III.

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SEQUENCES

Among the urgent procedures, the first place is the carrying out of the visual
inspection by the investigating officer, to be in a position to document,
providing as a first measure that there is no alteration of everything that is
related to the object of the crime and the state. from the place where it was
committed.
Once the investigating officer has adopted all appropriate measures so that
nothing related to the object of the crime and the state of the place where it was
committed is not altered, he must arbitrate the means to facilitate the immediate
intervention of the team of technical assistants. So that they are the first to visit
the scene of the crime in search of the evidence provided to them by the “silent
witnesses”, aimed at verifying that an act considered criminal by current criminal
legislation has really been committed and everything that leads to the positive
identification of its author or authors.

This team of technical assistants of the researcher does not act indiscriminately,
but rather following an order that allows their actions to be considered and
effective to achieve the best results.

The expert photographer is the first auxiliary technician to arrive at the scene to
faithfully document everything related to the crime scene and its surroundings,
before anything is touched or removed, because otherwise, it will be difficult for
the parties to agree. intervening officials to determine the place of each thing
removed before its total or detailed photographic documentation.

1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PLACE OF THE EVENT

Establishing the location of the event is the next stage after the visual inspection
through which the presence of physical evidence associated with the event
under investigation is detected.
The correct establishment of the location of the event guarantees its
preservation, the integrity of the investigation and the possibility of having a
permanent record that allows subsequent evaluations for the historical
reconstruction of the event.

The establishment of the location of the event must have an order established
by the coordinator so that the different procedures are carried out without
altering the evidence. The actions of police officers and/or experts expressly
designated for this purpose must be coordinated so that each of them performs
their task in a pre-established order without undermining the activity of other
professionals.

The most common fixing methods are:

- The written description
- The sketch
- The plans
- The photograph
- Others.

1.1. PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIXATION PROCESS

- Photographic fixation in General Character : it is the visualization of

the site of the event in its broadest aspect. Access and escape routes
must be established, the place from the four cardinal points to
photographically indicate the locality and evidence displayed therein
(address-site) and/or (site-evidence relationship), main facades,
permanent reference points, for example: electric lighting pole (number
thereof), structures, among others.
- Particular Photographic Fixation: Photographic fixations will be made
to the evidence of criminalistic interest that is related to the fact
investigated, using the signaling technique using the arrow witness in
order to visualize its location with respect to other evidence or reference
points.
 - Photographic fixation in detail: it will be carried out at a right angle
(perpendicular) with a closer approach and increased resolution with the
help of a metric witness, in order to establish the real size and
appearance of some evidence.

Example in case of corpses:

They must be set in the following way:
- In general: full body, with and without clothing.
- Of an identifying nature: face of the corpse.
- Of a particular nature and in detail: wounds, exconations and all those
characteristics present in it that may help in its identification such as
tattoos, scars, accidental and/or congenital deformities, among others.

2. THE PHOTOGRAPH.-

The photograph records and establishes a total and detailed vision of the scene
of the event, which allows to reliably prove both the state in which the physical
evidence was found, as well as the operations carried out at the time of
collecting the elements, traces and/or indications.

Photographs must be taken considering the following plans:

- Photographic plans.- For photographic shots, start from the general to
the particular, starting with the exterior areas when they are important for
the investigation, following the access roads or the sites used as such,
then the location and position of the corpse. , the evidence in relation to
nearby objects, injuries, clothing, weapons, etc., in the following
photographic plans:
- Panoramic or General Views (long distance).- Global shots, which are
used for location purposes and show the general appearance of the
place as it was found. At least four shots should be taken at different
angles.
- General shots or Medium Views (intermediate distance).- Shots to
show how the position of one subject relates to that of another. They are
used in order to locate and relate evidence or a group of evidence at the
 scene. These shots allow you to see a reasonable amount of detail about
the subject, as well as revealing the environment where it is located.
They are used in order to relate furniture, objects, instruments and
bodies, changing position.
- Close-ups or Close-ups.- Shots at very short distances where the
subject to be photographed fills almost the entire viewfinder. They are
used to show details. show particularities of indications or evidence that,
due to their size, require it.
- Very close-ups or Great Close-ups.- Which point out the particularities
of the details to be highlighted. It uses macro photography equipment
(close-up lenses and extension tubes) to record details that will later be
studied by experts (stains, footprints, etc.) in setting the scene of the
event, its situation and material characteristics are recorded and
captured for the purposes of research, this permanent record stops that
space in time, free from alterations caused by climatic and
meteorological factors, by the intervention of outsiders or by
inexperienced or careless researchers.

3. THE FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHER

The forensic photographer is the professional who carries out the task of
forensic photography. Your task is to observe, focus and capture with your
camera any clue, no matter how minimal or insignificant it may seem, beginning
your work at the crime scene, and then continuing your work in the laboratory
where you will reveal the material that will form part of the forensic reports.

Their intervention is determined by the breadth and depth of the opinion of the
corresponding specialty.

The photographer must take into account:

1. The procedure must adjust to the methodology from the general to the
particular, from the particular to the detail and from the detail to the
smallest detail.
 2. The General View must be focused from the four angles of the place
in order to have an overall view of its general aspects, which helps
with accuracy in the description and location of the elements, traces
and/or clues.
3. The Middle View must have a direct relationship with the objects,
elements, traces and/or indications in order to specifically cover the
point that needs to be highlighted, always taking a reference element.
4. The Detail View must be approximation shots that are made with
metric references. When possible, macro and micro photography
devices should be used.
5. A photographic record must be taken of all the areas that are
considered relevant, without disqualifying any of them a priori .
6. The photographs must be taken in a related manner, for example: the
position of the victim with other traces associated with the fact under
investigation.
7. Photographs should be taken from additional perspectives (from the
air, area of view of the witness, area of the body once removed, etc.).
8. The photographic information must be completed indicating the date,
place and person who took the photographs, type of camera used,
distance from the camera to the object(s) or footprint(s) photographed,
film used and angle(s) from the object(s) Which shots were taken and
type of lens used.
9. Negatives must be preserved even when the desired photographic
quality has not been obtained.
10. Use two witnesses when photographs taken with special lighting
are taken to remove traces or evidence that, due to their
characteristics, require it, so that they can verify said procedure.

a) Photographic record of people.- It is the photographic fixation of a

person, in order to document the morphological and chromatic
characteristics that can help individualize them. The photographic record
of people includes the affiliation photograph, which corresponds to shots
of the face from the front, right and left profiles.
This registration applies in cases of:
 - Injured
- Unidentified fatalities
- Fatal victims identified.
- NN alive.
b) Photographic fixation of elements or physical evidence.- The object
is to faithfully record the characteristics of each element or physical
evidence and the findings in the development of the expert procedures to
which they are subjected. The lighting conditions and specialized
photography equipment in the laboratory allow physical evidence and its
characteristics to be recorded with greater precision.
Some details to fix or highlight are:
- Printing reliefs or manuscripts
- Grafts
- Mechanical erases
- Numerous serials
- Cuts
It is important to note that in the case of footprints, it is impressive that
they are formed when a firm object, for example a shoe, a foot, a tire and
indentations, exert pressure on a soft surface such as earth, sand,
asphalt, soft cement. and skin.

The following must be photographed in every scene:

- Footprints, tire treads and tool marks
- Molding of footprints in soil, sand (wet and dry), in cement and
fresh asphalt and in all similar areas.

This type of vestiges is very important in criminal investigation, since their

location and direction guide the movements and actions of the criminal at
the scene. They are very fragile evidence that must be carefully
processed.

Footprints can be useful in the investigation for multiple reasons,

because sometimes they lead to the identification of the perpetrator of an
 act, allow us to rule out a suspect, or shed light on an investigation
regarding the circumstances, number of criminals and route. followed by
those who intervened in the event, etc.

Photographs of the crime scene should be taken from wide shots to

highlight footprints, tire treads, or tool marks at the scene, using
appropriate lighting. Photographs should show the relationship of the
footprints to the surrounding area.

c) Photographic fixation of fingerprints.

Fixation using finger ridges is a truthful and precise method, because
they have characteristics that make them unique and unrepeatable.

The most important thing about these photographs is to guarantee fidelity

in the photographic record of the morphological characteristics and
location of the fingerprint ridges for later comparison.

The purpose of these photographs is to produce a negative for later

comparison or life-size reproduction to enter them into the appropriate
system.

In many cases, images can also be the primary evidence, because

fingerprints or other evidence can sometimes be lost or damaged during
lifting or other collection techniques. Therefore the images taken would
be evidence.

d) Specialized photography.- For science, photography turns out to be a

multidisciplinary tool, not only to record what the eye perceives, but also,
in many cases, what is impossible to see.

This is where photography becomes a first-rate tool at the service of

forensic sciences. For example, photographic emulsions can be made
with extended sensitivity to infrared or ultraviolet. With these emulsions it
is possible to record images that are not visible to the human eye.
 Photography with infrared emulsions is applied in thermography, night
photography, study of old or almost erased documents (because the
remains of ink can absorb in the infrared and become visible), etc.

Photography with ultraviolet light is also applied to the study of works of

art, document identification, criminology, photomicrography and
fluorescence.

3.1. LAPTOP

The forensic photography expert's team consists of:

3.1.1. PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA

Having introduced successive modifications to produce devices capable of

satisfying the demands of an increasingly large and diverse audience, today's
automatic camera allows you to take unbeatable photographs.

The modern photographic camera is a camera obscura, manageable, of

reduced weight and volume, precision automated, whose use is very simplified.
The different models manufactured, although apparently distinguished by many
differences, have the same main components: box (camera obscura), lens and
film support. The rest of the mechanisms that complete the device are intended
to facilitate the optical processes of image formation.
3.1.2. BRIEFCASE

There are several models, their use depends on the complicity of the case, so
we have:
1. Small blue transportable briefcase, made of synthetic, resistant and
ergonomic material.
2. Medium lead-colored transportable briefcase, made of synthetic material,
molded with plastic inserts.
3. Large lead-colored transportable briefcase, made of synthetic material,
molded with plastic inserts.
a) Briefcase Contents
- Photographic direction guides, vertically (up, down), horizontally
(right, left); and numerators from 1 to 50, to indicate the location of
the clues and evidence at the crime scene.
- Set of large photo identification cards that accompany photo records.
- Metal folding ruler to size evidence in inches and/or cm.
- Self-adhesive booklets with digits and directional arrows, in various
formats. They are used to indicate chronologically and directionally
the signs and evidence found at the crime scene.
- 90º scales and millimeter rulers in black, blue, gray and white, with
black and white contrast prints, respectively. To indicate exact
dimensions of the evidence or evidence.

Various measuring tapes, self-adhesive and phosphorescent, are used to

accurately measure signs or evidence of regular size, found on regular or
irregular surfaces. Its function is to show the size of a photographed
object. Since there are different types of metric witnesses, to select the
most appropriate one for each particular case, the following must be
taken into account:
- Type of lighting that should be used.
- Precision of the measurement required.
- Thickness of the element to be photographed.
- Size of the element to be photographed.
- Necessary rigidity of the metric witness

With the implementation of automated databases and electronic search

systems, more precision and accuracy in the photographs and metric
witnesses used are necessary. The metric witness used must provide a
measurement as accurate and in accordance with the system that will
measure the Photographic Information.
 According to the evidence to be measured, there are different types of
metric witnesses:
- Color: The color option is important according to the selected
lighting, tonality of the element of the photograph.
- Adhesives: They are used to be paid on surfaces that are difficult to
access.
- Transparent and translucent: Used when it is necessary for light to
pass through the metric witness to observe the units they measure.

Letters and numbers for identification and marking are aids to better
understand and interpret a photograph.

ANNEX N°01: INTERVIEW WITH A PHOTO PERUVIAN

FORENSIC GRAPH

Photographing the ends of life. With Ricardo

Altamirano, Peruvian forensic photographer.

They call him night or day, he knows he has to be prepared. When he arrives at the

aforementioned place, he prepares his camera and begins. Your vision and feelings must
be curdled from seeing so much blood, decapitated bodies, incinerated people, natural

disasters, robberies. That's your job; photograph the last moments of life and the

thousands of crimes committed daily. Once his work is finished, he will leave with

those photographs, he will analyze them for many hours trying to put the puzzle

together.

Your photos will not end up in some newspaper or morbid magazine. Those photos

will become important evidence that will solve a crime.

What does a forensic photographer do? What equipment do you carry in your suitcase?

Are you studying for that job? Do you earn a lot or a little?

Forensic photography is a specialty of photography that few know about. Despite the

importance it has in the investigation of crimes, murders, suicides, natural disasters, etc.

“ Its importance has always been undervalued” according to Ricardo Altamirano ,

one of the few forensic photographers trained as a photography expert. Because it's not

just about taking photos, but about knowing different sciences: biology, psychology,

anatomy, etc. This is how multidisciplinary this career is.

Ricardo Altamirano has been dedicating himself to forensic photography for more than
eight years and knows that it is a difficult career, but he is also aware that it is necessary

to improve the level of preparation so as not to see just anyone doing the work.

The forensic photographer must be very careful and not forget to photograph any

details. All evidence is always important in a case.

A forensic photographer can be anyone, although not everyone is encouraged, because it

is a demanding career and does not pay much.

Does the forensic photographer belong to a special section within the investigation

of a case?
It belongs to the crime and investigation section, made up of a team of experts;

ballistics, forensic doctor, forensic biologist, etc. In that group is the forensic

photographer. Each of the experts intervenes depending on the scene. It's like saying

sports photography, fashion, press, each one has different techniques, the same is true

with experts.

How does the work of a forensic photographer begin?

You begin by putting together the chain of custody; which is when the area is isolated

from possible contaminants, which is why a yellow tape is placed that says: crime scene

or no entry. Contaminants are things or people that can alter the scene of the crime or

crime.

Only the head of investigation and the forensic photographer enter this area. The

photographer's task is to make an observation of the area, and then proceed to carry out

his work by choosing the technique and his equipment.

Then three types of observation are carried out: linear, spiral and angular. The idea is

that details of the entire area where the crime was committed are not lost, which is why

we work by segmenting the place. For example, in angular observation, I can find bullet
casings, so I put up a sign and photograph, that's how I do the whole area. We have to

be very observant and focused.

You must enter with gloves, masks and protective glasses, you must be as neat as

possible to enter.

We use equipment similar to that of any photographer, usually a camera, a macro lens

and an angle lens , also a flash and a tripod for long exposures.

The macro lens is very useful because it helps capture in greater detail scrapes, cuts,

amputations or small objects that are useful evidence for an investigation.

Why are photos important in a research process?

It is the evidence to convict or acquit a person from prison and above all it is palpable

evidence to solve even the most difficult cases. That is why we must be very careful

when taking photographs, nothing should alter the quality of the image. We do not even

use polarized filters , because these can create another type of scene and hinder the

process.

We still use film to take photos, although there are attempts to go digital. They are the

judges who prefer these types of photos, they believe that a digital photo is very easy to

manipulate or alter. In analog photography you can verify the matrix, which is the

negative.

To be a forensic photographer, do you have to study and where?

Forensic photography is not taught in Peru, you have to go to Colombia, Argentina or

Chile to train. A forensic photographer must know a little about everything, it is a

science. It's a shame that the state invests little in research issues, for example in Peru,

there are only seven or eight forensic photographers, while in Brazil or Chile there are

three times as many or more.

Why are there few forensic photographers in the country?

What happens is that the National Police of Peru is the one in charge of training and

organizing these issues, and well the police already have too many problems to think

about renewing their investigation department.

Isn't it like in the series Bones, NCIS, CSI?

Here in Peru informality is applied and with few resources you have to make do, many

times I have had to put black bags on my shoes because there were no protectors to do

the job. When in a crisis situation, those who should be there are not there, informality

is applied.
Is it necessary to be a police officer to be a forensic photographer?

No, not at all, forensic photography is a specialty within photography and it takes the

time it takes you to train, for example I studied several diplomas in legal and forensic

medicine, diplomas in comprehensive security, intelligence and national security. All of

this creates a profile that complements the work of a forensic photographer.

*Ricardo Altamirano has a blog where he writes about criminology topics, a topic that

he is passionate about. For now he combines his consulting work with the development

of his own security and protection company .