FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography - To write with light, from two Greek words, Phos - light and Graphia - write.

Police Photography - It is an art or science which deals with the study of th

e principles of photography, the reproduction of photographic evidence, and its application to police work. Forensic
Photography - the art or science of photographically documenting a crime scene and evidence for laboratory
examination and analysis for purposes of court trial.

1.Take photographs of the following:

a.crime scene

b.suspects.

c.detainees

d.prisoners

e.aliens

f.apprehended persons

g.applicants for clearances

h.military and civilian personnel

i.unknown cadaver

j.applicant to possess firearm

k.other physical evidence

Camera is a light-tight box; with a lens to form an image with a shutter and diaphragm to control the entry of the
image; a means of holding a film to record the image/and a viewer or viewfinder to show the photographer what the
image is.

1.Light Tight Box. This part of the camera is very essential because of its capability to exclude all unwanted light
that may expose the sensitized materials or film. It is an enclosure that is devoid of light.

2.Lens. The lens is the only responsible in focusing the rays of light coming from the subject. It is one of the most
important parts of camera because without lens, it is impossible to form a sharp image of the film.

3.Film Holder. The film holder holds the film firmly inside the camera. It is always located at the opposite side of
the lens of the camera.

4.Shutter. The shutter served as the barriers of the rays of light that will enter and effect the film inside the camera.
It is usually placed at the path of the light passing thru the lens.

1.View Finder Type - The smallest and simplest type of camera. This is also known as instamatic camera. View
finder camera suffers parallax error.

2.Single Lens Reflex Type - Cross section view of SLR system

Twin Lens Reflex Camera - has two lens, one for viewing and focusing on the subject and for taking lens.In this
type of camera,the image to be photographed is seen as flat surface as the image is reflected by the mirror behind the
viewing lens.This suffers parallax error.
Parallax - the difference between what the view finder on a point and shoot camera sees and what the lens sees (and
thus records on film).At close shooting distances,the difference can cause you to crop off the top of a subject's head.

Parallax error - the image you see through the view finder is different from the image the lens will capture

VIEW OR PRESS TYPE CAMERA - The biggest and most sophisticated among the different type of camera.
This type of camera is practically useless for candid and action photography.

SPECIAL CAMERAS - These are cameras that have been devised that offer unique advantage or serve special
purposes. Among the special cameras are: a. polaroid, b. panoramic cameras, c. aerial cameras, d. miniature and
ultra-miniature cameras e. digital cameras (using computer processing.

Control of Cameras Knowing the controls on camera is necessary to produce a sharp and normal image and
negatives after photographing. There are three important controls in a camera to be manipulated and adjusted to its
proper setting.

Focusing Control The camera lens bends light rays to form an image or likeness of the object. Adjusting the lens to
form the clearest possible image is called focusing .Focusing is defined as the setting of the proper distance in order
to form a sharp image.

Rangefinder Type The rangefinder type is classified into two:

1.Coincidence type - the object to be photographed looks double when the focusing control is not in proper
distance, and by moving this control, one of the objects will move and coincide with the other object to make as one
and become accurate appearance of an object.

2.Split Type - Splits the objects to be photographed into two. While moving the focusing control, the split image
will move and unite to form an undivided appearance and therefore the focus is accurate and perfect.

Shutter Speed - is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period of time, for the purpose of exposing
photographic film or a light-sensitive electronic sensor to light to capture a permanent image of a scene.

The Lens - A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts
light, converging or diverging the beam.

Types of Lenses 1. Biconvex 2. Biconcave 3. Plano-convex/plane-concave 4. Convex-concave or meniscus 5.

Positive or converging lens 6. Negative or diverging lens

Biconvex - A lens is biconvex (or double convex , or just convex ) if both surfaces are convex.

Biconcave - A lens with two concave surfaces is biconcave (or just concave ).

Plano-convex or Plano-concave - If one of the surfaces is flat, the lens is plano-convex or plano-concave
depending on the curvature of the other surface.
Meniscus - A lens with one convex and one concave side is convex-concave or meniscus.It is this type of lens that
is most commonly used in corrective lenses.

Positive or Converging Lens - If the lens is biconvex or plano-convex, a collimated or parallel beam of light
traveling parallel to the lens axis and passing through the lens will be converged (or focused ) to a spot on the axis,
at a certain distance behind the lens (known as the focal length ). In this case, the lens is called a positive or
converging lens.This lens is always thicker at the center and thinner at the sides. Light passing through it is bended
toward each other on the other side of the lens meeting at a point. It produces a real image on the opposite side of the
lens or where light is coming from.

Negative or Diverging Lens - If the lens is biconcave or plano-concave, a collimated beam of light passing through
the lens is diverged(spread); the lens is thus called a negative or diverging lens. The beam after passing through the
lens appears to be emanating from a particular point on the axis in front of the lens; the distance from this point to
the lens is also known as the focal length, although it is negative with respect to the focal length of a converging
lens. This lens is always thinner at the center and thicker at the sides. Light passing through it is bended away from
each other as if coming from a point. It produces a virtual image on the same side of the lens or where light is
coming from.

Inherent Lens Defects or Aberrations 1. Spherical Aberration 2. Coma 3. Curvature of Field 4. Distortion 5.
Chromatic Aberration 6. Astigmatism 7. Chromatic Difference of Magnification

Spherical Aberration - When light passing through near the central part of a converging lens is bended more
sharply than those rays falling in the edge, thus the rays coming from the edges are focused on a plane nearer the
lens than those coming from the central part.

Coma - This is another form of spherical aberration but is concerned with the light rays entering the lens obliquely.
The defect is noticeable only on the outer edges and not on the central part of the lens. If a lens has coma, circular
objects reproduced at the corners of the negative are comet-like form. Just like the spherical aberration, it is reduced
by combinations of lenses of different curvatures.

Curvature of Field - This is a kind of defect where the image formed by a lens comes to a sharper focus in curved
surface than a flat surface. The correction of this defect is similar to spherical aberration and coma.

Distortion - A lens with distortion is incapable of rendering straight lines correctly; either horizontal or vertical lines
in an object. This is caused by the placement of the diaphragm. If the diaphragm is placed in front of the
lens,straight lines near the edges of the object tends to bulge outside. This is known as the barrel distortion.If the
diaphragm is placed behind the lens, straight lines near the edges tends to bend inward. This isknown as the
pincushion distortion. Distortion is remedied by placing the diaphragm in between the lens component and the two
opposite distortions will neutralize each other.

Chromatic Aberration - This defect is the inability of the lens to bring photographic rays of different wavelengths
to the same focus. Ultraviolet rays are bent the most while infrared rays are bent to the least when they pass through
the lens. This defect is reduced by utilizing compound lenses made up of single lens made up of glass of different
curvatures.

Astigmatism - This defect is present when the size of image produced by photographic rays of one wavelength is
different from the size produced by another. Size of the image increases as the wavelength of the rays decreases.In
color photography it produces a rainbow colored fringes around the edges of objects while in black and white
photography, it appears as a slight blue

Types of Lenses (as to degree of correction to lens aberration) 1.Achromatic lens - corrected for chromatic
aberration. 2.Rapid-rectilinear lens - corrected for distortion. 3.Anastigmatic lens - corrected for astigmatism as well
as the other lens defects. 4.Apochromatic lens - also corrected for astigmatism but with higher degree of correction
to color.
Focal length - is the distance measured from the optical center of the lens to the film plane when the lens is set or
focused at infinity position or far distance. Focal length is a measure of the light-bending power of a lens. It is
invariably measured in millimeters(mm). The longer the focal length of a lens , the narrower the angle of view , and
the larger objects appear in the viewfinder without the need to move any closer to them.

Focal Distance - is the distance from the optical center of the lens to the film plane.

Telephotos - are long focal length lenses. Telephotos are lenses with focal lengths greater than 50mm. They range
from 70mm short telephotos to "long toms" with focal lengths of 1000mm or more.

Wide angles - are short focal lengths. A lens with a focal length of 50mm is known as a standard lens ± the view
that it gives is similar to that of the human eye . Any lens with a shorter focal length, and wider angle of view, is
known as wide-angle.

Factors Affecting Depth of Field

1.Aperture - The larger the aperture the less depth of field. For maximum depth of field, use the smallest aperture.
2.Focused Distance - The closer the subject you focus on, the less depth of field. Depth of field is greater with
distance subjects.

3.Focal Length - The longer the lens you use, the less depth of field you will have. Wide-angle lenses give the
greatest depth of field.

Emulsion - a suspension of a sensitive silver salt or a mixture of silver halides in a viscous medium (as a gelatin
solution) forming a coating on photographic plates, film, or paper.

Emulsion Speed

a.ASA (American Standards Association) rating. This is expressed in arithmetical value.

b.DIN (Deutsche Industrie Normen) rating, which is expressed in logarithmic value.

c.ISO (International Standards Organization) rating. This is expressed in the combined arithmetical and logarithmic
values.

Exposure - is simply a combination of the aperture and shutter speed. Thus, it is defined as the product of the total
light intensity and the length of time it strikes the emulsion. Exposure is subjective and errors in calculation will
result to overexposure or underexposure.

Rainbow Colors:

* Violet - 400 to 440nm

* Blue - 440 to 490nm

* Green - 490 to 540nm

* Yellow - 540 to 590nm

* Orange - 600 to 650nm

* Red - 650 to 700nm

4 Photographic Rays of Modern Photography

1.X-Rays - 1 to 30 nm

2.UV Rays - 30 to 400 nm

3.Visible Light - 400 to 700 nm

4.Infrared Rays - 700 to 100 nm

Primary Colors of Light

1.Red

2.Green

3.Blue

Secondary Colors of Light

1.Yellow

2.Cyan

3.Magenta

White - is the presence of all color.

Black - is the absence of all colors or the absence of light.

Primary Colors of Coloring Matters

1.Red

2.Yellow

3.Blue

Bending of Light - When traveling in open space, light travels in a straight line (186,000 miles/second). However,
when light comes in contact with an object, it may be bended in the following manner

* Reflection- it bounces off in all directions due to the microscopic irregularities of the interface

* Refraction - It is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. This is most commonly observed
when a wave passes from one medium to another.

* Diffraction - It is described as the apparent bending of waves around small obstacles and the spreading out of
waves past small openings. It is also described as the bending of light when it hits a sharp edge of an opaque object.

Examples of Diffraction 1.The closely spaced tracks on a CD or DVD act as a diffraction grating to form the
familiar rainbow pattern we see when looking at a disk; 2.The hologram (a picture that changes when looked at from
different angles) on a credit card.

Kinds of Objects

1.Transparent objects - allows sufficient visible light to pass through them that the object on the other side may be
clearly seen.

2.Translucent objects - allows light to pass, however diffuse it sufficiently that objects on the other side may not be
clearly distinguished. In some cases the objects on the other side may be recognizable but sharp detail and outlines
are obscured.

3.Opaque objects - so greatly diffuse the light that recognizing the object on the other side is very difficult if not
impossible.

Sources of Light

1.Natural Light Source

2.Artificial Light Source

Natural Light Source (Sunlight)

1.Bright sunlight - a lighting condition where objects in open space cast a deep and uniform or distinct shadow.
2.Hazy Sunlight - objects in open space cast a transparent shadow.

3.Dull Sunlight - objects in open space cast no shadow

1.Cloudy bright - objects in open space cast no shadow but objects at far distance are clearly visible.

2.Cloudy dull - objects in open space cast not shadow and visibility of distant objects are already limited.

Artificial Light Source - Light sources of this category are man-made and is divided into the continuous radiation
and the short duration.

Forensic Light Sources

1.UV Lamp

2.LASER - Light Amplification through Simulated Emission of Radiation.

3.Alternative Light Sources

4.Forensic Light Sources

Chemical Processing

1.Black & White Processing - development, stop-bath, and fixation.

2.Color Processing - development, stop-fix, and stabilizer

Development - It is the conversion of latent image in an emulsion into visible image. 1.B & W Emulsion - reducing
exposed silver halide crystals (black silver) into metallic silver. (Same reaction is found in photographic papers.)
2.Color Emulsion - Developed silver is replaced with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye.

Stop-Bath - The purpose of the stop bath is to halt the development of the film, plate, or paper by either washing off
the developing chemical or neutralizing it.

Fixation - The fixer removes the unexposed silver halide remaining on the Photographic film or photographic paper,
leaving behind the reduced metallic silver that forms the image, making it insensitive to further action by light.
Without fixing, the remaining silver halide would quickly darken and cause severe fogging of the image.The most
common salts used are sodium thiosulfate - commonly called hypo - and ammonium thiosulfate, commonly used in
modern rapid fixer formula.

APPLICATION TO POLICE WORK General Application

1.Identification purposes

2.Recording and preserving of evidences

3.Discovering and proving of evidences not readily seen by the naked eye.
4.Recording action of offenders

5.For court exhibits

6.For crime prevention

7.Public information 8.Police training.