CHAPTER I – Historical Background 3.
Forensic Photography refers to the field covering the legal application of
Introduction to Photography, Personalities, Important Dates, Landmark Cases and
Types of Photography
A. Introduction to Photography
Photography is derived from Greek words, “photo or phos” which means light and
“graphy or graphos or graphien”, which means to draw or writing. Thus literally,
photography means “to draw with light”. (Sarmiento, n.d.) (Claro, n.d.)
In technical aspect Photography is defined as follows:
1. As an Art; Photography is the art of taking pictures. (Claro, n.d.)
2. As a Science; Photography is the study concerning the duplication of images
through the action of light, upon sensitized materials (photographic paper or film)
with the aid of mechanical device (camera) and its accessories, and the chemical
processes (film developing and printing) involved therein. (Agas et al., 2009) (Claro,
n.d.)
3. As a Technology; Photography is the technology geared towards the reproduction
of images by using the action of light on a sensitive surface (photographi c film) with
the help of an image forming device (camera) and the chemical process (developing
and printing) involved therein. (Claro, n.d.)
4. As a Process; Photography is the method of using light to produce identical image
of an object that can be preserved permanently by employing:
a. Camera – to RAF (regulate, absorb and filter) light;
b. Film (sensitized material) – to record light. (Claro, n.d.)
Photograph refers to the chemical, mechanical or electronic product of photography.
(Sarmiento, n.d.)
Technical Photography and Forensic Photography.
1. Technical Photography refers to technical concepts and principles which
includes:
a. characteristics of photographic rays;
b. the use of camera;
e. structure of film and photographic papers;
f. chemical processing and;
g. others. (Pallista, 2019)
2. Police Photography refers to:
a. The study of general practices, methods or techniques of taking pictures of the
crime scene, physical evidences and other circumstances that can be used as
evidences or for law enforcement purposes.
b. The field that focuses on the practical application of the science of photography
in police work or law enforcement operations.
c. The field that deals with systematic crime scene photography and mug file
preparation, including scientific techniques of photography physical evidences and
other objects and images that need to be reproduced and preserved for law
enforcement purpose. (Claro, n.d.)
photography in criminal jurisprudence and criminal investigation. It is the branch of
forensic science, sometimes called criminalistics, dealing with the:
a. Study of fundamental but pragmatic principles of photography.
b. Application of photography in law enforcement; and
c. Preparation of photographic evidences needed by prosecutors and courts of law.
(Claro, n.d.)
Objectives of Police Photography (Pallista, 2019)
1. To produce a pictorial record of everything pertaining to the crime.
2. To help in keeping the police officer’s memory accurately as possible as to where
he find things.
3. To help in securing and obtaining confession, disposition and information
relating to the case.
Importance of Forensic Photography (Pallista, 2019)
1. Small objects but of great importance in a crime committed may escape in the first
phase of examination by the investigator but maybe seen and recorded on the
photograph.
2. A good photograph of the scene is a permanent record which is always available
especially in court presentation, in court proceedings, fiscals and defense lawyers have
generally never visited the scene of the crime.
3. As a general rule, take many photograph of the crime scene and select the best.
4. Used as an aid by the investigator to describe in court some of the details of the
crime scene they have investigated several months ago, the small details and exact
locations of objects.
5. To assist the investigators in using photographic equipment and techniques in their
effort to solve crimes.
Significance of Photography in Law Enforcement and Criminal Investigation (Claro,
n.d.)
1. Photographs are necessary to preserve:
a. Space – the where of the crime (locus criminis)
b. Time – the when of the crime
c. Event – the what of the crime (what is the nature or chara cter of the
crime)
2. Pictures allow police investigators to understand the element of the clarifying and
revealing what is not seen and understood upon the discovery of the crime. 3.
Photograph is a great help in preserving the visual appearance of the crime. It
provides a permanent record of the facts of the crime.
Application of Photography in Police Work (Tad – awan, 2013)
1. Identification – this is the very first use of photography in police work. It is
used to identify criminals, missing persons, l ost property, licenses,
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 anonymous letters, bank checks, laundry marks, and the civilian or personnel room cast an upside down picture of
fingerprint identification. the scene outside onto the opposite
2. Evidence and Court exibits – crime scenes, traffic accidents, homicides, wall. He used this in observing the
suicides, fires, objects of evidence, latent fingerpri nts, evidential traces can solar eclipse by entering a darkroom
frequently be improved by contrast control (lighting, film, and paper filters), with a pinhole opening to avoid
by magnification (photography) or by invisible radiation (infra – red, harming the eye. (Tad– awan, 2013)
ultraviolet, x – rays) 4. Daniele Matteo Alvise He wrote a book entitled “La pratica
3. Offender detection – surveillance, burglar traps, confessions, re – enactments Barbaro (1568) della perspettiva” on perspective for
of crime. artists and architects. This work
4. Reproduction or copying – questionable checks and documents, evidential describes how to use a lens with a
papers, photographs, official records and notices. camera obscura.He introduced the use
5. Personal training – photographs and films relating to police tactics, of the lens in the camera. (Pallista,
investigation techniques, mob control, and catastrophe situation. 2019)
6. Crime and Fire Prevention Hazard – lectures, security clearance detection 5. Sir Isaac Newton An English Philosopher,
device, photos of hazardous fire conditions made when prevention inspection (1666) Mathematician, and Physicist who
are made. discovered and proved that the
7. Public relations – film pertaining to safety programs, juvenile delinquency, strongest light is white light. He
traffic education, public cooperation and civil defense. defended his theory by allowing a
B. Personalities in Photography white light (sunlight) to pass through a
prism thus refracting and diffracting
Personalities Contribution/s the light onto different colors.
1. Mozi “Mo – ti” (470 – A Chinese Philisopher who is mention (Pallista, 2019)
391 BC) in the first surviving principles behind 6. Johann Heinrich A German Scientist (Anatomist)
the pinhole camera or camera obscura Schulze (1727) discovered the Silver
who referred to a device as a Nitrate when he exposed it to light it
collecting plate or locked treasure turns purple. He got interesting in his
room. (Delizo, 2015) finding and that fair later, he
2. Aristotle (347 – 322 A famous Greek Philosopher who discovered that the evening action
BC) invented the first pinhole camera that was not due to the heat but light. He
was known later as Camera Obscura finally concluded that silver nitrate
(Italian word for darkroom chamber) is sensitive to light and capable of
which is literally translated as producing images.
Darkened Box. He is an Artist or (Pallista, 2019)
painter, in order to get accurate 7. Jean Baptiste Forta An artist and scientist who in his
perspective of natural scene and scale (1748 – 1796) Pseudo Science Magic had made use
of their subjects he used the camera of the Camera Obscura and
obscura. He was the one who replaced the hole with a lens which
succeeded in recording the principle made the image brighter and sharper.
that light entering through a small He was the first one who introduced
hole produces an inverted image or the lens. (Pallista, 2019)
figure. (Tad – awan, 2013) 8. Thomas Wedgwood He discovered that Silver Chloride is
3. Alhazen “Ibn Al – An Arabian scholar who found out that (1802) more sensitive than silver nitrate and
Haytham” (965 – 1039 light entering a small hole on the wall thus, more capable of
AD) or shuttered window of a darkened

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 recording and producing images.
(Pallista, 2019)
9. Joseph Nicéphore He was able to obtain camera images
Niépce (1816) on papers sensitized with silver
chloride solution in 1816.
However, the image required eight
hours of light exposure and later
faded. He invented a photographic
process which he called heliography
meaning writing of the sun. (Pallista,
2019)
10. Hercules Florence He coined the term photographie.
(1834) (Delizo, 2015)
11. Louis – Jacques – He invented Daguerreotype, an early
Mande Daguerre (1837) photograph produced on a silver or
silver – covered copper plate. It
formed an image directly on the silver
surface of a metal plate. It was a
positive process, thus, it yielded one
of a kind images. (Pallista, 2019)
12. William Henry Fox He succeeded in contact printings
Talbot (1839) made in his miniature cameras (mouse
– trap cameras) through a process
called photogenic drawing. He
invented a process called Calotype, a
photographic process by which a large
number of prints could be produced
from a paper negative. Calotype use
paper with surface fibers impregnated
with light sensitive
compounds. He also discovered the
latent image, the invisible product of a
short exposure which coul d be
chemically developed. (Sarmiento, n.
d.)
13. John Frederick He coined the term Photography and
William Herschel (1839) applied the terms negative and
positive to photography. He made
improvements in photographic
processes,
particularly in inventing the Cyanotype
process using
Ferric Ammonium Citrate and
Potassium Ferricyanide, the
precursors of the modern blueprint
process. Father of Photography.
(Pallista, 2019)
14. Samuel Finley An American artist and inventor. He is
Breese Morse (1839) the reason why Photography arrived
in the United States. Morse visited
Daguerre in Paris in March 1839 and
observed a demonstration of the
daguerreotype process. Morse
returned to the United States to
spread the news. (Pallista, 2019)
15. Abel Niepce de Saint He introduced a process of negatives
– Victor (1848) on glass using albumen as a binding
medium. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
16. Louis Désiré He introduced a printing paper coated
Blanquart – Evrard with albumen to achieve a glossy
(1850) surface. Albumen print is also called
albumen silver print. Albumen is found
in egg whites to bind the photographic
chemicals to the paper and became
the dominant form of photographic
positives from 1855 to the start of the
20th century, with a peak in the 1860
– 90 periods. (Tad – awan, 2013)
17. Sir David Brewster A Scottish scientist who developed
(1850 – 1860) stereoscopic photography involved in
making pairs of negatives
and prints to replicate the process of
human vision. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
18. Frederick Scott He invented the photographic
Archer (1851) collodion process which preceded the
modern gelatin emulsion. Collodion is
a wound dressing material made of
nitrated cotton dissolved in ether and
alcohol and other chemicals on sheet
of glass. (Pallista, 2019)
19. André Adolphe – He popularized the small cheap
Eugène Disdéri (1854) portrait. Anyone who could afford a
picture of himself or herself. (Pallista,
2019)
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20. David A. Woodward He first constructed an enlarger. It was
(1857) cumbersome object. The sun was
collected by means of a convex lens
and the camera has to be turned with
the sun. This design became the
model for a number of solar cameras.
(Tad – awan, 2013)
21. Gaspard – Felix He took the first aerial photographs of
Tournachon AKA Nadar Paris from a free balloon in 1858.
(1858) Father of aerial photography (Pallista,
2019)
22. Mathew B. Brady He is considered the Father of
(1861) photojournalism. When the American
Civil War broke out, he was able to
preserve the scene with the use of a
camera.(Pallista, 2019)
23. James Clerk He produced the earliest color
Maxwell (1861) photograph, an image of a tartan
ribbon by having it photographed
three times through red, blue, and
yellow filters, then recombining the
images into one color composite,
because of this photograph Maxwell is
credited as the founder of the theory
of additive color. (Jeremy Norman’s
HistoryofInformation.com, 2020)
24. Louis Jules Duboscq He made an apparatus for enlarging
(1851) by electric light and showed it ti the
Paris Photographic Society in 1861.
(Tad – awan, 2013)
25. Odelbrecht (1864) He first advocated the use of
photography for the identification of
criminals and the documentation of
evidence and crime scenes. Early
photography of accused and arrested
persons were beautifully posed as
example of the Victorian
photographers at 20 to 30 years.
Later, every major police force in
England and United States has Rogues
Gallery which became integral part in
almost all police departments. (Tad –
awan, 2013)
26. William de Wiveleslie
Abney (1880)
27. Richard Leach
Maddox (1884)
28. John Carbutt (1888)
29. Wilhelm Conrad
Rontgen or Wilhelm
Konrad Roentgen (1895)
30. George Eastman
(1990)
31. Dr. Rudolphe
Archibald Reiss (1902)
32. Jonas Ferdinand
Gabriel Lippmann
(1908)
33. Victor Baltazard (1910)
34. Edwin H. Land
(1947)
He discovered the use of
Hydroquinone as a developing agent
in 1880, England. (Pallista, 2019)
He successfully introduced the plate
with gelatine.The roll film came and
new brands of cameras with different
lenses and mechanism were placed in
the market. (Pallista, 2019)
He marketed the first negative film to
use celluloid, transparent and flexible
as the support for his gelatine
emulsion. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
He discovered x-ray photography
which later become the basis of
Radiograph used by the doctors in
measuring the heartbeat and see the
other structure of the body. (Pallista,
2019)
He founded the Eastman Kodak
company and invented roll film,
helping bring photography to the
mainstream. Mr. Eastman developed
in 1900 the Kodak Brownie box roll -
film camera. (Pallista, 2019)
A German scientist who contributed
heavily to the use of photography in
forensic science and established the
world’s earliest crime laboratory that
serviced the academic community and
the Swiss Police. (Tad – awan, 2013)
He won the Nobel Laureate in Physics
for his method of reproducing colors
photographically based on the
phenomenon of interference, also
known as Lippmann Plate. (Tad –
awan, 2013)
He developed a method of
photographic comparison of bullets
and cartridge cases which act as an
early foundation of the field of
ballistics. (Tad – awan, 2013)
He introduced Polaroid – one step
photography. (Tad –awan, 2013)
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 35. Dennis Gabor (1960) He invented LASER, making
holography possible in 1947.
(Demetria, 2019)
36. Steven J. Sasson He developed the first prototype for a
(1975) digital camera; it was eight pounds
and about the size of a toaster. He
received a patent for it in 1978, and
continued to work in the emerging
field, finding ways to store, transmit,
and manipulate digital images. Today,
a majority of Americans own digital
cameras, many as close as their
mobile phones. (Rensselaer, n.d.)
(Note: Calotype vs. Daguerre – fixation in calotype was only partial while images in
daguerreotype were made permanent with the use of hypo (short for hyposulfite
thiosulfate, sodium thiosulfate or a solution of thiosulfate).
Sodium thiosulfate or hypo – a hygroscopic (readily taken up and retaining
moisture) crystalline salt used especially as a photographic fixing agent and a
reducing or bleaching agent.)
C. Important Dates in the Development of Photography
Significant Dates Event
1. 16th century Italian scholars used the camera as a
drawing apparatus. Instead of using a
darkroom, they used box with a leans
and placed a mirrors. (Tad –awan,
2013)
2. 17th century Camera Obscura was buil t – in with
convex lens. (Tad –awan, 2013)
3. 1800 Thomas Wedgwood and Humphey
Davy produced
photograms. (Tad – awan, 2013)
4. 1839 The birth year of modern
photography, the year when the
Science of Photography became a
public knowledge. (Tad –awan, 2013)
5. 1841 French Police used daguerreotypes for
personal
identification of known criminals.
(Sarmiento, n.d.)
6. 1843 – 1844 The earliest evidence of photographic
documentation of
prison inmates in Belgium and in 1851
in Denmark. (Miller,
n.d.)
7. 1850 The year when photography was
already well – developed.
It was used as an art concerned with
landscape, portraiture and
architectural presentation. (Tad-awan,
2013)
8. 1859 In the United States, one of the
earliest applied Forensic Science was
in photography. It was used to
demonstrate evidence in a California
Case. Enlarged photographs of a
signature were presented in a court
case involving forgery.
(Tad – awan, 2013)
9. 1875 The first recorded use of accident
photography which was admitted as
evidence regarding an injured horse
and a buggy. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
10. 1890 Full corrected lens were introduced.
(Tad – awan, 2013)
11. 1900 The first mass – marketed camera
(The Brownie). (Delizo, 2015
12. 1903 Will West case of Leavenworth
highlight the value of fingerprints. It
proves it worth in personal
identification and showing the
fallibility of the three systems; The
name, Bertillon system and
photographs. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
13. 1906 A plate was placed on the market that
could reproduce all colors in
equivalent shades of gray. (Tad –
awan, 2013)
14. 1907 In Denver, Colorado, all intoxicated
persons were
photographed at the Police station.
(Sarmiento, n.d.)
15. 1910 The State of Massachusetts approved
the use of photographic speed
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 recorders to detect speeding
motorists.
(Miller, n.d.)
16. 1913 – 1914 The first 35mm still camera was
developed. (Delizo, 2015)
17. 1930 Photoflash bulbs were used and
readily accepted by the
public. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
18. 1935 Eastman Kodak Company markets
Kodachrome film and
in 1941 they introduce Kodacolor
negative film. Later in 1954, They
introduce high speed Tri -X film.
(Delizo, 2015)
19. 1960 Underwater camera for US Navy was
developed. (Claro, n.d.)
20. 1960 LASER was invented making possible
holograms tridimensional pictures.
(Tad – awan, 2013)
21. 1963 Polaroid Company introduced their
Polacolor film makin it
possible to take finished color pictures
in less than a
minute. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
22. 1965 The introduction of the fully
automatic electronic flash.
(Sarmiento, n.d.)
23. 1967 The beginning of the use of video
tapes as legal evidence.
(Sarmiento, n.d.)
24. 1968 Photograph of the Earth from the
moon was done. (Claro, n.d.)
25. 1970 Colored photography has matured as
an artistic medium.
(Tad – awan, 2013)
26. 1973 Polaroid introduces one-step instant
photography with the
SX – 70 camera. (Delizo, 2015)
27. 1977 George Eastman and Edwin Land were
introduced into the
National Inventor Hall of Fame. (Claro,
n.d.)
28. 1978 Konica introduces first point – and –
shoot autofocus
camera. (Delizo, 2015)
29. 1980 Sony demonstrates first digital
electronic still camera.
(Delizo, 2015)
30. 1985 Pixar introduces digital imaging
processor. (Delizo, 2015)
31. 1990 Eastman Kodak Company announces
Photo CD as a digital
image storage medium. (Delizo, 2015)
32. 1998 Arrival of true digital cameras.
(Pallista, 2019)
D. Landmark Cases in Photography
CASE FACTS OF THE CASE
1. Luco vs. US (1859) Photograph was used to prove that
title was in fact a forgery. (Sarmiento,
n.d.)
2. Lock vs. The Sioux City and P.R.R. Photographs were admitted as
(1877) evidence in a civil suit involving a train
wreck. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
3. Redden vs. Gates (1879) One of the first cases to hold that
arelevant photograph of an injured
person on auto accidents was
admissible as evidence. (Sarmiento,
n.d.)
4. Commonwealth vs. Best (1902) One of the early uses of firearms
identification is recorded,
photographs of a bullet taken from a
murdered man was put in evidence
along with a photograph of a test
bullet. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
5. People vs. Jennings (1911) Use of fingerprint photographs for
identification purposes was approved,
although 1882 was the year in which
fingerprint were officially used in US.
(Sarmiento, n.d.)
6. State vs. Thorp (1934) Ultraviolet photography was approved
in a decision handed down, picture
showed footprints in a linoleum floor
and brought out distinctive marks of
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 the soles of the shoes worn by a
defendant. (Sarmiento, n.d.)
7. Green vs. County of Denver (1943) Historic event in police photography in
the passing upon the admissibility of
colored photography.(Sarmiento, n.d.)
8. Cabangis vs. City of Manila (1967) Beginning of the use of video tapes as
legal evidence in the
Philippines.(Demetria, 2019)
E. Types of Photography (Sarmiento, n.d.)
1. Forensic Photography – This refers to recording crime scene or any other
objects for court presentation.
2. Photomicrography – This refers to the process of taking photographs through a
microscope, a camera is mounted directly above the microscope’s eyepiece.
3. Microphotography – This refers to the technique of duplicating and reducing a
picture or a document to a miniature size for storage.
4. Photomacrography – This is the direct enlarging to the negative and magnified
from 1 – 9 times.
5. Macro photography – This refers to close – up photography that produces
images on the film that are life – size.
6. Ultraviolet photography – This refers to an ultraviolet light source that is used
to illuminate the object and the camera lens is provided with a filter that permits
only the passage of ultraviolet light. The second method makes use of
fluorescence caused by ultraviolet light; a filter used on the camera absorbs
ultraviolet light and allows the passage of the fluorescent light.
7. Infrared photography – This is with special dyes, photographic emulsions can be
made sensitive to light in the invisible infrared portion of the spectrum. Infrared
light cuts through atmospheric haze and enables clear photographs to be taken
from long distances or high altitudes because any objects radiates in infrared light,
it can be photographed in complete darkness. Infrared photographic techni ques
are used whenever small differences in temperatures or in absorption or
reflection capabilitiesfor infrared light have to be detected.
8. X – ray photography – This refers to photographic recording of X – ray pictures
called radiography has become an important diagnostic tool in medicine.
Radiography, using very energetic X – rays or gamma rays is also employed to
detect welding defects and structural defects in pressure vessels, pipes and
mechanical parts especially those that are critical for safety reasons as in nuclear
power plants, airplanes and submarines.
9. Flash photography – This refers to taking of photographs with light burst
photography that illuminates its subject with a brief flash of artificial light.
10. Streak photography – This refers to photography that traces movement by
either the camera or the subject being move during exposure.
11. Night time photography – This refers to photography without flash which is
now possible with many modern cameras, but the long exposure time requires to
used fast film.
12. High – speed photography and Cinematography – This refers to photography
using modern cameras that allow exposure with shutter speeds of up to 1/1,000
second. Shorter exposure times can be attained by illuminating the object with a
short light flash. In 1913 the American engineer Harold E. Edgerton developed an
electronic strobe light with which he produced flashed of 1/500,000 second
enabling him to photograph a bullet in flight. By the use of a series of flashes, the
progressive stages of objects in motion, such as a flying bird can be recorded on
the same piece of film.
13. Aerial photography – This refers to photography using special cameras that are
often equipped with several lenses and large film magazines and set in vibrating –
free mountings on aero planes. Cameras mounted in satellites are also used for
such photography. A special application of aerial photography is military
surveillance and reconnaissance; some reconnaissance satellites are equipped
with cameras having objecti ves of long focal lengths that produce image of very
high resolution on which cars or even smaller objects can be recognized.
14. Underwater photography – This refers to special underwater cameras in
pressure – resistant housings are also used in deep – sea exploration.
15. Astronomical photography – This refers photography that places the
photographic plate in the focal plane of a telescope. Astronomers can obtain
precise records of the location and brightness of celestial bodies.
16. Microfilming – This refers to photography that consists of photographically
reducing images to a very small size. An early application was the photographing
of bank cheques in the 1920s; now the technique is widely used to store
information that would otherwise require too much space.
17. Mug shot Photography – This refers usually for personal identification which is
the first use of photography in police work. (Pallista, 2019)
18. Thermo Photography – This refers to a kind of photography wherein we use
laser beam radiation using laser beam film. (Pallista, 2019)
19. Telephotography – This refers to the process of taking photograph of a far
object with the aid of a long focus and Telephoto lens. (Demetria, 2019)
Chapter II – Principles of Photography
Basic Principles and Elements of Photography (Pallista, 2019)
A. Basic Principles of Photography
A.1. Light – This refers to:
1. Electromagnetic radiation within the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that
can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having
wavelengths in the range of 400 – 700 nanometers (nm), or 4.00 × 10−7 to 7.00 × 10−7
m, between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the ultraviolet (with shorter
wavelengths). This wavelength means a frequency range of roughly 430 – 750
terahertz (THz).
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2. Radiant energy that makes things visible is classified by the wavelength into a
system known as the electromagnetic spectrum.
In 1945, New Mexico City, man for the first time transmitted a substantial quantity of
matter into light, heat sound and motion which called energy. If matter sheds its mass
and travels with the speed of light, it is called radiation.
Role of Light in Photography
a. Light radiated or reflected by the subject must reach the film while all other
lights are excluded by placing the film inside a light tight box.
b. The effect of light on the film is not visible in the formation of images of
objects. To make it visible, we need or require a chemical processing of the
exposed film called development.
c. The visual effect of light on the film after development varies with the
quantity or quality of light that reached the emulsion of the film.
(Note: Too much in the amount of light will produce an over exposed photograph.
Too little will produce an underexposed photograph.)
Light: Its Characteristics and Soures
1. Light is a form of energy, and to understand light we begin with the
electromagnetic spectrum which is basically a grouping of all electromagnetic
radiation arranged according to the amount of energy contained i n the radiation.
2. Visible light is a part of this electromagnetic spectrum that creates the sensation
of light when it falls on the human eye.
3. The properties of all electromagnetic radiation can be described by three inter –
related terms.
4. These are wavelength, frequency and energy. Since light is a part of this
spectrum, it too can be described by these terms.
5. Hence, it is important to understand these terms as a first step towards
understanding light.
Sources of Light
a. Natural Light Source
1. Moon and Stars – It is when the sun sets, day turns into night and it becomes dark.
The night sky has the moon and innumerable stars. However, despite their brightness
the moon and the stars can hardly keep the darkness away. The moon actually has n o
light of its own, it reflects the light.
2. Sunlight – The most popular and mostly used light source of photographers. It is free
and no need to be transported. But it is not always there where we want it. It is
uncontrollable but can be controlled using the camera controls (shutter speed &
aperture opening).
Classification According to its Intensity
1. Bright sunlight/Distinct sun – This is the direct sunlight striking the subject. It is the
brightest of all, it is highly directional, images taken with distinct sun is characterized
by extreme highlights and deep shadows and it provides the highest contrast in a
picture
2. Hazy Sunlight – It is a hazy sunlight when the sun is covered by thin clouds but still
clearly visible and it is illuminating your subject, it produces soft shadows and
moderate highlight and contrast is also moderate, while rays are directional.
3. Dull Sunlight/Cloudy – Objects in open space cast no shadow. It is cloudy when the
sun is shining bright but covered with thick moving clouds, other parts of the sky
maybe clear, lighting is even throughout and not directional, it does not cast practical
shadows on your subject and contrast is relatively fair.
4. Overcast Sky/Cloudy Bright – Sun is bright but not visible, light is soft and not
directional, skies may be covered with stationary clouds and it provides no shadows
and low contrast
5. Heavy Overcast/Cloudy Dull – This is practically the same as overcast sky but
generally darker and light is dull. It provides very poor contrast and static cloud is so
thick where one cannot tell the overhead position of the sun.
b. Artificial Light Sources
Light sources of this category are man-made and are divided into the
continuous radiation and the short duration. Continuous radiation, those that c an give
illumination continuously, short Duration and it gives a brief flash of light produced by
a burning metallic wire (flash bulb) or an electrical discharge through a gas – filled tube
(electronic flash). There are different classifications:
1. UV Lamp – this refers to some units are portable battery operated and are easily
carried and can meet the rugged and rigorous demand for field work.
2. LASER – This refers to Light Amplification through Simulated Emission of
Radiation. By illuminating certain i tems with LASER, they would fluoresce or could be
made to stand out in sharp contrast from their background. This was especially
significant in locating dried biological items
3. Alternative Light Source (ALS) - This refers to far more expensive alternative to
forensic LASER. It uses a variety of band pass filters to provide a high intensity beam of
non – coherent light.
4. Forensic Light Sources (FLS) – This refers to a wide variety of relatively inexpensive
light sources which use filtered white light.
b.2. Continuous Radiation (Delizo, 2015)
1. Carbon Arc – This refers to a pair of carbon rods connected in series with a
resistance across direct current.
2. Incandescent – This refers to a conducting filament enclosed by a glass bulb heated
by the electric current until emits lights.
3. Photoflood Lamps – This refers to lamps that can be placed up very high producing
deep shadows underneath protruding surfaces, if subject is a person standing, he will
appear gloomy and sombre. These can be placed to shine fr om below giving
mysterious and strange effects of frights to observers of the picture.
4. Fluorescent Lamps – This refers to illumination in an electric discharge lamp of the
mercury – vapor type. The coating fluoresces and sends out light of low brillianc e with
visible zone.
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 b.3. Short Duration Radiation (Delizo, 2015) ✓ The different energies in the electromagnetic spectrum are the following: cosmic
1. Chemical Flash Lamp – This refers to light that produces by the rapid burning of rays, gamma rays, x – rays, UV rays, visible light, infra – red rays, heat rays, hertzian
metal wire, foil or primer powders. To produce a rapid and complete burning, the bulb waves, and the alternating current oscillation.
is charged with O2, the lamp flashed once. The RAT Law
2. Electronic Flash Lamp – This is consisting of a slender glass tube filled with a gas When incident light hits a medium, three things might happen, the light maybe:
(Xenon), a high voltage electrical discharge is passed through coiled tube, causing the ✓ Reflected
gas to glow. ✓ Absorbed
✓ Transmitted
Light Angles
(Note: Bending of Light, when traveling in open space, light travels in a straight line
1. Front Lighting – Distinct sun is used as front lighting when it comes from behind the
(186,000 miles/second). Ole Romer (Denmark) – he measured the speed of light in
photographer. It is a common belief that photographs taken at early in the morning or
1676. However, when light comes in contact with an object, it may be bended in the
late in the afternoon is better compared to photos taken in any other time of day. The
following manner.)
light, when the sun is low, is oftentimes described as magical. Colors are warm,
1. Reflection
shadows are long, and subject glow with razor sharp clarity.
✓ It occurs whenever an object changes the direction of a light wave but does not
2. Side Lighting – This type of lighting happens mostly in the morning and
allow the wave to pass through it. Reflected light maybe Specular or Diffused.
afternoonwhen the sunlight hits the subject from either the ri ght or left flank of the
photographer. It brings out textures, patterns, and shapes of objects. ✓ When light strikes the surface and rebound it is said to be reflected, and it is called
3. Back Lighting – This type of lighting happens when the sun strikes the subject from incident light. The angle which it strikes is called incident angle
behind or when the sun is directly in front of the photographer. Light coming straight
from the back of the subject in portrait produces a bright edged outlined around it.
Backlighting also brings out shapes and good profile as well as silhouettes of your
subjects.
4. Overhead Lighting – This normally occurs at noontime where s un is directly above
your subject. This angle of lighting is generally not recommended for taking portraits.
Strong dark shadows are cast at the subjects’ eyes. However, it can be corrected with a
fill – in flash
A.1.c. Characteristics of Light
Theories of Light
1. Wavelength Theory
✓ The wavelength of the light is the most pertinent, particularly in the design of 2. Refraction
lenses. ✓ It is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. This is most
✓ It is best illustrated by the dropping of stone in a pond of still water. commonly observed when a wave passes from one medium to another.
✓ The series of wave which travels outward from the center point are just like wave ✓ Bending of light when passing from one medium to another.
that travels in all direction from a source with equal velocity.
✓ This theory maybe used to illustrate reflection, interference, refraction, diffraction
and polarization.
2. Quantum Theory
✓ Max Plank theorized in 1900 that light might be made up of little bundles of energy
named quanta
✓ A quantum of light is called photon, when photon strikes a light sensitive surface, it
gives energy of electrons within the metal explain the photoelectric current.
✓ It is used to explain X – radiation and photo – electricity.

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3. 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
a. 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;
b. The hologram (a picture that changes when looked at from different angles) on a
credit card.
c. Interference – This refers to the color that can be produced by interference of light
waves in thin film like soap bubbles or a film of oil floating in water.
d. Rectilinear – This refers to the nature of light that normally travels in straight line.
e. Absorption – This refers to the nature of light to be absorbed in the process of dark
surfaces.
f. Filtration – This refers to the character of light to be altered from its colorless into
visible state.
g. Polarization – This refers to the process by which the vibration of light are
confined to definite plane, the speed of light can be measured.
h. Fluorescence – This happens when molecules of the fluorescent material absorb
energy at one wavelength and radiate it at another wavelength.
i. Transmission – This refers to the light that passes through an object.
Mediums of Light
1. Transparent objects
✓ It allows sufficient visible light to pass through them that the object on the other
side may be clearly seen.
✓ It transmits 90% or more of the incident light.
2. Translucent objects
✓ It allows light to pass, however diffuse it sufficiently that objec ts 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.
✓ It transmits 50% or less of the incident light.
3. Opaque objects
✓ It is so greatly diffuse the light that recognizing the object on the other side is very
difficult if not impossible.
✓ It divert or absorb light.
A.2. Wavelength
Simplistically, we can think of light travelling as a wave. A typical wave form (e.g., ripples
on the surface of water) has crests (or peaks) and troughs (or valleys).
The distance between two consecutive peaks (or troughs) is called the wavelength, and
is denoted by the Greek letter (lambda). The wavelengths of visible light are measured
in nanometers (nm) where 1 nm = 1 billionth of a meter (10-9 meters). The wavelength
of visible light is between 400 – 700nm.
The combined effect of the complete range of radiation between 400 – 700nm appears
as white light to the human eye.
Scientist have defined that the speed of light to be exactly 299,792,458
meters per second (approximately 186,000 miles per second)
 Electromagnetic Spectrum – The light that we see is only a part of a
tremendous range of energy called the Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Electromagnetic spectrum is the whole range of radiant energy that includes
radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, x rays
and gamma rays.
Kinds of Light in the Electromagnetic Spectrum
In 1666, Isaac Newton proved that the light men see as white is a mixture of
all colors of the spectrum.
When he passed a beam of sunlight through a glass prism, it produces the
rainbow array of hues of the visible spectrum.
The colors from the bottom to the top are red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet.
The range of the visible light produces different sensation when they strike
the human eye.
Colors of different objects are usually mixture of light of various wavelengths and not a
special color.
The wavelength of the visible light is from 400 to 700 nanometers which will
produce white light.
a. Visible Lights
1. Red – It ranges from 685 – 605 mμ
2. Orange – It ranges from 605 – 585 mμ
3. Yellow – It ranges from 585 – 560 mμ
4. Green – It ranges from 560 – 475 mμ
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5. Blue – It ranges from 475 – 455 mμ ✓ Used for communicating through the modification and amplification of sound
6. Indigo – It ranges from 455 – 440 mμ waves.
7. Violet – It ranges from 440 – 405 mμ 3. Microwaves
b. Invisible lights ✓ Microwaves excite the water molecules in food, heat them up, and pass the heat
The light that cannot be detected by the naked eye is the invisible spectrum. The left throughout the food.
region of the visible light is called the ultra violet region. The right region of the visible ✓ It can harm the body because it can heat the water molecules in deep tissues.
light is called infrared region which are too long in wavelength to excite the retina of 4. Hertzian Waves
the eye. It is detected by the skin as heat. Invisible Radiation that are usedin Modern ✓ An electromagnetic wave produced by the oscillation of electricity in a conductor (as
Photography
a radio antenna) and of a length ranging from a few millimeters to many kilometers.
b.1. Invisible Radiation with wavelength shorter than 400 mμ
(Note: White – is the presence of all color. Black – is the absence of all colors or the
1. Ultraviolet Light
absence of light.)
✓ The ultraviolet light is divided into the near and far ultraviolet and ranges from
about 200 – 400 millimicrons wavelength.
✓ It is used to photograph fingerprints on multi – colored background, documents tha t
are altered chemically or over writings and detection of secret writings.
2. X–ray
✓ X – rays are electromagnetic energy having a wavelength that ranges between 10 –
30 millimicrons.
✓ Objects which are opaque as seen by the naked eye can be penetrated by x –rays.
✓ To produce a shadow photograph of an internal structure of solid objects, x –rays is
suitable. A.3. Colors of Lights Found in the Visible Spectrum and Coloring Matters
3. Gamma rays a. Light Rays
Primary Colors of Light Rays
✓ Used in recording or photographing objects hidden by opaque mediums
1. Red 685 to 605 nm
4. Cosmic Rays
2. Green 560 to 475 nm
✓ Cosmic rays are high energy charged particles, originating in outer space, that travel
3. Blue 475 to 455 nm
at nearly the speed of light and strike the Earth from all directions.
Secondary/Complementary Colors of Light Rays
✓ Most cosmic rays are the nuclei of atoms, ranging from the lightest to the 1. Yellow 585 to 560 nm
heaviest elements in the periodic table. 2. Cyan 500 nm
✓ Cosmic rays also incl ude high energy electrons, positrons, and other subatomic 3. Magenta 400 nm
particles.
✓ The term "cosmic rays" usually refers to galactic cosmic rays, which originate in Color Mixing of Lights
sources outside the solar system, distributed throughout our Milky Way galaxy. Color Addition
b.2. Invisible Radiation with wavelength longer than 400 mμ 1. Magenta + Yellow = White
1. Infrared Light 2. Magenta + Cyan = White
✓ Infrared light are lights having wave length greater than 700 millimicrons. It 3. Yellow + Cyan = White
wavelength ranges from 700 – 800 millimicrons. 4. Red + Green + Blue = White
✓ Infrared is not a color or any kind of red. It is an invisible rays and it is only 5. Red + Blue = Magenta
detected by the human skin as heat. 6. Red + Green = Yellow
✓ Used in taking photographs of obliterated writing, burnt or dirty documents. Also 7. Blue + Green = Cyan
known as “Blackout photography”. Color Subtraction
2. Radio Waves 1. White - Magenta = Green
✓ These light waves have the longest wavelength of all lights. 2. Cyan - Green = Blue
3. Yellow - Green = Red

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4. Yellow - Red = Green 7. Blue + Violet = Blue –Violet
5. White - Red = Cyan 8. Red + Violet = Red – Violet
6. White - Blue = Yellow 9. Red + Orange = Red – Orange
7. White - Green = Magenta Neutral Colors
8. White - Cyan = Red 1. Gray
9. White - Yellow = Blue 2. Black

b. Coloring Matters

Primary Colors of Coloring Matters

1. Red
2. Yellow
3. Blue
Secondary Colors of Coloring Matters
1. Orange
2. Green
3. Violet
Tertiary Colors of Coloring Matters
1. Yellow – Orange
2. Yellow – Green
3. Blue – Green
4. Blue – Violet
5. Red – Violet
6. Red – Orange
Color Mixing of Coloring Matters
1. Red + Yellow = Orange
2. Blue + Yellow = Green
3. Blue + Red = Violet
4. Yellow + Orange = Yellow – Orange
5. Yellow + Green = Yellow – Green
6. Blue + Green = Blue – Green

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