BLANCIA COLLEGE FOUNDATION INCORPORATED

Mabini St., Molave Zamboanga del Sur

COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
FORENSIC 1: PHOTOGRAPHY

UNIT I: OVERVIEW OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY

Introduction:

Forensic Photography is essential in the study of criminology education as prescribed by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED). Knowing much will about it, is very important for criminology students in preparation for their future
criminologist licensure examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Profession as Criminologist,
career as law enforcement officers, and criminology educators. Photography can aid speedy reconstruction and re-
enactment of the crime as well as in the determinants of the perpetrator of the crime.

Principles of Photography

In photography, the four main ingredients and elements are very important they are light, sensitized materials, in a form
of latent image , without light recording of images in emulsion of film and photographic paper is impossible to be
happened.

LIGHT

It is an electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of electromagnetic spectrum. The word usually refers to visible
light, which is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight.

TWO GENERAL SOURCES

1) NATURAL LIGHT
- Our main source of natural light is the sun. The sun is a star that is a huge ball of gas. Explosions at the center
of the sun produce large amounts of energy. This energy is released as light and heat. Some of this light
reaches Earth and gives us daylight. The light that comes from the sun is known as white light. Other forms
of natural light include the moon and the stars.

SUNLIGHT

Is the light and energy that comes from the sun. When this energy reaches the earth’s surface , it is called insolation.
What we experienced as sunlight is actually solar radiation. It is the radiation and heat from the sun in the form of
electromagnetic waves.

KINDS OF SUNLIGHT

1. Bright Sunlight- it is sun lighting condition where objects in an open space cast a deep and uniform or distinct
shadow.
2. Hazy Sunlight- In this sun lighting condition the object in an open space cast a transparent shadow.
3. Dull Sunlight- It is a lighting condition of the sun that no more shadow to be cast by an object in open space.

2) ARTIFICIAL LIGHT- humans have been able to create and control light for thousands of years. The earliest form of
lighting was with fire such as burning wood, camdles, gas or oil.

TYPES OF ELECTRIC LIGHT

 1. Tungsten Filament Bulbs- they are cheap to make and easy to use . they contain a thin metal filament made out
of tungsten (a type of metal). The filament becomes very hot when electricity flows through it and glows yellow-
white. These bulbs last only about 1000 hours because the filament becomes thinner and thinner as it burns.
2. Neon Lights- It is commonly used for advertising. Neon is a gas that gives out light when high voltage electricity
passed theorugh it.
3. Flourenscent Tubes- they are widely used int the office and in home.

SPECTRUM – it is distribution of colors produced when white light is dispersed by a prism or diffraction grating.

KINDS OF VISIBLE SPECTRUM

1. RED LIGHT- the visible red light has a wavelength of about 650 nanometers. At sunrise and sunset, red orange,
colors are present because the wavelength associated with these colors are less efficiently scattered by the
atmosphere than the shorter wavelength colrs (e.g. blue and purple). A large amount of blue and violet light has
been removed as a result of scattering and the long wave colors., such as red, and orange are more readily seen.
2. ORANGE LIGHT- the visible orange light has a wavelength of about 590 nanometer.
3. YELLOW LIGHT- the visible yellow light has a wavelength of about 570 nanometer. Low pressure sodium lamps,
with those uaed in some parking lots ,emit a yellow (wavelength 589nanometer) light.
4. GREEN LIGHT- the visible green light has a wavelength of about 510 nanometer. Grass, for example, appears
green because all the colors in the visible part of the spectrum are absorbed into the leaves of the grass except
greem. Greem is reflected , therefore grass appears green.
5. BLUE LIGHT- the visible blue light has a wavelength of about 475 nanometer. Because the blue wavelength is
shorter in the visible spectrum , they are scattered more efficiently, by the molecules in the atmosphere. This
causes the sky to appear blue.
6. INDIGO LIGHT- the visible indigo light has a wavelength of about 400 nanometer. Within the visible wavelength
spectrum, violet and blue wavelengths are scattered more efficiently, than other wavelengths.

PRISM- in optics, a prism is a transparent optical element , with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. Atleast two of
flat surfaces must have an angle between them.

ADDITIVE COLOR- is a color created by mixing a number of different light colors, with shades of red s, green and blue
being the most common primary colors , used in additive color system.

ADDITIVE COLOR ADDITIVE COLOR

COMBINED IN EQUAL PARTS COMBINED IN EQUAL PARTS
COLOR CREATES COLOR CREATES
COMBINATION COMBINATION
Blue + Green Cyan Blue + Green Cyan
Red + Blue Magenta Red + Blue Magenta
Green + Red Yellow Green + Red Yellow
Red + Green + White Red + Green + White
Blue Blue

SUBTRACTIVE COLOR

A subtractive color model explains the mixing of a limited set of dyes, inks, paint pigment of natural colorants, to create a
wider range of colors , each of the result of partially subtracting , that is absorbing of some wavelengths and light of
others.
ADDITIVE COLOR
COMBINED IN EQUAL PARTS
Color Combination Absorbs Creates
Blue + Green Red Cyan
Red + Blue Green Magenta
Green + Red Blue Yellow
SUBTRACTIVE COLOR
COMBINED IN EQUAL PARTS
Color Combination Absorbs Creates
Blue + Green Red Cyan
Red + Blue Green Magenta
Green + Red Blue Yellow

IMPORTANCE OF LIGHT IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Based on the literal meaning of photography it was derivative from two Greek words, PHOS means light and GRAPHIA
mean to “write”, so in short, light is very important in the filed of photography, without this, exposure is impossible to
happened. It is designed to capture or record an image of the object into emulsion of film and memory card of digital
camera during picture taking and to project the image from the negative copy to the emulsion of photographic paper as
regard to printmaking process.

EXPOSURE

The quantity of light allowed acting on a photographic material, a product of the intensity controlled by lens opening and
the duration controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time of light striking the film or paper. The act of allowing light
to reach the light sensitive emulsion of the photographic sensitized material. Also refers to the amount duration and
intensity of light which reaches the film. Exposure in photography would happened twice around first during photoshoot
with the aid of light,film and camera as illustrated in figure 39.

KINDS OF EXPOSURE

1. Under Exposure
- This will happen when the quantity of light reaching the emulsion of sensitized materials are deficient with
the needed quantity to make it normal. A negative copy could be considered under exposed when it has a
high contrast image.
2. Normal Exposure
- Otherwise known as correct exposure. this result of exposure occurs when the quantity of light reaching the
emulsion of sensitized materials is sufficient not over or under.
3. Over Exposure- this could be happened when the quantity of light reaching the emulsion of sensitized exceeds
with the prescribed amount of light which supposed to be necessary for better result.

SENSITIZED MATERIALS

The term sensitized materials refer to the film and photographic paper that is basically composed of emulsion containing
silver halides suspended in a gelatin and coated on a transparent or reflected support.

FILM – photographic film is a strip or sheet of transparent plastix film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion
containing microscopically small light sensitive silver halide crystals. The sizes and other characteristics of the crystals
determine the sensitivity , contrast, resolution of the film.

BLACK AND WHITE FILM-

 a. panchromatic films , record the entire visible spectrum.
b. Orthochromatic films- recording visible light wavelengths shorter than 590 nanometers, in the blue to green
range of the spectrum and are less sensitive to the longer wavelength range (i.e. orange -red) of the visible
spectrum.

PARTS OF WHITE AND BALCK FILM

1. EMULSION- is a light sensitive colloid. Most commonly in silver gelatin photography, it consist of silver halide
crystals dispersed in gelatin. The emulsion is usually coated onto a substrate of glass, filsm of cellulose
nitrate , cellulose acetate or polyester paper or fabric.
2. BASE- is a transparent substrate which acts as a support medium for the photosensitive emulsion that lies
atop it.
3. Gray or Anti-halation backing- it is a layer found in most photographic films. It is usually a coating on the back
of the film base, but sometimes it is incorporated between the light sensitive emulsion and the base.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BLACK and White Film

1. Emulsion Speed- it is a measure of photographic film sensitivity to light , determined by sensorimetry and
measured on various numerical scales , the most being the ISO system.

EMULSION SPEED INDICATORS

1.1. ASA- otherwise known as American Standard Association, It is expressed in arithmetic value in rating. Here are
ASA ratings.: 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600. In the market, ASA 100 is commonly known as plus X ,
double X, for ASA 200 and tri-X as for ASA 400.
1.2. DIN- means deutchi Industri Normen, it’s rating is expressed in ;logarithmic value . the following are the DIN
ratings: 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, and 33.
1.3. ISO- its literal meaning is International Standards Organization, its rating is expressed in combined between
arithmetical and logarithmic values. The DIN ratings are as follows; 12/12, 25/15, 50/18, 100/21, 200/24/
400/27, 800/30, and 1600/33.
2. Special sensitivity- refers on the sensitivity of the film in the colors of light which illuminated in the object being
photographs.

CLASSIFICATION OF FLIMS ACCORDING TO SPECTRAL SENSITIVITY

Blue sensitive Film- this film is sensitive to ultraviolet rays and blue light only.

Orthochromatic film- this film is the same sensitivity I blue sensitive film which is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation,
blue , green and red light or all colors of light.

Infrared Film- this film is sensitive to ultraviolet rays, to bue, green, red lightand infrared rays.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER

Photographic paper- is a paper coated with light sensitive chemical formula, sused for making photographic
prints. When photographic paper is exposed to light it captures a latent image that is them developed to form a
visible image. The light sensitive layer of the paper is called the emulsion.

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER

All photographic paper consist of light sensitive emulsion, consisting of silver halides slats suspended in colloidal
material usually gelatin coated onto a paper, resin coated paper or polyester support. In blck and white papers, the
 emulsion is normally sensitized to blue and green light , but is sensitive to wavelength longer than 600 nanometer in
order to facilitate handling under red or orange safe lighting.

Characteristics of White and Black Photographic Paper

1. Emulsion Speed
a. Chloride paper- it is relatively slow printing paper coated with an emulsion of silver chloride used mostly for
contact prints.
b. Bromide Paper – It is fast printing paper coated with an emulsion of silver bromide used mostly for
enlargments.
c. Chlorobromide Paper- It is a photographic paper coated with a sensitive layer of a mixture of silver bromide
and silver chloride , giving a medium emulsion speed used for contact printing or enlarging.
2. Exposure and development Lattitude
a. Latitude- it is a degree or amount of which you can deviate from ideal exposure or development without
apprcaiable loss of print quality.
b. Exposure Latitude- It is extents to which a light sensitie material can be overexposed and still achieve an
acceptable result.
c. Development Latitude- Parers that do not change appreciable is contrast and image tone with reasonable
wariation in development has a good latitude. However, for best quality, , the developing time should be as
near as those prescribed by the manufacturer.
3. Contrast- Range or Grade
a. Grade 0 and 1- are used on over0exposed or low contrast negative.
b. Garde 2- is used on normal exposed or normal ntrast negative.
c. Garde 3 to 5- are used in under exposed or high contrast negative.
4. Physical Characteristics
a. Surface – Photographic papers vary in surface texture or degrees gloss or sheen. They are the glossy and
smooth, semi-matte or silk, and the matte or the rough surface.
b. Base Weight or Thiuckness- under this category, we have the light weight, single weight, medium weight and
double weight.
c. Color- may be cold or white with a very slight blue cast, and the warm or cream where the white has a slight
yellow brown line.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER

Photographic printing papaers are coated with light-sensitive emulsion. Color photographic papaers are made up of
three emulsion layers, each sensitive to a different wavelength of light. As color photographic paper are sensitive to all
lights, they mut be handles with with care in a pitch -black darkroom or with very dim and obscure amber sefelights.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER

1. COLOR
Each brand color paper tends to reproduce certain colors differently. The variations are slight and are not advised
, but you may noticed that one barnd prints a little warner or cooler , than another or that crtain colors are more
less vibrant.
2. Surface – papaers are available in matte, semi-matte, (also called pearl-luster) and glossy surfaces. Matte papers
are lesser reflective than glossy papers.
3. Weight- most color papers are medium weight, though each brand will have a slightly different thickness.

CAMERA – is an optical instrument for recording or capturing images, which may be stored locally, transmitted to
another location, or both.
ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE CAMERA

1. BODY – a ligfht-light box that serves as an unvending structure on which every single other part are mounted
furthermore serve time spent taking the photo. The body is for the most part, , made out of hard plastic and
light metal.
2. 2. Lens- I is a type of plastic and glass and in more expound camera , its lens is comprise of few bit of glass
mounted in vhamber called the lens barrel. The lens has it’s light assembling force and it is shown by the f-
numbers or relative opening, which is typically stamped on the lens barrel. Lenses with low f numbers have
generally high light assembling power and are known as power and called the moderate lenses.

TYPES OF LENSES ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF IMAGE THEY PRODUCE:

A. Convex Lens- sometimes called positive lens ; the glass or plasti surfaces bulge outwards in the center giving the
c;lassic lentil-0like shape. Aconvex lens is also called converging lens because it makes parallel lights rays passing
thought it bend inward nd meet (converge) at a spot just beyond the lens known as the focal; point.
B. Concave lens- also known as negative lens. Is exeactly the opposite with the outer surfaces curing inward , so it
makes parallel ligt rays curve outward or diverge.

LENS ABERRATIONS

Nothing is perfect as a content- free statement. Its an excused used over and over again, to explain why things don’t
work out as intended. Its explanation that explains nothing. There’s nor room in science for palliative blanket statements
like this.

TYPES OF LENS ABERRATIONS:

1. ASTIGMATISM – is one where rays tat propagate in teo perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical
system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertica; and horizontal lines will be in sharp
focus at two different distances.
a- Means “without”

Stigma – “ a mark, spot, puncture”

2. Chromatic Aberration- also called achromatism, chromatic distortion and spherochromatism is an effect resulting
fro dispersion in which there is a failure of lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point. It occurs
because lenses have different refractive indices for different wavelength of light.
3. Coma- also known as comatic aberration derives its name from the comet-like appearance of the aberrated
object off the optical axis of the lens is imaged , where rays pass through the lens of focal length f are focused at
a point with distance of tan 0 from the axis.

4. Filed Curvature – also known as “ Curvature of field” or “Petzal Field of curvature” is a common optical problem
that causes a fat object to appear sharp only in certain parts of the frame , instead of being uniformly sharp
acrossthe frame. This happens due to the curve nature of optical elements , which project image in a curved
manner, rather than flat.
5. Distortion – is a deviation from rectilinear projection , a projection in which straight lines in a scene remains
straight on an image. It is a form o optical aberration . Although distortion can be irregular or follow many
patterns, the most commonly encountered distortions are radially symmetric , ro approximately so, arising from
the symmetry of a photographic lens.

CLASSIFICATION OF DISTORTION

A. Barrel Distortion – in barrel distortion, image magnification decreases ith distance from the optical axis.
 B. Pinscushion Distortion-image magnifiucation increases with the distance from the optical axis. The visible effect
is that lines that do not go through the centre of the image are bowed inwards.
C. Mustache Distrotion- a mixture of barrel and pinscussion distortion sometimes referred to as mustache
distortion (moustache distortion) or complex distortion is less common but not rare. Its starts out as barrel
distortion close to the image center and gradually tuen into pincushion distortion towards the image periphery ,
making horizontal lines in the top half of the frame look like a handler mustache.

6. Spherical Aberration- is an optical effect observed in an optical device )lens, mirror, etc., that occurs due to
increases refraction of light rays when they strike a lens or a reflection of light rays when they strike a mirror
near its edge, in comparison with those that strike nearer the center.

TYPES OF LENSES ACCORDING TO TEIR DEGREES OF CORRECTION FOR LENS ABERRATIONS

A. SIMPLEMENISCUS LENS- it is almost usedin expensive cameras. To get an image of good quality it must be used
with a separate aperture stop , reducing the aperture of the lens and the aberrations and their effects. Sperical
and chromatic aberrations and field curvature are uncorrected but are rendered tolerable by low speed about
f/10 to f/15.
B. RAPID RECTILINEAR LENS- also known as RR lens, is a symmetrical pair of cemented achromatic doublets. It was
introduced by Dall meyerin 1866. At the same time, Steinheil invented a similar construction, the Alphanat Lens.
The outer lens elements f two lens groups are concave meniscuslens elements , made of another glass sort.
C. Anastigmatic Lens- also known as anastigmat lens completely corrected for spherical aberration , coma and
astigmatism.
D. Achromatic Lens- also known as Achromat Lens , is alens that is designed to limitthe effects of chromatic and
speherical aberration. Achromatic lenses are corrected to bring two wavelengths (typically red and blue ) into
focus in the same plane.

FOCAL LENGTH- is the distance between the center of the lens and the film when an in-focus image is formed on an
object very far away. The focal length of a camera lens is displayed in the barrel of the lens along with measurement of
the largest aperture and the maker.

TYPES OF LENSES ACCORDING TO FOCAL LENGTH

A. WIDE ANGLE LENS- refers to a lens whose focal length is substantially smaller than the focal length ofnormal ens
for a given fiom plane. This type of normal lens allows more of the scene to be included in the photograph,
which is useful in archgitectural , interior and landscape photography where photographer may not be able to
move farther from the scene to photograph it.
B. STANDARD LENS- also known as a normal lens , is one which produces an image that roughly matches what te
humabn eye sees, and which looks natural to the viewer. Standard lenses have an angle of 50- 55 degrees
diagonally. Tis is the same as the angle that the humn eye can comfortable view , which is why it gives a natural
looking perspective, normal lens makes great purpose lens and can be used to photograph everything from
close-up portraits to landcapes. They tend to be very fast lenses (they have a wide aperture ), making them great
for indoor and low light photography . The focal length of a normal lens is approximately 50mm.
C. TELEPHOTO LENS- is a specific type of long focus lens in which the physically of the lens is shorter than the focal
length. This is achived by incorporating a special lens group known as a telephoto group that extends the light
path to create a long -focus lens in a much shorter overall design.
D. ZOOM LENS- is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length can be verified, as opposed to
a fixed focal length (FFL) lens. A true zoom lens , also called a parfocal lens , is one that maintains focus when its
focal length changes. A lens that losses focus during zooming is mor properly called varifocal lens.
FILM FOLDER- it holds the film set up at the cameras back. It is configuration to hold the film level so that the picture
delivered by the lens will be sharp over the entire picture territory. In most film cameras, the film compartment is spot
into the cameras back and spring mounted weight plate keeps the film level over the photo region opening.

COMPONENTS OF FILM FOLDER

REWIND FORK: this is connected on the filmrewind knob and crank. It holds the long spool core inside the film catridge
and fixed we’ll the film inside the film cartridge and fixed well the film inside the film catridge chamber.

FILM CATRIDGE CHAMBER: This component of film holder is necessary to load the film firmly. It is the canal area located
ta left side at the back of the camera wherein at the top portion the rewind fork comes out when the film cartridge is
already loaded on it.

FILM GUIDE RAILS: this a tiny protrude fragmentary metals found at the top and bottom area of the focal plane shutter
window, both edges of the film lied on it, it thus, its size is accurate with the width of the film. This is necessary for
guiding the film. This is necessary for guiding the film during advancing and rewinding to fixed its respective frame in the
focal plane shutter shutter window for the proper recording of the image during exposure.

FILM SPROCKETS: this another component of the film holders , situated at the right side inside the camera back before
the film take up spool. It is necessary for the film tomove during advancing and rewinding which anchored on both up
and down perforations of the film.

FILM TAKE UP SPOOL: this is located usually on the right side of the focal plane of the camera after the film sprocket. The
film tongue or leader is inserted on it during loading. At the same time, it is connected on the film advancer , in every
clicking of the film advancer after exposure the exposed frame of the film in the focal plane shutter window will
transferred on it through winding and then the unexposed frame of the film will replace to its shutter window.

FILM PRESSURE PLATES : After loading of the film and then the camera back, will be close to protect the film against
unnecessary quantity of light which might destroyed. It is located at the camera back designed to make the expoised
emulsion of the frame of the film flat on the focal plane shutter window troght with the image of the object being
photographed will be recorded properly on the surface of emulsion.

SHUTTER – is a device tht allows light to pass for a determine period, exposing photographic film or a light sensitive
electronic sensor to light in order to capture a permanent image of a scene. A shutter can also be used to allow pulses of
light to pass outwards , as seen in a movie projector or a signal lamp.

SEVERAL TYPES OF A CAMERA SHUTTER

A. LEAF SHUTTER- also called between the lens -plane shutter s or central shutter , operate between the elements
of the lens, or the materials that make up the lens.
B. FOCALPLANE SHUTTER- are situated toward the back of the camera directly in front of the film or the focal plane
of the camera. These mechanism are typically composed of a set of curtains that open to reveal a slot through
light can traveland then close to block out light.

NOMENCLATURE OF PARTS OF FILM-BASED CAMERA

 TYPES OF THE CAMERA

A. VIEWFINDER CAMERA- today there is a wide range compact cameras with automatic exposure controls and fully
automatic focusing. Light enters the view finder directly to allow the photographer to frame and compose the
picture.
B. SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERA – the mirror in a single lens reflex (SLR) camera reflects right upwards through a
pentaprism to be viewed. The pentaprism turns the image the right way round for the eye to see. When a
picture is taken the mirror flips flips up to allow light to hit the film at the back of the camera. As the eye seem
the image through the main lens it appears identical to that produced on the film.
C. TWIN LENS REFLEX CAMERA- the twin lens reflex camera has a separate viewing and taking lens , one over the
other. Light entering the top lens is reflected up by a fixed mirror a viewing screen. The image appears reversed
on the screen. As the eye is not looking as the image through the main lens parallax error, as with a viewfinder
camera, is introduced.
D. VIEW CAMERA- with a view camera light comes directly from the subject through the main lens and is viewed via
a focusing screen at the back of the camera. Rhe kens reverses the image so it appears upside down; otherwise it
is identical to what will appear on the film. Before a picture is taken the viewing screens is replaced by a film
holder.
E. DIGITAL CAMERA- digital cameras are becoming more popular and a number of designs are on the market. As
digital cameras use electronics to capture and store the image they are not restricted to the traditional camera
designs incorporating film transport mechanisms.

ACCESSORIES OF THE CAMERA

1. TRIPOD – it is used to stabilize and elevate a camera, a flash unit, or other photographic equipment. All
photographic tripod have three legs and a mounting head to couple with a camera.
2. CABLE REELS- is an attachment that screws into a shutter mechanically while being isolated form the camera to
reduce camera shake or to operate the camera from a distance.
3. FLASH UNITS- it is a device in photography producing a flash of artificial light to help illuminate the scene.
4. LIGHT METER- also known s exposure meter. A light meter isa device used to measure the amount of light. In
photography , a light meter is often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph. Typically, a light
meter will include either digital or analog electronic circuit, which allows the photographer to determine which
suffer speed and f-number should be selected for an optimum exposure , given certain lighting situation and film
speed.
5. EXTENSION TUBE- also known as extension ring. Is a deceptively simple looking apparatus ; it is nothing more
than a hollow cylinder that is placed between the camera body and lens in order to create more distance
between the camera sensor and the lens. This increased distance allows the lkens to focus more closely on a
subject and enhances magnification level.
6. FILTER- are transparent or translucent glass or gelatin elements that attach to the front of a lens.