Fundamentals of Forensic Photography: Practical Techniques for Evidence Documentation on Location and in the Laboratory

244 Pages·2018·126.179 MB·English

by  Mancini, Keith, Sidoriak, John

FUNDAMENTALS OF
FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY
In Fundamentals of Forensic Photography, Keith Mancini and John Sidoriak offer practical
techniques for common situations encountered in forensic documentation. Topics include
equipment selection, lighting techniques, crime scene and evidence documentation, macro
and micro photography as well as aerial, high speed, and computational photography. Tech-
niques for photographic documentation in both the laboratory and the field are discussed.
Keith Mancini is a Forensic Photographer for the Westchester County, NY, Forensic Lab. He
has served in that role for approximately 17 years. Keith is a certified Forensic Photogra-
pher and Forensic Video Examiner by the International Association for Identification where
he also serves on the Forensic Video Certification Board. Keith is a member of the National
Institute of Justice’s OSAC (Organization of Scientific Area Committees) Video and Image
Analysis Subcommittee.
John Sidoriak is the Vice President and Director of Operations for Fisher-Cal Industries, Inc.,
a photography, graphics, and multimedia contractor to the Department of Defense for over
20 years. John is also the accident and crime scene instructor to the Photodocumentation
Series at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Center in Ashburn, VA.
ABOUT THE SERIES
APPLICATIONS IN SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY
Like all fields, there are many subspecialties within the broad field of scientific photogra-
phy. While each is seemingly specialized, there are areas within the individualized fields of
science where photography is practiced in generalized ways as well. The Applications in
Scientific Photography series was produced to become an industry resource, in homage to
the seventeen books created for the Time Life Photography series in the 1970s, which out-
lines various aspects of photography for the working professional and student, including
technology, methods, applications, tools, and important photographers.
The second book in the Applications in Scientific Photography series is Fundamentals in
Forensic Photography: Practical Techniques for Evidence Documentation on Location and in the
Laboratory. This book offers practical techniques for the most common situations encoun-
tered in forensic documentation. The topics include proper equipment selection, effective
settings and scientific strategies for forensic documentation. Emphasis is placed on tech-
niques used in both laboratory and field settings to present the factual, true and accurate
imagery that is vital in all aspects of forensic science and crime scene investigation. The
text concludes with methods for archiving and retrieval of imagery, including scene, injury,
autopsy, and evidence documentation; and HDR, high speed, and time-lapse imaging.
Each subsequent title in the series has been designed to share the best practices from each
discipline using applied and practical strategies. Each book in the series will deconstruct
and emphasize how images are considered scientific data and the end facts of an experi-
ment or photographic documentation/survey.
Titles in the Series
Laboratory Imaging and Photography: Best Practices for Photomicrography & More
Michael Peres, Rochester Institute of Technology
Fundamentals of Forensic Photography: Practical Techniques for Evidence Documentation on
Location and in the Laboratory
Keith Mancini and John Sidoriak
FUNDAMENTALS
OF FORENSIC
PHOTOGRAPHY
Practical Techniques for Evidence
Documentation on Location and
in the Laboratory
Keith Mancini and John Sidoriak
First published 2018
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Taylor & Francis
The right of Keith Mancini and John Sidoriak to be identified as the
authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mancini, Keith, author. | Sidoriak, John, author.
Title: Fundamentals of forensic photography : practical techniques for
evidence documentation on location and in the laboratory / Keith
Mancini and John Sidoriak.
Description: New York : Routledge, 2017. | Series: Applications in scientific
photography | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017007684 (print) | LCCN 2017008564 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781138910812 (pbk : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138910843
(hbk : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315693125 (ebk) |
ISBN 9781315693125 (Master) | ISBN 9781317435396 (web pdf) |
ISBN 9781317435389 ( epub) | ISBN 9781317435372 (kindle)
Subjects: LCSH: Legal photography.
Classification: LCC TR822 .M34 2017 (print) | LCC TR822 (ebook) | DDC
778.9/36325—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017007684
ISBN: 978-1-138-91084-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-91081-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-69312-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Photina MT
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
About the Contributors, viii
Acknowledgments, ix
Introduction, x
1 Equipment and Technology 1
Cameras, 1
Lenses, 8
Wide-Angle Lens, 12
Telephoto Lens, 14
Macro or Close-Up Lens, 14
The Tripod, 15
External Flash Unit, 17
Scales, 19
Forensic Photographic Accessories, 20
2 Basic Photography Principles 23
Light, 23
Exposure, 24
Exposure Modes, 31
ISO (International Organization of Standardization), 37
White Balance, 37
3 Digital Photography 39
Resolution, 39
File Types, Compression, 40
Dynamic Range, 43
Crop Factor and Focal Length Multiplier, 43
White Balance and Color Temperature, 45
Photographic Filters, 47
Color Space and Color Profiles, 47
Color Management, 49
Metadata, 50
Management and Storage of Images, 52
Image Cataloging Software, 55
4 Light and Lighting 57
Lighting Styles and Effects, 59
Polarizing Light and Filters, 67
vi Contents
Painting with Light, 70
Creating Effective Lighting, 71
5 Crime Scene Documentation 73
Safety at the Crime Scene, 73
Crime Scenes, 73
Photographing in Bad Weather/Adverse Conditions, 84
Photographing Impression Evidence (Footwear, Fabric, and Tool Marks), 86
Photographing Tire Impressions, 88
Photographing Fingerprints, 88
Photographing Blood Spatter (Sectoring), 92
6 Evidence Documentation 95
General Evidence Handling Precautions, 95
General Evidence Documentation, 96
Photographing Highly Reflective Objects, 97
Photographing the Surface of Glass, 99
Photographing Impressions in the Lab, 102
Documenting Injuries to a Victim or Suspect, 104
Photographing Bite Marks, 104
Autopsy Photography, 105
Fluorescence Photography, 110
Photographing Chemiluminescence (Luminol or Bluestar®), 113
Infrared and IR Fluorescence Photography, 115
Reflected Ultraviolet (UV) Photography, 122
7 Aerial Photography 129
Photographing from an Aircraft, 129
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones), 133
Satellite Images, 146
Overhead Photography, 148
8 Close-Up and Macro Photography 153
Lenses for Close-Up and Macro Photography, 153
Close-Up Accessories, 155
Creating a Close-Up Image, 156
Close-Up and Macro Photography Depth of Field, 157
Close-Up Aperture Selection and Diffraction, 158
Exposure Compensation, 159
Image Magnification, 159
9 Photomicrography 161
Stereo Photomicroscopes, 161
Photographing, 162
Contents vii
More Magnification and the Microscope, 162
Microscope Parts and their Locations, 162
Image Taking Using a Microscope: Photomicrography, 171
Dedicated Microscope Instrument Cameras, 171
White Balancing, 172
Mirrorless Cameras, 173
DSLR Cameras, 173
Vibration, 175
Advanced Methods to Produce Contrast, 176
10 High Speed and Time-Lapse 181
High-Speed Photography, 181
High-Speed Video, 187
Time-Lapse Photography, 189
11 Computational Photography 199
Increased Depth of Field, 199
Image Stitching, 204
High Dynamic Range Imaging, 213
Three-Dimensional Imaging, 217
12 Digital Image Processing 221
Best Practice, 221
Image Processing, 222
Category 1 and Category 2 Images, 222
Destructive vs. Non-Destructive Adjustments, 223
Image Corrections, 223
Color, Contrast, and Brightness Adjustments, 224
Noise Reduction, 225
Image Sharpening, 226
Scaling and Resizing an Image, 226
Contact Sheets, 228
Saving Files, 228
Index, 229
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
ADAM HARTLEY is a forensic firearms examiner who has spent the better part of his career
working in microscopy and image analysis. In addition to giving presentations on the use
of image analysis and photogrammetry in forensics at regional and national training con-
ferences, he is also published in scientific journals such as Nature and the Journal of Neuro-
science. He can be contacted at [e-mail].
GEORGE REIS is owner of Imaging Forensics, providing training, consulting, and expert
witness services in the areas of forensic image analysis, video analysis, and photography.
He can be reached at [e-mail]. His website is www.imagingforensics.
com.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to wish a special thank you to the following people who contributed to the
success of this project:
Michael Peres, Associate Chair, School of Photographic Arts & Sciences, Rochester Institute
of Technology
Kunjlata Ashar, M.D., Pathologist/Medical Examiner, Westchester County Department of
Laboratories and Research
Robert Adamo, Director, Westchester County Forensic Lab
Mary Eustace, Forensic Science Specialist, Westchester County Forensic Lab
Brandi Clark, Forensic Scientist, Westchester County Forensic Lab
The entire staff of the Westchester County Forensic Lab
Sandra Viens, Toxicology Specialist, Westchester County Toxicology Lab
Lt. Joseph Rainone, Waterbury Police Department
Sean C. Lonergan, Pilot/Police Officer, Westchester County Police Department
Joseph P. Mancini
W. Reid Lindsay, for passing on his vast knowledge of forensic photography.
The NTSB Training Center
Dr. Paul Schuda, NTSB Training Center Director at National Transportation Safety Board
From Keith: My wife Kristen and children Kaitlyn and Alexis.
From John: My wife Barbara and children Dominique, Ivan and Grier for their support and
allowing me the opportunity to make this possible.