Crime Scene Photography Exam #2

UCO Crime Scene Photography Exam #2 Flashcards Spring 2025

What does manual mode give you over your photographs?

Absolute control

What are Dr. Cain’s rules for manual mode?

• Low ISO for bright areas, high ISO for dark areas

• Low f-stop for when less is in focus, high f-stop for when more is in focus

• Low shutter speed for static subjects, high shutter speed for moving subjects

• Court does not care what settings you use as long as you accurately portrays the scene

What are the different exposures a photo can be?

• Underexposed

• Perfectly exposed

• Overly exposed

What are differences in exposure referred to?

Stops

When is a photograph correctly exposed?

When the details are neither hidden in dark shadows nor washed out

What stop represents a properly exposed photo?

Zero (0)

What are the variables that affect exposure?

• Shutter speed

• Aperture

• ISO

• Lighting

What does ISO stand for?

International Organization for Standardization

What is the ISO indication of?

The sensor’s relative sensitivity to light

What is the max ISO on the Nikon Z50?

51,200

What ISO should be used on a bright sunny day?

100

How are fraction speeds indicated?

By fractions of a second (1/21, 1/50, etc.)

What mode holds the shutter open indefinitely?

Bulb

What produces dark noise?

Long, slow shutter speeds

What is dark noise?

Speckles within the photo

What type of movement affects clarity of photos?

• Photographer body movement

• Subject movement

• Camera movement

What is the aperture?

Size of the opening of the lens

How are aperture settings indicated?

By f/stops

How do you know how big the aperture opening is?

Smaller the number the larger the opening

What does a larger opening mean?

Lets in more light and creates a shallower depth of field

What is depth of field?

The object or area within the photo which is in focus

When is a narrow depth of field good?

Portraits, not crime scenes

What is ambient lighting?

The light present at the scene

What are the ways to supplement light?

• Add electronic flash

• Intentionally add shadows

What light sources should be used to capture color accurately?

• Midday sunlight

• Electronic flash

What color tint do pictures taken in shade have?

Blue

What color tint will photos taken in the sunrise/sunset have?

Orange/red

What color tint will Tungsten light produce?

Yellow/amber

What color tint will fluorescent lights have?

Green

How can you correct the orange/red tint from the sunrise?

Using flash

What is the primary method to even lighting extremes in daylight?

Use fill flash

What is the preferred focus mode for crime scene photography?

Auto focus

Slower than what shutter speed requires a tripod?

1/60

What is the focus rule of thumb for focus?

The entire scene and all the evidence within it should be in focus

What is the resolution?

An imaging systems ability to reproduce object detail

What can resolution be influenced by?

• Type of lighting used

• Sensor pixel size

• Capabilities of the optics

What group determined the minimum resolution for examination photographs?

Scientific Working Group on Digital Technology

What is the minimum resolution recommended for examination quality photographs?

8 megapixels

What is acutance?

The camera’s ability to render a sharp edge of the subject as a sharp edge in the photograph

What is sharpness?

The overall image is in focus and the light coming in is at exactly the right point

What is the problem with auto focus?

It generally focuses the camera on the object in the center on the view-finder

What are difficult items to focus on?

• Subject matters that lack detail

• Objects in dim light conditions

• Bright lights or strongly back lit scenes

• When nearby and distant elements are near the center of viewfinder

• When two distinct types of subject matter are near each other

How can you adjust the focus in auto focus?

• Center the viewfinder on the object

• Depress the shutter release halfway

• Re-frame the scene and press the shitter button all the way

What is focal length?

Distance in mm between the optical center of lens and sensor when camera is focused on infinity

What type of lens can change focal lengths?

Zoom lens

What focal length are the Nikon Z50?

16mm - 50mm

What is lens speed?

Refers to the capabilities of the adjustable diaphragm within

What are lenses designated by?

Their widest aperture length

What is considered a normal lens?

50mm

What is the closest focusing distance of a 50mm lens?

18 inches

What does a micro (macro) lens do?

Magnifies small objects to fill the frame of a photograph

What is VR?

Vibration reduction

What are the cardinal rules of crime scene photography?

• Fill the frame

• Maximize depth of field

• Keep the film plane parallel

How do you maximize the depth of field?

By selecting the smallest sperture opening while still properly exposing the image

What is depth of field?

The variable range, from foreground to background, of what appears to be in sharp focus

What is the one third rule in depth of field?

Focus one third of the way into the scene to maximize the DOF

What is the depth of field focus rule for crime scene photography?

The rule of half

What is the rule of half?

Focus at a distance that appears to be midway between the top and bottom of the composed scene

When does your depth of range collapse?

As you get closer

When do you use program mode?

Reciprocal exposures and bracketing

What does program mode decide for the photographer?

Aperture and shutter speed

What are the steps of program mode?

• Set the camera in P mode

• Set ISO using the menu

  • Note the aperture and shutter speed selected

What are reciprocal exposures?

Combination of the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO

What is bracketing?

The intentional overexposure and underexposure of succeeding photos, taken from the same position, to ensure at least one of the images is properly exposed

What does the circular polarizer filter do?

Eliminates reflection or glare on a variety of surfaces