CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY  PURPOSE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF THE CASE TO RECORD FACTS TO SUPPLEMENT FACTS

To provide information which will assist in the investigation  Provides the investigator with an accurate, pictorial representation of the appearance and position of objects at the scene  Aids in questioning suspects and witnesses  Presents the judge and jury with an accurate picture of the scene

RECORDING FACTS  Describes better than words  Proves statements  Records items that may be overlooked  Refreshes the memory

SUPPLEMENTS FACTS  Position of the body  Description of injuries or damage  Location of body or objects  Measurements  Gives the impression of careful observation

PHOTOGRAPHY  It allows the court and the jury to obtain an accurate and lucid understanding of specific situations  Photographic evidence may be stored indefinitely and be readily available when needed

PHOTOGTAPHY  It provides the investigator with a visual record of the crime scene and objects related to the investigation. When these are viewed under favorable conditions in conjunction with his notes, they may help him to recognize an overlooked or a condition that may furnish the key to the case.

WHEN TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS  AS SOON AS THE INVESTIGATION PERMITS  BEFORE THE BODY OR ANY OBJECT IS MOVED OR DISTURBED

Crime Scene Photography Equipment  Having the right equipment on hand will make documenting a crime scene less problematic  At the very least, you should have… Camera body Wide-angle lens Flash unit Tripod Rulers/scales (6” & 12”) Flashlight Lens cleaning cloth Notebook & pencil Adequate supply of film Adequate digital storage (if applicable_ Extra batteries

3 Rules of Investigative Photography  If it’s worth looking at, it’s worth photographing  Photograph everything before it is moved or altered  Document evidence with three shots: long-range, medium-range, and close-up

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT EACH PHOTOGRAPH TO SHOW  CLASSIFICATIONS OF PHOTOS GENERAL VIEWS (long range) MEDIUM VIEWS (10-20 FT) CLOSE-UP VIEWS (4-6 FT) EXTREME CLOSE-UP (>1 FT)  KEEP IN MIND NATURE OF OFFENCE

GENERAL VIEWS  Surrounding territory  Identity of the locality  Aid to orient a jury as to surroundings

MEDIUM VIEWS  Taken within ten to twenty feet of the objects  Shows the specific object desired  Is of sufficient size to tie objects to general view  Includes objects which may be seen in general view

CLOSE-UP  Clearly shows an item of interest (Gun, Knife, tool marks on window, footprints, etc)  Generally taken at a distance of 4-6 ft. (should include some identifiable object in general view)

EXTREME CLOSE-UP  Taken at one ft or less (shows characteristics too small to be seen or recognized in any previous photo)  Contains rule or scale (should be placed by object but not obscure detail)  Requires correct lighting (Photoflood, flash, or time exposure)

What Photographs Should be Taken?  Location of the victim, perpetrator, objects of interest, & any witnesses when you arrive on the scene  Point-of-view of witnesses, victims, perpetrator, etc.  Injury or damage to people or items  Implements or contraband  Debris, tire tracks, tool marks, fingerprints, palm prints, & footprints

 Any likely entry/exit routes If you encounter evidence that would lead you to believe that a suspect/victim moved through a certain area, photograph it  overall shots of the crime scene should be taken from a standing position  this allows the photographer to be able to testify as to the approximate height of the camera should that question come-up during cross-examination

Rules of Thumb  Color film, B&W film, as well as digital images are acceptable  Be sure to show objects in relation to one another This is one of the reasons why all items are photographed at least 3 times  Anything that does not appear in the viewfinder or the LCD display will most likely not appear in your finished image

 If you cannot take a picture form a certain position, it is better to move farther away from the subject than closer to it Keeps the item in the proper context of the crime scene

 Do not use camera positions that may lead to misrepresentation of the subject  Do not “re-touch” negatives in the darkroom  Do not conduct any digital modification that goes beyond simple “enhancement”

Film Selection  Select the “speed” of your film based on the lighting conditions at the scene  Remember, higher ISO films (800, 1200, etc) are more sensitive & will absorb light faster  ISO 400 film is preferred in twilight situations where there is some light, but it is not full daylight  ISO 100 color negative film is the best for general crime scene work

 Many digital cameras have an ISO selection setting that adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor in a way that mimics film sensitivity  Slow speed B&W films are ideal for situations where detail is more important than color Photos of shoe & tire impressions for example  Do not always count on color films … they are designed to produce a pleasing rendition rather than an accurate one

Handling the Camera  When holding the camera by hand, you will need to use a shutter speed of 1/60s or faster to compensate for “shaking” Hand-shake is magnified in close-up work Tripods are very useful in these instances  Focus the camera 1/3 of the way into the shot to get the maximum depth of field  If feasible, use a tripod or some other firm support to balance/stabilize your camera This will allow you to set-up shots without having to worry about camera shake

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Number of photographs No simple answer Better to overshoot Time may be a concern Experience will answer the question A number of important photographs should be made at each scene

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Important Photographs Location First photos should be overall shots of the crime scene  Interior & exterior photographs  Location of doors and windows  Surrounding area  Aerial photographs (in some cases)

Indoor Overall Shots  “Four Corner’s” Method When taking overall shots of a room, a good way to get adequate coverage is to stand in one corner at a time and take a picture facing the opposite corner  If you are photographing a room, be sure to take a picture that shows the view that someone would have looking through the doorway

How many pictures do I need?  Take as many picture as you think are necessary  Rule: It is always better to take too many pictures than not enough  Remember, the scene is destroyed after evidence is collected so even if you don’t think something is critical, it’s better to photograph it anyway

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Important Photographs Witness Photographs  Depict scene as observed by witness  Victim as viewed from number of locations  Designed to tell a story  To relate what location looked like to someone not present  Overlapping photographs  Long range and intermediate range to show perspective and relative location

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Important Photographs Close-up photographs  Used to further clarify the scene  Show as Item actually appears  Show with ruler included  Film plane parallel to object  Can produce 1:1 photographs

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Important Photographs Evidence photographs  Photograph all evidence  Prior to removal or change of location  Additional photographs as search progresses and new evidence discovered

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Photograph as completely as possible  Include Areas where crime took place All adjacent areas Overview of scene Points of exit and entry The entire room (indoors)

PHOTOGRAPHING A HOMICIDE  Overall photos of interior & exterior of location  Overhead photograph of body before it’s moved Obviously you will not always be able to be directly over the body, but try & get as close as possible  Photos of body from 4 compass points

 Make sure to get photos of: Close-up of face Close-ups of any wounds/bruises Close-ups of any tattoos, piercings, scars, or other identifying marks Blood spatter/stains found at the scene Point of view of witness Point of view of victim  If it can be established View in & out of points of entry/exit  Windows & doors Overall & close-ups of any weapons  Be sure to include the serial number of any firearms

 Close-ups of evidence  Latent fingerprints developed at the scene  Footwear/tire impressions  After body is removed, photograph the area where it was found

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Photographing evidence Position and location relative to scene Close up views (to record detail) Place ruler in picture to record relative size of evidence

PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE  Video Becoming increasingly popular Price lower Include entire scene and surrounding area Take in slow systematic manner Have someone narrate (be careful of sound) Does not replace still photography

Photographing a Recovered Vehicle  Overall exterior views from all four sides  Close-ups of front & rear license plates  Close-ups of VIN & inspection/service stickers Plate located inside driver’s door VIN tag located inside front windshield  Overall views of vehicle interior  Interior of trunk (boot)

 Interior of glove box & center console (if present)  Close-ups of evidence before it is removed  All tires including spare Attempt to photograph the size of the tire, printed on the wall Photograph the tread pattern at a 90 o angle  These photos can be obtained after the vehicle has been seized  Close-ups of odometer & speedometer  Overall exterior after search has been completed

Close-ups of Evidence  When taking close-up shots of specific items of evidence, you need to photograph the item at least twice Once without a scale or measuring device Once including a scale to show the size of the object  Get as close to the subject as possible & be sure to fill the frame with the object  Focus carefully being sure that the item & scale (if present) are clearly in focus  Pens, coins, & flashlights are not proper scales Use a photographic evidence scale or ruler

Evidence Markers  After taking overall photos of your crime scene, you can begin laying down photographic evidence markers next to items of evidence  You should coordinate the placement of these markers with the lead investigator Evidence numbers/letters should correspond to the evidence log sheet

 Evidence markers should only be placed next to objects that may be related to the crime  Remember that you need to take two close-up shots of any item  It is often a good idea to use evidence markers that have a scale printed on them This allows you to document the size of the object & its evidence identifier in one shot

Photographic Log  The photographic log is a very valuable tool that will allow the photographer to answer questions about his work while giving testimony  Given the large amount of time that can elapse between the processing of a scene & the case going to trial, relying on memory is not always the best way to answer questions

 Log has 2 purposes Recording general information about the case  Help jog photographer’s memory  Explain lighting conditions

 General case information to record: Photographer’s name Date, time of arrival on scene & time of departure Case # Investigating officer’s name Location/address Weather conditions Any unusual conditions or occurrences Make & model of camera Type of lens used ISO rating Megapixel rating (if using digital equipment) General sketch of scene & photographer’s location

 Specific information for each photo Photo # Description of subject Camera settings (shutter speed & f-stop)  If set to automatic, writing “auto” is sufficient  Any manual setting however must be noted Distance from subject Indicate whether or not a scale was used If a filter was used, indicate what type  Show on sketch where photographer stood for each shot

ADMISSIBILITY OF PHOTOGRAPHS  Testify that photograph accurately depicts area Color, scale, form  Must be in focus  Show relationships and distances between objects  Negatives retained  Rulers important to show size

ADMISSIBILITY  The object pictured must be material or relevant to the point in issue  The photograph must not appeal to the emotion or tend to prejudice the judge or jury