Forensic Photography

The classic movie, My Cousin Vinny, is about a murder trial where a photograph wins the case. The whole verdict turns on an amateur photograph of tire marks which could not possibly be from the vehicle of the accused. Photographs have been used in criminal cases since the 1860s. Professional forensic photography is vital evidence in many cases. But what makes a good Forensic Photograph?

First Uses of Forensic Photography

Forensic photography has a history as long as forensic science. The first real crime scene photographer was Alphonse Bertillon (Crime Museum, 2022).

Image 1:Paris Crime Scene Album accredited to Alphonse Bertillon. Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Album_of_Paris_Crime_Scenes_-_Attributed_to_Alphonse_Bertillon._DP263813.jpg

Image 1 shows a page from a Paris crime scene album, attributed to Bertillon. He believed that for photographs to be used as evidence, they must have standard reference points. He devised a system of measurement such that repeat criminals could be recognized. This system was used until easier fingerprint identification took over. His work remains the basis for all identification photographs, such as passports (Talkdeath, 2019).

When first used, people believed that a photograph was an objective observer, freezing a moment in time. They forgot that such photographs could be staged. To begin with, photographs showed the faces of the victims. Of course, this was not true in all cases. For Jack the Ripper’s victims, they showed the area of the crime, to prove the women were fallen (Talkdeath, 2019).

In the US, one of the most famous practitioners of forensic photography was Arthur “Weegee” Fellig, whose photographs of the crime scene could almost be classified as Art. J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, argued that, because of the ability to stage a scene, photographs needed standardization for true evidence potential. Much in the same way, Bertillon used his standard measurements to classify criminals (Talkdeath, 2019).

When should Forensic Photography be used?

The purpose of forensic photography is to provide a record of a scene. With this in mind, a photographic record should be taken of any scene that might end up in a court of law. Traffic accidents, burglaries, and murders are all examples of when a photograph would be useful. A photograph is vital any time a crime is perpetrated against people or property (GFJC, 2013). Above, I mentioned that photographs could be staged to show what the photographer wished. Therefore, as a forensic photographer, it is a requirement to be truthful in what is shown and provide a narrative of the crime. To do this, standards in how to photograph a scene were introduced.

Standards in Forensic Photography

As Hoover and Bertillon suggested, forensic photography needs standards. As I mentioned in an article on footwear marks (https://mozartcultures.com/en/footwear-marks-in-solving-crime/ ) any comparisons must be like-to-like. With standardization, photographs may be compared.

Securing the Scene

First of all, the crime scene must be secured and delineated. Once the controls are established, a photographer will take wide-angle, establishing shots of the full scene. This is to ensure that anything moved can be quickly noticed. Hopefully, with the scene secured, nothing will be relocated. In a previous post, (https://mozartcultures.com/en/a-short-history-of-dna-profiling/ ) the photographs in the Amanda Knox case showed that evidence had been moved before collection. Without this chain of custody, evidence cannot be accepted in a Court of Law.

Checking light and weather conditions

To get the clearest images, forensic photography must take into account the light and weather conditions on the day. If it’s night, you will need to arrange for lights. If the scene is in a field, you need to organize generators. If it’s raining, evidence will need protection. All this has to be taken into account when photographing a crime scene. Sometimes, this is as simple as adjusting the aperture on the camera. Forensic photography is not a one-size-fits-all occupation. Each crime scene is individual (IFF Lab, 2023).

If the weather conditions are deteriorating then speed is essential, to ensure a record of the scene is in place (GFJC, 2013).

The first Shots of the Scene

Ideally, the first photographs should be wide-angle, showing the scene, as indicated in image 2, and the evidence in relation to each other. These establishing shots, similar to the first scenes in a movie, will happen before the evidence collection. Often, Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) will require multiple takes throughout the scene examination. At the beginning of an investigation, it is not possible to know whether something will be required as evidence (IFF Lab, 2023), but these first shots are the foundation of their case.

Image2: The first shots of the scene.
Credit: (GFJC, 2013)

Retakes

In advance, it is not possible to know what is evidence. As new finds are processed, additional photographs are required. The new evidence needs wide-angle shots, again to establish their relationship to other evidence. These continuing photographs are compared with the previous ones, this is why the standards are in place: to compare like with like (IFF Lab, 2023).

Photographing the Victims

Many photographers find photographing the victim to be difficult. They must show all the injuries and information useful to the investigators while remaining as respectful as possible. Additionally, the victims should be shown in relation to the environment and the evidence (GFJC, 2013).

Additional victim photographs

Sometimes a victim must be removed from the scene if they are in danger, or for treatment for injuries. Initially, this means there will be no time to photograph them. In this case, the injuries may be photographed later, to show their extent and how they are healing. Filters and alternative lighting can improve the visibility of the evidence but should be used with caution so as not to overstate the case (IFF Lab, 2023).

The Evidence

Initial photographs of the evidence are taken without the markers in place, to prevent obscuring the scene. Then the shot is retaken with markers in place. Photographs show the location of the evidence within the crime scene, indicating its relationship to the victim. The photograph is taken at right angles to the evidence, to prevent distortion. All of this is to ensure that none of the evidence could be tampered with (GFJC, 2013). In addition, all evidence needs to be photographed with a ruler to indicate the size of the evidence.

Image 3: Evidence should be photographed with a scaling ruler.
Credit. V.Knipe

In the laboratory, the scientist will also take a photograph with a ruler, as seen in image 3, another way of ensuring the chain of custody is unbroken and the evidence has not been altered.

Ways to highlight the evidence in Forensic Photography

Sometimes, a plain photograph is unable to show the detail necessary. As mentioned in the victim section, forensic photography uses filters and alternative light sources to make the details of the evidence more clear.

Light Sources

One way to highlight details in evidence is to change the lighting.

Alternative

A different sort of lighting can bring evidence to the forefront. Ultraviolet light makes bodily fluids easier to spot. A forensic light source, such as a Crime-Lite® is often used by CSIs in their initial sweep to allow them to spot non-obvious evidence. Different wavelengths of light highlight different substances (Horiba Scientific). These substances will either fluoresce, as with blood or semen, or they appear as dark spots, as gunshot residue does, under different lighting (Frese, 2009). Either way, such lighting adds to the evidence to create the case.

Oblique Angles

Adjusting the angle of the light used in forensic photography can induce or remove shadows to display show imprints (GFJC, 2013). Using a very low angle of light can even bring out writing indentations on a piece of paper (Staggs, 2014).

Diffused lighting

When a surface is too reflective to give a reasonable photograph, the photographer diffuses the lighting. A simple sheet can ease the reflection and create a photograph that can be used as evidence. The opposite condition is to create a reflective condition, removing shadows and creating an extreme contrast (Staggs, 2014).

All these extra lighting conditions create distortions so they should be used sparingly when the evidence cannot be photographed in any other way.

Lenses

The forensic photographer needs many different lenses to cover all aspects of the investigation. The initial shot requires a wide-angle lens. Further photographs of evidence may require macro lenses to focus down on the smallest tool mark (GFJC, 2013).

Finally

Forensic photography must record a scene faithfully. The staging of the initial period of crime scene photographs is no longer possible as long as the standards, first described by Bertillon and insisted on by Hoover, are used. With these in place, the evidence presented in a Court of Law can be trusted. Forensic Photography is another vital element in the Crime Scene Investigator’s repertoire.

References

Crime Museum. (2022) Forensic Photographer. Crime Museum LLC. https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/forensic-investigation/forensic-photographer/

Frese, S. (2009). What is a Forensic Light Source? Crime Museum LLC. https://www.crimemuseum.org/2009/05/04/what-is-a-forensic-light-source/

GFJC. (2013). A Simplified Guide to Forensic Photography. Global Forensic and Justice Center. https://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org/photo/why.html

Horiba Scientific. Medical Examiner’s Department ID’s evidence with Alternative Light Sources. https://www.horiba.com/pol/science-in-action/medical-examiner-department-ids-evidence-with-alternative-light-sources/#:~:text=Alternative%20light%20sources%20are%20typically,the%20fluids%27%20natural%20fluorescent%20properties

IFF Lab. (2023). The Basic Step to Ensure Proper Forensic Photography. Incognito Forensic Foundation. https://ifflab.org/the-10-basic-steps-of-forensic-photography/

Staggs, S. (2014). Lighting Methods for Copy and Evidence Close-up Photography. Crime Scene and Evidence Photography. 2^nd Ed. https://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/closeup.html

Talkdeath. (2019) Crime Scene Photography: A Complicated History. https://www.talkdeath.com/crime-scene-photography-complicated-history/