Forensic

photography

Footwear impressions left at a crime scene.

Forensic photography, also referred to as
crime scene photography, is an activity
that records the initial appearance of the
crime scene and physical evidence, in
order to provide a permanent record for
the courts.[1] Crime scene photography
differs from other variations of
photography because crime scene
photographers usually have a very specific
purpose for capturing each image.[2]

Crime scenes can be major sources of

physical evidence that is used to associate
or link suspects to scenes, victims to
scenes, and suspects to victims. This is
Locard's exchange principle. It is the basic
tenet of why crime scenes should be
investigated. Anything found at a crime
scene can be physical evidence. In
scientific crime scene investigation, the
first activities at the crime scene are
essential for the successful preservation
of the physical evidence. The first
responder and ultimately the crime scene
investigator have the obligation to make
the scene secure and ensure that any
further activities at the scene do not
change the evidence. The use of a
multilevel security method would
accomplish this task. The preliminary
scene survey is the first on-scene activity.
Precautions are taken for transient and
conditional evidence during the survey.[3]

All forensic photography must consider

three elements at a crime scene: the
subject, the scale, and a reference object.
Also, the overall forensic photographs
must be shown a neutral and accurate
representation.[4]

Features of crime scene

photography.
Common photography related to creative
and artistic photography often shows their
results in a different way. Creative and
artistic photographs are perfectly fine.
However, the forensic photography is
different. They should serve several
purposes.

For people who were at the original crime

scene, forensic photos will help refresh
their memory as time goes by. People who
could not be present at the original crime
scene, it provides them with the
opportunity to see the crime scene and the
evidence within the crime scene.

Furthermore, the forensic photos can be

utilized by law enforcement professionals
who will become involved with crime and
will be utilized later when the crime case
goes to trial. Judge, jury, attorney and
witnesses can reuse and utilize forensic
photos for lawful evidence or references.
Sometimes, forensic photos can be the
only way to collect lawful evidences;
therefore, two key points are important:

1. Documentation of the crime scene and

the evidence within the crime scene.
2. Collection of evidence. These images
can then be later used as examination-
quality photographs by experts/analysts
from the forensic laboratory.[5]

Crime scene evidence

Crime scenes are the source of the
physical evidence that is used to associate
or link suspects to scenes, victims to
scenes, and suspects to victims. Any item
found at a crime scene can be physical
evidence; it can be labeled as the debris of
criminal activity. There is considerable
overlap among identifications, but
evidence can be categorized into the
following broad groups based on its origin,
composition, or method of creation:

1. Biological evidence — any evidence

derived from a living item. Includes
physiological fluids, plants, and some
biological pathogens.
2. Chemical evidence — any evidence with
identifiable chemicals present.
3. Patterned evidence — any evidence with
a pattern or predictable pattern of
appearance.
4. Trace evidence — any evidence of such
a small size so as to be overlooked, not
easily seen or not easily recognized.

In addition to identifying the type of

physical evidence found at a crime scene,
it is necessary to obtain valuable
investigative information from the analysis
of the items of physical evidence.
1. Determination of corpus delicti — the
evidence is used to determine if a crime
has taken place.
2. Modus operandi identification —
criminals repeat behavior. Repeated
methods of entry, for example, by kicking
in a back door with the same shoe leaving
the same footwear impressions
throughout the crime scene.
3. Association or linkage — the Locard
Exchange Principle — transfer of evidence
by contact. See the next section to follow.
4. Disproving/supporting
victim/suspect/witness statements — the
evidence may or may not support what
these groups say.
5. Identification of
suspects/victims/crime scene location —
fingerprints and even DNA can be used to
identify who was present at a crime scene.
6. Provide for investigative leads for
detectives — the use of the physical
evidence to give information to detectives
that will assist them in locating victims
and suspects.[6]

Essential 3 steps on crime

scene
The first activities at the crime scene are
essential for the successful preservation
of the physical evidence.

First responders

The crime scene investigator is rarely the

first person at a crime scene. Most first
responders work on reflex or instinct at the
scene. Their tasks are to save lives or
apprehend suspects. Unfortunately, that
may mean that physical evidence may be
inadvertently altered, changed, or lost due
to the actions of a first responder. The
crime scene investigator needs to
communicate with the first responders to
determine if any changes or alterations
have occurred at the scene before the
scene investigator arrived.

Crime scene security

Locard's exchange principle is the basis

for the use of physical evidence in a
criminal investigation, it is extremely
important for the crime scene to be made
secure and restrict the access to the crime
scene by nonessential people. Many
agencies allow easy access to crime
scenes by anyone in the agency. Most
media persons are kept out but changes to
the scene and evidence can change in
attempts to protect victims.
Preliminary scene survey

The preliminary scene survey or walk-

through is the crime scene investigator’s
first opportunity to view the target area
crime scene. A simple visual search for
obvious physical evidence can be
accomplished at this time. It is during this
first viewing of the crime scene that the
scene investigator should note any
transient or temporary items of evidence
and protect them immediately. Melting
snow footwear impression are examples
of this transient evidence.[7]

Methods
All photographs must contain three
elements: the subject, a scale, and a
reference object. Crime scene
photographs should always be in focus,
with the subject of the photograph as the
main object of the scene. There should
always be a scale or ruler present. This will
allow the investigators the ability to resize
the image to accurately reconstruct the
scene. The overall photographs must be a
fair and accurate representation of what is
seen. Any change in color may misidentify
an object for investigators and possibly
jurors. (Figure 3.0)
Preliminary overall photographs should
attempt to capture the locations of
evidence and identifying features of the
scene, such as addresses, vehicle
identification numbers and serial numbers,
footwear/tire mark impressions, and the
conditions of the scene. While the purpose
of the overall photograph is to document
the conditions of the scene and the
relationship of objects, the medium range
photograph serves to document the
appearance of an object.

In all photographs, a scale must be

included, as well as a marker to indicate
the identity of the object in question.
Again, objects of medium-range
photographs must be a fair and accurate
representation of what is seen. Adjusting
the photographic principles or lighting may
allow the photographer to achieve this
goal.

Above picture is Figure 3.1. Which one is

the correct representation?

In Figure 3.1, Photograph 2 is a correct

representation.
Photograph 1 has too much light. It means
that the photographer failed to catch
proper light to describe object. By
adjusting the flash, photographer should
adjust camera flash to capture the object.

In general, the basic components of macro

or evidentiary photography are as follows:
If any evidentiary photographs are to be
taken for use in a critical comparison
examination at a later time, guidelines
must be followed in accordance with the
best practices of digital evidence.

1. The digital image must be captured in a

lossless compression format. The two
widely accepted lossless compression
formats are tagged image file format
(TIFF) and RAW. TIFF is a universal file
type, whereas RAW files are proprietary
based upon the manufacturer of the
camera. Specialized software may be
required to open and enhance a RAW
image.
2. The camera must be on a grounded
platform, such as a copy stand or tripod.
In general, the human body cannot stop
natural vibrations with a camera shutter
speed slower than 1/60 of a second. Using
a grounded platform will allow the subject
matter to be in complete focus.
3. The camera shutter must be controlled
by a remote cord or by using the timer
mode. The simple action of depressing the
shutter control will cause the camera to
vibrate, losing focus of the subject matter.

Documentation

The responding officer must also maintain

a photo log if any photographic
documentation is taken. The log should
contain the date and time of the
photograph, the subject matter, and any
additional notes. These logs must be
maintained within a case file or incident
report, as they are a part of the
examination record and discoverable
material at trial.[8]

Digital photography

Photographers must understand principles

of photography first. When the
photographers take the photographs itself,
they must consider three components.
The three components are ISO, Shutter
speed and aperture.

The International Organization for

Standardization (ISO) is an international
standard-setting body composed of
representatives from various national
standards organizations. The actual
meaning in photography is a camera’s
sensitivity to light

ISO
By adjusting ISO, the photographs can be
shown differently in same environment. In
dark environment, ISO makes light sensor
of camera more sensitive. It helps
photographers to meet proper light in dark
or harsh condition. Among above two
photographs, the photograph 2 is a proper
representation because it shows clear
objects with proper brightness. However,
ISO has high possibility to make camera
noise which is visual distortion. Too much
dependence on ISO can distort the image.
For that reason, the photographers must
understand ISO before using it.

Shutter speed

Shutter speed is the length of time when

the film or digital sensor inside the camera
is exposed to light. Object and image can
be shown differently by shutter speed.
Below are the examples.
These two photographs are taken under
same situation except for camera shutter
speed. In above situation, slow shutter
speed makes image more clear and bright
because the low shutter speed takes more
light than high shutter speed. However, the
high shutter speed often is necessary for
moving object.
Above two photographs are taken under
same situation except for camera shutter
speed. In case of moving object, the low
shutter speed is not proper to capture the
object. It needs faster shutter speed to
capture it. Shutter speed has pros and
cons. For capturing a moving object,
photographers must use a high shutter
speed. However, the image can be very
dark. Low shutter speed must be used
when capturing a clear image or object
under the harsh condition, but it is hard to
capture the moving objects.

Aperture(Focus)
Aperture means that the extent of a
sharpness of an image that is shown
through the lens. So, it is one of really
important things to photographers. High
aperture (High focus) means hard
sharpness like photograph1. Every Low
aperture (low focus) means soft
sharpness.

 
The photograph 1 shows all objects very
clearly because of the high aperture. The
photograph 2 image shows an object with
right focus but rest of the objects are all
blurred because of low aperture.

Use of flash

External flash units are helpful tools when

responding to a crime scene and for the
proper documentation of evidence. The
white balance of a photo flash unit is set
to mimic daylight to ensure the proper
color balance of the subject matter. The
photographer must be mindful of the
reflections that can occur due to the
directionality of the flash and the position
of the subject matter. To avoid flash
reflections, as demonstrated below
examples, the flash must either be
removed from the camera body, creating
an angle, or bounced off of the ceiling.

Equipment
The tools required to properly document
the crime scene include:[9]

Notepad
Clipboard and/or digital tablet device
Graph paper
Writing instruments (pens, pencils,
markers)
Still camera with external flash and extra
batteries
Video camera
Tripod
Measurement instruments (tape
measures, rulers, electronic measuring
devices, perspective grids, etc.)
 Evidence identification and position
markers or placards
Photographic log
Compass

Fit for court

The images must be clear and usually
have scales. They serve to not only remind
investigators of the scene, but also to
provide a tangible image for the court to
better enable them to understand what
happened. The use of several views taken
from different angles helps to minimise
the problem of parallax. Overall images do
not have scales and serve to show the
general layout, such as the house where
the murder is thought to have occurred.
Context images show evidence in context,
like how the knife was next to the sofa.
Close up images show fine detail of an
artifact, such as a bloody fingerprint on the
knife.

Road traffic incident (RTI) photographs

show the overall layout at the scene taken
from many different angles, with close-ups
of significant damage, or trace evidence
such as tire marks at a traffic collision. As
with crime scene photography, it is
essential that the site is pristine and
untouched as far as is possible. Some
essential intervention, such as rescuing a
trapped victim, must be recorded in the
notes made at the time by the
photographer, so that the authenticity of
the photographs can be verified.

As with all evidence a chain of custody

must be maintained for crime scene
photographs. Sometimes a CSI (forensic
photographer) will process his/her own
film or there is a specific lab for it.
Regardless of how it is done any person
who handles the evidence must be
recorded. Secure Digital Forensic Imaging
methods may be applied to help ensure
against tampering and improper
disclosure.[10] Accident scene pictures
should also be identified and sourced,
police photographs taken at the scene
often being used in civil cases.

Analysis of historic
photographs

Original Tay Bridge from the north

Photograph of 1880 showing fallen Tay Bridge

Crime or accident scene photographs can

often be re-analysed in cold cases or when
the images need to be enlarged to show
critical details. Photographs made by film
exposure usually contain much
information which may be crucial long
after the photograph was taken. They can
readily be digitised by scanning, and then
enlarged to show the detail needed for
new analysis. For example, controversy
has raged for a number of years over the
cause of the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879
when a half-mile section of the new bridge
collapsed in a storm, taking an express
train down into the estuary of the river Tay.
At least 75 passengers and crew were
killed in the disaster.

The set of photographs taken a few days

after the accident have been re-analysed in
1999–2000 by digitising them and
enlarging the files to show critical details.
The originals were of very high resolution
since a large plate camera was used with
a small aperture, plus a small grain film.
The re-analysed pictures shed new light on
why the bridge fell, suggesting that design
flaws and defects in the cast iron columns
which supported the centre section led
directly to the catastrophic failure.
Alternative explanations that the bridge
was blown down by the wind during the
storm that night, or that the train derailed
and hit the girders are unlikely. The re-
analysis supports the original court of
inquiry conclusions, which stated that the
bridge was "badly designed, badly built
and badly maintained".[11]

Concerns over scientific

validity
A 2019 ProPublica investigation found that
despite frequent use by the FBI, there are
considerable concerns over scientific
validity of the FBI's analysis of
photographic evidence. ProPublica "asked
leading statisticians and forensic science
experts to review methods image
examiners have detailed in court
transcripts, published articles and
presentations. The experts identified
numerous instances of examiners
overstating the techniques’ scientific
precision and said some of their
assertions defy logic."[12]

See also
 Forensic engineering
Forensic materials engineering
Forensic polymer engineering
Forensic science
History of forensic photography
Murder book
Photography
Skid mark
Trace evidence

References
Farrar, Andrew; Porter, Glenn; Renshaw,
Adrian (2012). "Detection of Latent
Bloodstains Beneath Painted Surfaces using
Reflected Infrared Photography". Journal of
 Forensic Sciences. 57 (5): 1190–1198.
doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02231.x .
PMID 22845038 .

1. Miller, Marilyn T.; Peter, Massey (2016-01-

29). The Crime Scene A Visual Guide. San
Diego: Academic Press. pp. 45–94.
ISBN 9780128012451.
2. Robinson, Edward M. (2013). Introduction
to crime scene photography (Online-Ausg.
ed.). Oxford, UK: Elsevier/Academic Press.
pp. 1–77. ISBN 9780123865434. Retrieved
28 March 2016.
3. Miller, Marilyn; Peter, Massey (2016-01-
29). The Crime Scene A Visual Guide. San
Diego: Academic Press. pp. 17–33.
ISBN 9780128012451.
4. Miller, Marilyn; Peter, Massey (2016-01-
29). The Crime Scene A Visual Guide. San
Diego: Academic Press. pp. 37–44.
ISBN 9780128012451.
5. Robinson, Edward M. (2013). Introduction
to crime scene photography (Online-Ausg.
ed.). Oxford, UK: Elsevier/Academic Press.
pp. 1–77. ISBN 9780123865434. Retrieved
28 March 2016.
6. Miller, Marilyn T.; Peter, Massey (2016-01-
29). Chapter 2 - Initial On-Scene
Procedures . San Diego: Academic Press.
pp. 3–15. ISBN 9780128012451. Retrieved
28 March 2016.
7. Miller, Marilyn T; Peter, Massey (2016-01-
29). Chapter 1 - Crime Scene
Investigations . San Diego: Academic
Press. pp. 3–15. ISBN 9780128012451.
8. Reitnauer, Andrew R. (2015-06-24). Crime
Scene Response and Evidence Collection, In
Security Supervision and Management
(Fourth ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
pp. 443–459. ISBN 9780128001134.
9. Fish, Jacqueline T.; Miller, Larry S.;
Braswell, Michael C.; Wallace Jr., Edward W.
(2014-01-01). Chapter 3 - Documenting the
Crime Scene: Photography, Videography,
and Sketching . Boston: Anderson
Publishing, Ltd. pp. 59–83.
ISBN 9781455775408.
10. Lawrence Memorial Hospital sexual
assault exam room with SDFI system
11. Porter, Glenn (2013). "Images as
Evidence" . Precedent. 119 (Nov/Dec): 38–
42. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
12. Gabrielson, Ryan (2019-01-17). "The FBI
Says Its Photo Analysis Is Scientific
Evidence.…" . ProPublica. Retrieved
2019-01-20.

Further reading
Introduction to Forensic Engineering (The
Forensic Library) by Randall K. Noon,
CRC Press (1992).
Forensic Engineering Investigation by
Randall K. Noon, CRC Press (2000).
Forensic Materials Engineering: Case
Studies by Peter Rhys Lewis, Colin Gagg,
Ken Reynolds, CRC Press (2004).
 Peter R Lewis and Sarah Hainsworth,
Fuel Line Failure from stress corrosion
cracking, Engineering Failure Analysis,13
(2006) 946-962.
Peter R. Lewis, Beautiful Railway Bridge
of the Silvery Tay: Reinvestigating the Tay
Bridge Disaster of 1879, Tempus, 2004,
ISBN 0-7524-3160-9.

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