Govt.

holkar (model autonomous)science college

Department of forensic science

Topic :- UV, Infrared and fluorescence photography

Subject:- forensic physics

presented to :- presented by:-

Prof. Miss Harshita Sonkar harshita verma
Assistant professor msc forensic science 4th sem
Table of content:-
1. Introduction
2. Crime scene photography
3. Photography techniques:-
UV Photography
Infrared photograph
Flourescence photography
4. Applications
5. References
⚫ Introduction:-
⚫ Forensic photography is referred to as forensic imaging or crime scene
photography , is the art of producing an accurate reproduction of a crime scene
or accident scene for the benefit of court or to aid in an investigation . It is the
part of evidence collection. It provides with photos of victims , places and items
involved in the crime. Forensic photography differs from other variations of
photography because crime scene photographers usually have a very specific
purpose for capturing each image.

⚫ 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.
⚫ Crime scene photography:-
⚫ Basic reason for which crime scene photography is mainly done is as follows :-
i. To record the scene and associated areas.
ii. To record the appearance of physical evidence as first encountered .
iii. To provide investigators with the photographic records of the scene to assist
them with their investigations.
iv. To present the crime scene at court for the edification of judges , juries and
counsel alike.
⚫ Photographic techniques:-
⚫ Different types of photographic techniques are used in forensic science such as
:-
UV photography
Infrared photography
Flourescence photography
Digital photography
Macro photography
Panoramic photography
Exposure photography
All these photographic techniques uses differently for specific purpose. Mostly
Ultraviolet and Infrared photographic techniques are used to capture the object
or evidence.
⚫ Ultraviolet photography:-
Ultraviolet photography is a photographic process of recording images by using
radiation from the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum only. Images taken with ultraviolet
radiation serve a number of scientific, medical or artistic purposes. Images may reveal
deterioration of art works or structures not apparent under light.
• Ultraviolet images have no color since ultraviolet radiation is invisible to human eyes.
⚫ Light (visible electromagnetic spectrum) covers the spectral region from about 400 to
750 nanometers. This is the radiation spectrum used in normal photography. The
band of radiation that extends from about 10 nm to 400 nm is known as ultraviolet
radiation.
⚫ UV spectrographers divide this range into three bands:
near UV (380–200 nm wavelength; abbrev. NUV)
far UV (or vacuum UV) (200–10 nm; abbrev. FUV or VUV)
extreme UV (1–31 nm; abbrev. EUV or XUV).
⚫ Only near UV is of interest for UV photography, for several reasons. Ordinary air is
opaque to wavelengths below about 200 nm, and most transparent lens glass is
opaque below about 180 nm.
⚫ Types of UV photography:-
There are two distinct techniques of ultraviolet photography:-
1. Reflected or direct method
2. ultraviolet flourescence method

REFLECTED OR DIRECT METHOD:-

⚫ The reflected ultraviolet photographic technique records only ultraviolet
radiation , in the region 320nm to 390nm ,reflected from the subject.
⚫ All other radiation is prevented from reaching the film .
⚫ A source of ultraviolet is directed at the subject which will then reflect this
radiation back into the camera .
⚫ Some materials that are black in visible light reflect ultraviolet so effectively
that they record as white using the reflected ultraviolet technique.
Flourescent photography:-
⚫ Requires , usually, tripod, remote shutter release , and barrier filter with standard
35mm camera .
⚫ Usually requires about 15-30 seconds time exposure with 35mm.
⚫ Orange 18 is good all around filter.
⚫ Consider digital camera with barrier filter for real time photos.

Radiation sources of ultraviolet rays :

1. Sunlight:
Although it would be possible to use sunlight as a source of UV to produce fluorescence,
but it is not a practical procedure as it is not followed for forensic photography.
2. Mercury Vapour Lamps:
Mercury vapor lamps, both high pressure and low
pressure have applications in reflected and
fluorescence photography. All mercury vapor lamps
however emit long wave ultraviolet and if the tube is
made of quartz, then shorter waves of ultraviolet may
also be emitted.
3. Electronic Flash:
Electronic flash lamps are suitable for ultraviolet
photography since they emit long wave
ultraviolet.
⚫ Infrared photography:-
• An actinic infrared can be used for photography with ordinary camera lenses.

• The actinic infrared ranges from 700nm to 900nm.

• Actinic infrared photography can be defined as the technique of using a

camera lens to focus and expose an infrared image on an emulsion sensitized to
infrared radiation.
For a subject to be photographed in this manner it must:
• reflect or transmit infrared radiation or
• the subject must luminance in the infrared region
• Luminescence of a suitable subject occurs when it is illuminated with the
shorter wavelengths of visible light or ultraviolet radiation.
⚫ The sensors used in digital cameras are very sensitive to near-infrared (700-
1200 nm). Virtually all digital cameras use infrared-cut filters sandwiched on
top of the sensor, in order to reduce or eliminate IR light. Many of these filters
let usable amounts of IR pass (up to about 900 nm), and these cameras can be
used for IR photography.
Radiation sources for infrared photography:-
⚫ Sun Light: Sun Light contains a high percentage of I.R. radiations and therefore
a very useful natural source of infrared radiations.
⚫ Hot Bodies: All sources which emit or generate heat also emit I.R. radiations in
various proportions. Even the human body emits I.R. radiations. This fact has
been used in detecting military installations, human beings and animal life in
complete darkness with the help of I.R. photographs and I.R. detecting devices.
⚫ Photoflash Lamps: It is practical to coat a dark red, infrared transmitting
envelop over photoflash.
⚫ Tungsten lamps:
In laboratory, tungsten filament lamp is the most commonly used source of I.R
radiations. The various types of tungsten filament lamps are 500 or 1000 watts
like the photoflood lamps and halogen projection lamps. I.R lamps coated with
graphite are available which are specially made for I.R. photography since the
visible light may be opaque to graphite and only I.R radiations are emitted.
⚫ Electronic flash units:
Electronic flash units have many advantages in the photography of living
subjects. Their benefits of coolness and short exposure time are extendable to
infrared photography. Another advantage of these units is that they are more
readily obtainable with compact reflectors than the tungsten photoflood
equipment
⚫ Flourescence photography:-
fluorescence photography, process that records the glow or visible light given off by
certain substances when they are irradiated by ultraviolet rays. The exclusively
ultraviolet irradiation is accomplished by means of a filter at the light source; another
filter, placed over the camera lens, absorbs the reflected ultraviolet rays, permitting
only the visible light (fluorescence) from the object itself to be recorded on the film.
Normal lenses and either black-and-white or colour film are used.

It must be emphasized that this technique requires a completely darkened

environment, as any daylight will wash the fluorescence. A source of ultraviolet
radiation filtered with an ultraviolet transmission filter - or excitation filter - is aimed
at the subject in a completely darkened room. The subject reflects the ultraviolet and
may also emit a visible fluorescence. The ultraviolet is then prevented from entering
the lens by an ultraviolet absorbing filter (or barrier filter) and fast black-and-white or
color film records any visible fluorescence emitted in the region 400 -700nm.
⚫ Applications of photographic techniques:-
1. UV photography:-
⚫ Blood situations where its colour blends with surroundings, documents
erasures, inks and typewriter ribbons.
⚫ pigments vary in the absorption and reflection of ultraviolet invisible Stains of
various body secretions, such as: urine, semen, pus, perspiration, etc., as they
often emit a particular fluorescence.
⚫ Fingerprints on multicoloured backgrounds; shiny or concave object; organic
matter (all using fluorescent fingerprint powders).
⚫ In secret marking of objects - powders, pastes, inks, pencils.
2. Infrared photography:-
⚫ gun shot wounds to illustrate powder burns.
⚫ cloth, hair and fibre examinations may show differences among like subjects
by differences in reflection or luminescence capabilities.
⚫ Documents alterations (where original script has been tampered with) inks
visualizing differences seemingly identical to the naked eye.
⚫ Dyes and other pigments luminance when exposed to infrared stimulation
(sometimes they may be identified by their degree of
luminescence).
⚫ We can reveal the writing in case of chemical
erasures.
3. Flourescence photography:-
⚫ Flourescence photography can identify dye , stains and markings , specific
chemical substances and flourescent components in microscope specimens .
⚫ References :-
1. Google
2. Epg pathshala
3. slideshare.net
Thank You