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Crime Scene Photography

Crime Scene Photography. Crime Scene Photography. Testimonial evidence is faulty. Admissions of guilt are not iron clad. Jurors are influenced by what they can see and experience in the courtroom.

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Crime Scene Photography

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  1. Crime Scene Photography

  2. Crime Scene Photography • Testimonial evidence is faulty. • Admissions of guilt are not iron clad. • Jurors are influenced by what they can see and experience in the courtroom. • Photographs of the crime scene and evidence is a powerful tool in bringing the jury to the crime scene.

  3. Getting the Evidence into Court • In order to be effective your evidence must be admitted into court evidence. • The following guidelines must be followed. • Do not disturb the scene • Get a complete set of pictures • Pay attention to camera angles • Record all data

  4. Rule #1 Do NOT Disturb the Scene • This is the cardinal rule of crime scene photography • Both later investigators and jurors need to see the scene as it was when the police arrived • Leave scales and labels out of your first series of pictures • After the scene has been photographed in its original state, you shoot a second series of evidence pictures.

  5. Rule #2 Complete Set of Pictures • You must move around the scene to see everything - So must the camera • Generally speaking, each important object in the scene should appear in at least three pictures • The overview should cover the entire scene to bring out the relationships between the objects. The mid range shot shows and important object and its immediate surroundings. Finally, each close-up shows a key detail clearly.

  6. Example of Three Step Process 1. Overview 2. Mid-Range 3. Focused

  7. Overview

  8. Mid-Range

  9. Close-Up

  10. Rule #3 Pay Attention to Angles • Relationships of size and distance may be distorted by the wrong viewpoint • Shoot most pictures with the camera at eye level. This is the height from which people normally see things and that makes it easier to judge perspective. • Ask yourself questions such as: • Does this picture reveal the true position of the witness to the crime? • Does the picture distort what I am shooting? • Am I shooting from the perspective of an observer.

  11. Distortion • To prevent distortion that may skew the image and even prevent its admissibility, try to take the photos at a perpendicular angle.

  12. Selecting A Lens Regular Aspect Lens Wide Angle Lens

  13. Rule #4 Record all Data • Make a sketch of where each picture was shot • Write the details of each shot • Location, date, time, photographer, camera settings • Some court systems put more emphasis on print film • Label all pictures and negatives.

  14. Taking the Pictures • A crime scene photographer has command of the art of photography. • All pictures must be • Sharp • Focused • Properly exposed • Framed properly • Have proper lighting

  15. Lighting- The Critical Element • Lighting is critical in photography • The direction from which the light comes determines where shadows fall • Sometimes these shadows completely obscure details in the picture • On the other hand, shadows may reveal details which would otherwise be invisible • Let’s look at 3 types of natural light; back, side, and front lighting

  16. Back Lighting • The light source is behind the object • A light directly behind the subject creates a silhouette • Furthermore, any light shining directly into the lens can cause a “flare” and/or a “halo” effect. • This has little value in crime scene photography

  17. Side Lighting • Side lighting puts shadows on the unlit side of the subject • This may be very good or very bad, depending on the situation • These shadows are often essential to bring out the fine texture that is found in a cloth sample, a footprint or a tool mark • On the other hand, when you shoot into a subject, the shadows obscure important interior details

  18. Lighting

  19. Lighting

  20. Front Lighting • The light source is behind you and the object being photographed • This is essentially shadow less. It, therefore, gives the best representation of most crime scenes • When you do not have a specific need for shadows in a scene, you will normally be wise to light it from the front

  21. Not Enough Light? • Exposure times can be altered to brighten photographs • Longer exposure times required a tripod and no movement of the camera • Alternate light sources • Ultraviolet • Infrared • fluorescent

  22. Bracketing • Since there is no magic setting for available light exposures, bracketing is necessary to ensure a quality photograph. • The same photo should be taken several times with each exposure changing one camera condition; either aperture or film speed.

  23. Bracketing Available Light

  24. Bracketing Available Light

  25. Bracketing Available Light

  26. Bracketing Available Light

  27. Bracketing Available Light

  28. Bracketing Available Light

  29. Film vs. Digital • Film has been the traditional method of presenting photographic evidence, however digital is growing in use and acceptance. • Evidence integrity is always an important issue no matter the choice of media.

  30. Homework • Camera Photography Starts Monday 10/4 • Get a Camera • Memory card • Transfer Cable • Extra Batteries • Manual

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