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Criminalistics 2 Police Photograpy
Criminalistics 2 Police Photograpy
A. DEFINITION OF TERMS:
1. Photography = Derived from the Greek word “Phos” or “Photos” which means “light” and
“Grapho” means “Writing” or “Graphia” meaning “to Draw”. Sir John F. W. Herschel
coined the word photography when he first wrote a letter to Henry Fox Talbot.
= Is the art and science of reproducing image by means of light through some
sensitized material with the aid of a camera, Lens and its accessories and the chemical
process required in order to produced a photograph.
2. Forensic = Derived from the Latin word “Forum” which means “a market place” where
people gathered for public discussion.
= When used in conjunction with other science it connotes a relationship to the
administration of justice. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the word legal.
4. Photograph = Is the mechanical and chemical result of Photography. Picture and photograph
are not the same for a picture is a generic term is refers to all kinds of formed image while a
photograph is an image that can only be a product of photography.
B. USES OF PHOTOGRAPHY
1. Personal Identification
= Personal Identification is considered to be the first application of photography is police
work. Alphonse Bertillion was the first police who utilized photography in police work as a
supplementary identification in his Anthropometry system.
2. For Communication
= Photograph is considered to be one of the most universal methods of communication
considering that no other language can be known universally than photograph.
3. For Record Purposes
= Considered to be the utmost used of photography in police work.
Different Views in photographing
a. General View
= taking an over-all view of the scene of the crime. It shows direction and location
of the crime scene.
b. Medium View
= Is the taking of the photograph of the scene of the crime by dividing it into section.
This view will best view the nature of the crime.
c. Close-up View
= Is the taking of individual photograph of the evidence at the scene of the crime. It
is design to show the details of the crime.
d. Extreme Close-up View
= Commonly designed in laboratory photographing using some magnification such
as Photomacrography and photomicrography.
4. For Preservation
= Crime scene and other physical evidence requires photograph for preservation purposes.
Crime scene cannot be retain as is for a long period of time but through photograph the initial
condition of the scene of the crime can be preserved properly.
5. For Discovering and Proving
= Photography can extend human vision in discovering and proving things such as:
a. The use of Magnification
Photomicrography = Taking a magnified photograph of small object through
attaching a camera to the ocular of a compound microscope so as to show a minute details
of the physical evidence.
Photomacrogaphy = Taking a magnified (enlarged) photograph of small object by
attaching an extended tube lens (macro lens) to the camera.
Microphotography = is the process of reducing into a small strips of film a scenario.
It is first used in filmmaking.
Macrophotography = used synonymously with photomacrogaphy.
Telephotography = Is the process of taking photograph of a far object with the aid
of a long focus and Telephoto lens.
b. Used of Artificial Light such as X-ray, Ultra-violet and Infra-red rays to show
something which may not be visible with the aid of human eye alone.
7. Crime Prevention
= with the used of video camera (hidden camera) and other advanced photographic
equipment crimes are being detected more easily and even to the extent of preventing them from
initially occurring.
8. Police Training
= Modern facilities are now being used as instructional material not only in police training as
well as in other agencies.
C. ESSENTIALS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
1. Light = is an electromagnetic energy that travels in a form of a wave with the speed of
186, 000 miles per second.
2. Camera = a light tight box designed to block unwanted or unnecessary light from reaching
the sensitized material.
3. Lens = is the light gathering mechanism of the camera that collect the reflected light
coming from the object to form the image.
4. Sensitized material = composed of a highly sensitized chemical compound which is
capable of being transformed into an image through the action of light and with some
chemical processes. ( Film and Photo Paper).
5. Chemical Process = is the process necessary for reducing silver halides into a form so as
a latent image and a positive image be made resulting to what we called Photograph.
D. THEORIES OF LIGHT
1. The WAVE Theory (Huygens)
= It is the theory that was transcribed from the motion of the water that if we observe a
piece of log floating in the ocean and with the force of the air would naturally will make the log
move up and down.
2. Corpuscular theory (Newton)
= this later opposed the wave theory stating that light has its effect by the motion of very small
particles such as electrons.
3. Modified Wave theory (Maxwell and hertz)
= Based on electromagnetics.
All these theories are still considered to be of little lacking that law enforcement need
not to be very focus on this but rather go along with the accepted conclusion that light is a form
of energy, which is electromagnetic in form.
1. Types of Light
Lights can largely be classified into visible and invisible light.
a. Visible Light
= Is the type of light that produces different sensation when reach the human eye. It is
the type of light, which is capable of exciting the retina of the human eye.
b. Invisible Light
= lights in which their wavelength are either too short or too long to excite the retina of
the human eye i.e. X-ray, Ultrat-violet and Infra-red lights.
2. Photographic Rays
a. X-ray
=Light with the wavelength between .01 to 30 millimicrons. It is produced by passing an
electric current through a special type of vacuum tube. It was incidentally discovered by
Conrad Welhelm Roentgen. This type of light works in the principle of shadow photography.
c. Visible Light
= It refers to the type of radiation having a wavelength of 400 to 700 millimicrons designed for
ordinary photographing purposes.
3. Light Source
A. Natural Light= are those light which come to existence without the intervention of man e.i.
Sunlight, moonlight and starlight.
1. Bright Sunlight
= object in an open space casts a deep and uniform shadow and the object appears
glossy.
2. Hazy Sunlight
= object in an open space casts a transparent or bluish shadow. This is due to thin
clouds that cover the sun.
3. Dull Sunlight
= object in an open space cast no shadow due to thick clouds covering the sun.
Daylight may still be classified as: open space bright sunlight, under shade bright
sunlight, hazy sunlight, cloudy sunlight and cloudy dull sunlight.
These conditions and their colors affect the appearance of the object being photograph.
Factors such as atmospheric vapor, atmospheric dust and quality of the reflected light coming
and not coming from the source should likewise be considered.
B. Artificial Light = otherwise known as man-made light e.g. fluorescent bulb, incandescent
bulb and photoflood lamp.
1. Continuous radiation
Photoflood lamp= is likewise known as Reflectorized light or Spot light. It is a light with
a reflector at the back which focus the light to the object the common wattages of this lamp
is 500 watts.
Flourescent Lamp = are tube lamps in which the walls are coated with fluorescent
powders with both ends is mounted with a holder that serves as the reflector. This is
commonly used by everybody more than it is used in photographing.
Incandescent bulb = are bulb with a wire filament connecting two wires which sustain
the electrical charge that produces the light. Everybody likewise commonly uses this
although it is more expensive in terms of electrical consumptions.
Infra-red Lamp
Ultra-violet Lamp
4. SENSITIZED MATERIAL
= It refers to the film and photographic paper that basically composed of emulsion containing
Silver Halides suspended in gelatin and coated on a transparent or reflective support.
Parts of the Sensitized Material
1. Emulsion = is that part of the film or photographic paper which contains the silver grains
which is the one sensitive to light. In a colored film this emulsion surface can be composed
of three layers (Blue, Green and Red) with filters intervening.
2. Anti Halation Backing = is the one designed to hold back the light and prevents halation.
3. Base = Support the emulsion
I. Types of Film
A. According to Use
1. Black and White Film = usually represented by a prefix or a suffix “Pan” or
“Ortho” and generally used in black and white photography. Examples are
Ortholith film, Tri X-Pan and Pan X-plus.
2. Colored Film = can be divided into two: the Negative type and the
reversal type of colored film. The former is usually having names ending in
color while the word chrome represents the latter.
e.g. Blue sensitive film, Ultra-violet film, Infra-red film,
Orthochromatic film and Panchromatic film.
B. According to Spectral Sensitivity
Spectral sensitivity = is the responsiveness of the film emulsion to the different
wavelength of the light course.
1. Blue – Sensitive film = sensitive to U.V. light and Blue Color.
2. Orthochromatic Film = Sensitive to U.V. Light up to the green. ( popular in
the marker as KODALITH FILM)
3. Panchromatic film = Sensitive to U.V. Light up to red (sensitive to all colors
of the visible light)
3.1. Process Panchromatic film = permit short exposures under average
lighting condition and has the advantage of the grain structure.
3.2. Grain Panchromatic film
3.3. High Speed Panchromatic film designed originally for
photographing object under adverse lighting condition.
4. Infra-red Film = Sensitive to all colors and to infra-red light.
5. CAMERA
Is a light tight box with light gathering device and a means of blocking unwanted or
unnecessary light from reaching the sensitized material.
Basically, camera can produce image with its four-(4) basic parts such as light tight box, lens,
and shutter, Holder of sensitized material.
1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 etc.
The speed number in the left is always two times powerful in terms of light gathering than that
of the right number
Using a fast shutter speed the photographer can stop or “freeze” the action of a person
provided that necessary adjustment on the lens opening be made in order to maintain normal
exposure.
D. Lens Aperture = the ratio between the diameter of the whole lens in relation to the focal
length of the lens. It is the light gathering power of the lens. Otherwise known as lens
opening or relative aperture and it is expressed in F-number.
The lower the f-number, the bigger the lens opening and the bigger the lens opening the
greater the volume of air that will passed through the lends and reach the sensitized material.
If the objective of a photographer is obtain the widest possible coverage of the lens in which
objects are all sharp, It will be advisable to used a smaller lens opening.
E. Focusing = is that mechanism of a camera designed to control the degree of
sharpness of the object to be photograph. It is usually obtained by estimating the
distance from the camera and that of the object that will make a sharp or clear image.
2. Ground Glass
This is observed from the viewing system of the camera, once the object is not in focused the
object will be viewed to be blurred and will turn sharp and clear once adjusted.
3. Scale Bed
Estimating the distance of the object and adjusting the camera control based on his estimation
do this.
CLASSIFICATION OF LENSES
1. According to the type of image to be produced
a. Positive or Convex Lens (Converging Lens) Characterized by the fact that it is thicker
at the center and thinner at the side which is capable of bending the light together and
forms the image inversely.
b. Negative or Concave Lens (diverging Lens) Characterized by the fact that it is thinner
at the center and thicker at the side and forms the virtual image on the same side of the
lens.
2. According to Degree of Corrections
a. Meniscus Lens = lens that has no correction.
b. Rapid Rectilinear Lens – lens corrected of distortion
c. Anastigmat Lens – correcting astigmatism
d. Achromatic Lens – correcting chromatic aberration
e. Apochromatic Lens – correcting both astigmatism and chromatic aberration
INHERRRENT LENS DEFECTS
1. Spherical Aberration= Inability of the lens to focus light passing the side of the lens producing
an image that is sharp in the center and blurred at the side.
2. Coma = (Also known as lateral aberration) = Inability of the lens to focus light that travels
straight or lateral, thus making it blurred while the light reaching the lens oblique is the one the
is transmitted sharp.
3. Curvature of Field = the relation of the images of the different point are incorrect with respect
to one another.
4. Distortion = Is a defect in shape not in sharpness. It can either be Pincushion distortion
(curving inward) or Barrel (curving outward).
5. Chromatic Aberration = Inability of the lens to focus light of varying wavelength. The lens
refracts rays of short wavelength more strongly than those of longer wavelength and therefore
bringing blue rays to a shorter focus than the red.
6. Astigmatism= is a form of lens defects in which the horizontal and vertical axis are not equally
magnified. Inability of the lens to focus both horizontal and vertical lines.
7. Chromatic Difference of Magnification
8. Flares = condition of the lens producing multiple images.
LENS CHARACTERISTICS
1. Focal Length – is the distance measured from the optical center of the lens is set to focus at
infinite position. As according to focal lenses may be classified as:
a. Wide Angle or Short Focus = with focal length not longer than the diagonal half of the
negative. Useful in taking photograph at short distance with wider area coverage.
b. Normal or Medium Focus = with focal length approximately equal but not longer than
twice the diagonal half of the negative.
c. Long or Telephoto Lens = with focal length longer than twice the diagonal half of the
negative. Best used in long distance photographing but with narrow area coverage.
d. ZOOM lens = lens with variable focal length or that which can be adjusted continuously
by the movement of one or more elements in the lens system.
2. Relative Aperture – the light gathering power of the lens expressed in F-number
a. Depth of Field – is the distance measured from the nearest to the farthest object in
apparent sharp focus when the lens
b. Hyperfocal distance = Is the nearest distance at which when a lens is focused with a
given particular diaphragm opening will gives the maximum depth of field.
3. Focusing = is the setting of the proper distance in order to form a sharp image. The one that
controls the degree of sharpness of the object.
6. CHEMICAL PROCESS
The process of making the latent image visible and permanent.
a. Development (Use of either D-76, Dektol or Universal Solution)
= Is the process necessary for reducing the silver halides to form the image.
Elon, Hydroquenone = used as main developing agents
b. Stop bath = normally composed of water with little amount of dilute acetic acid that
serves as a means to prevent contamination between the developer and the acid fixer.
c. Fixation = Is the process by which all unexposed silver halides are dissolved or
removed from the emulsion surface and making the image more permanent.
Sodium Thiosulfate (hypo) is the main fixing agent that dissolves unexposed
silver halides.
Other chemicals used:
Acetic Acid and Boric acid = serves as neutralizer
Sodium Sulfate = serves as the preservative
Potassium Bromide = restrainer or hardener
Sodium bicarbonate and borax powder = serves as accelerator
Dodging = is the process of eliminating unwanted portion of the negative during enlarging.
Cropping = is the process of omitting an object during the process of enlarging and printing.
Vignetting = is the gradual fading of the image towards the side through skillful adjustment on
the dodging board.
Dye toning = is the process designed in changing the color tone of the photograph.
Burning-In = refers to additional exposure on a desired portion of the negative used for
purposes of making a balance exposure.