovery is still considered to be one of the most important principles when saving images on negative film. Timeline of Photography 1790 ○ Thomas Wedgewood discovered that if one placed an object, such as a leaf, on a piece of paper coated with silver nitrate, and then exposed it to sunlight, a detailed silhouette would appear on the paper. Timeline of Photography 1800 ○ A device used by artists in the 17th and 18th centuries in aid in drawing, by the beginning of the 19th century the camera obscura was ready with little or no modification to accept a sheet of light sensitive material to become the photographic camera. Timeline of Photography 1806 ○ Patented William Hyde Wollaston, the Camera Lucida (actually a reinvention of a device clearly described 200 years earlier by Johannes Kepler in his Dioptrice (1611)) performs an optical superimposition of the subject being viewed on the surface on which the artist is drawing. Timeline of Photography 1826 o Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833) He produced his first image, a view from his workroom, in 1816, but was only able to fix this partially with nitric acid. In 1822 he produced a photographic copy of an engraving using a glass plate coated with bitumen of Judea. Later (1826) he used a pewter plate to make the first permanent camera photograph. o Lecture Ends Here! Timeline of Photography 1829 Jacques Louis Mande Daguerre and Nicephore Niepce sign partnership agreement to work on perfecting photography. In 1839, Daguerre introduced the daguerreotype process to the public. This method involved exposing a silver-plated copper sheet to iodine vapors to create a light-sensitive surface. The plate was then exposed to light in a camera, producing a latent image. This image was developed using mercury vapor and fixed with a salt solution, resulting in a highly detailed, one-of-a-kind photograph. Timeline of Photography 1840 First American patent issued in photography to Alexander Wolcott for his camera. invented a camera which used a highly reflective concave mirror instead of a lens. This cut exposure times to about 90 seconds in bright sunlight, thereby making daguerreotype portraiture a possibility. Timeline of Photography 1841 William Henry Talbot patents the Calotype process, the first negative-positive process making possible the first multiple copies. Timeline of Photography 1843 The first advertisement with a photograph is published in Philadelphia. The first advertisement agency also opens in Philadelphia in 1843 by Volney Palmer. Timeline of Photography 1851 Frederick Scott Archer invented the Collodion process so that images required only two or three seconds of light exposure. 1859 Timeline of Photography 1871 Richard Leach Maddox invented the gelatin dry plate silver bromide process, which means negatives no longer had to be developed immediately. Timeline of Photography 1884 George Eastman invents flexible, paper- based photographic film. This was a significant advancement in photography because it replaced the rigid glass plates that were previously used. 1888 Eastman patents Kodak roll-film camera. Timeline of Photography 1900 First mass-marketed camera, called the Brownie, goes on sale. The Brownie was revolutionary because it was affordable, easy to use, and accessible to the general public. Unlike earlier cameras that were bulky and expensive, the Brownie was small, simple, and designed for amateur photographers. It used roll film, making photography more convenient and allowing people to take multiple photos without needing to change film after each shot. Timeline of Photography 1963 Polaroid introduces the instant color film, a landmark moment on the history of photography timeline. 1968 Photograph of the Earth is taken from the moon. The photograph, Earthrise, is considered one of the most influential environmental photographs ever taken. Timeline of Photography 1973 Edwin H. Land Polaroid introduces one-step instant photography with the SX-70 camera. This camera allowed users to take a photo and see it develop right before their eyes, all within a few minutes, without the need for a separate darkroom or any additional developing processes. Principles of Photography Lesson 2 Principles of Photography A photograph is a mechanical result of photography. To produce a photograph, light is needed aside from sensitized material (films and photographic papers). Light radiated or reflected by the subject must reach the sensitized material while all other lights must be excluded. The exclusion of all other lights is achieved by placing the sensitized material inside a light tight box. The light maybe visible or invisible. Principles of Photography The effect of light on the sensitized material is not visible in the formation of images of objects. The effect could be made visible with the aid of chemical processing of the exposed sensitized material called development. Principle involved in Photography In photography, the light writes when it strikes minute crystals of light sensitive surfaces (films and photographic papers), a mechanical device (camera) and chemical processing (film development and printing). As a process, photography is the method of using light to produce identical image of an object that can be preserved permanently by employing: Principle involved in Photography a. camera: camera use to regulate, absorb and filter light b. film and any sensitized material to record light Principle involved in Photography Photography clearly is a process of producing images, a process that involves two basic steps: 1. The optical- catching light, controlling its intensity, and directing it; and 2. The chemical- recoding the image that has been optically created. WHAT IS THE CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY? Photography is an invaluable aid to modern day scientific crime detection and investigation as well as crime prevention. Perhaps it could be stated that without photography our law enforcement officer in the so-called modern-day scientific crime detection would still be lagging a hundred years. What are the Objectives of Photography? 1. To produce a pictorial record of the crime scene. 2. To help in keeping the police officer’s memory in remembering accurately as to where the locations of physical evidence are found. 3. To help in securing and obtaining confession, description, deposition and informing relating to the case. Significance of Forensic Photography: The usefulness of Forensic Photography in criminal investigation is very extensive. Small objects but of great importance in a crime committed may escape in the first phase of examination by the investigator but may be seen and recovered, only after closed examination of the photographs of the crime scene. Significance of Forensic Photography: Investigators are sometimes compelled to reconstruct or describe in court some of the details of the crime scenes they investigated several months ago. With the bulk of cases the investigator handle, perhaps he would be confused or may not exactly recall some of these details or exact location of objects. Significance of Forensic Photography: However, with the aid of photographs taken from the crime scene, investigator will not find hard time to refresh in their minds and will be able to describe or explain exactly the details in court. Significance of Forensic Photography: A good photograph of the scene is a permanent record, which is always available, especially in court presentation. In court proceedings, judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers have generally never visited the scene of the crime. Therefore, photographers should bear in mind to obtain a normal, sharp and free of distortion photograph. As a general rule, take many photographs of the crime scene and select the best. Significance of Forensic Photography: A photograph of the crime scene is a factual reproduction and accurate record of the crime scene because it captures TIME, SPACE AND EVENT. A photograph is capable of catching and preserving the: SPACE - the WHERE of the crime (Locus Criminis) TIME – the WHEN of the crime EVENT – the WHAT of the crime – what is the nature or character of the crime? Four primary ways of using photography in Police Work: 1. As means of identification. 2. As a method of discovering, recording and preserving evidence. 3. As a way to present, in the courtroom, an impression of the pertinent elements of a crime. 4. As a training and public relations medium for police programs.