Forensic Photography - Week 8 Exam Revision

Vocabulary flashcards covering forensic photography principles, lighting techniques, camera settings, filters, evidence documentation sequences, and crime scene protocols.

Forensic photography

The use of photography to document crime scenes, evidence, injuries, and other information relevant to a criminal investigation.

Photographic log

A formal record documenting when, where, and by whom crime scene photographs were taken.

Original preservation requirement

The legal and procedural mandate that original photographs must never be deleted and must be retained alongside any enhanced versions to maintain evidence integrity.

45° lighting

A lighting technique positioning one or two light sources at approximately $45^\bot$ ($45^\flat$ or $45^\bullet$) to the evidence to minimise shadows, provide even illumination, and document shape and size.

10° lighting

Illumination positioned almost vertically and close to the camera's viewing axis, producing minimal surface shadows and texture to reveal general appearance without emphasizing irregularities.

Oblique lighting

Illumination directed from a low angle nearly parallel to the surface, creating pronounced shadows across raised and recessed areas to highlight surface texture and shallow impressions.

Bounce lighting

A technique directing light onto a reflective surface that redirects it toward the evidence, creating soft illumination, low contrast, and reduced glare and harsh shadows.

Diffused lighting

A technique where light passes through a scattering material to soften shadows, reduce reflections, and provide even illumination, commonly used for reflective objects and injuries.

Transmitted lighting

A method of directing light through evidence from behind or underneath, creating a bright background and revealing details within thin or translucent objects.

Aperture

The size of the opening inside the lens through which light passes, expressed as an f-stop, where smaller f-numbers indicate larger openings.

Depth of field

The range of distances within a photograph that appear acceptably sharp, which deepens when using a smaller aperture (larger f-number).

Shutter speed

The camera setting that controls the duration of time the image sensor is exposed to light, measured in seconds or fractions of a second.

ISO

The sensitivity of the camera's image sensor to light, increasing brightness via electronic amplification rather than physical light gathering, with $200$ identified as a standard forensic setting.

Polarising filter

A photographic filter used to reduce reflections and glare from surfaces such as vehicle windows, enhance colours, and improve visibility of obscured interiors.

UV photography

A specialised imaging system using ultraviolet wavelengths to enhance details not readily visible in ordinary photographs, such as faint bruising on skin.

Infrared (IR) photography

Photography using wavelengths outside the visible spectrum to reveal differences between materials, such as marks on clothing, altered writing, or blood on dark surfaces.

Coloured filters

Filters that selectively transmit specific wavelengths while blocking others to enhance contrast between evidence and background, suppress background colours, or assist fluorescence photography.

Exterior crime scene photography

The initial photographic phase that establishes scene context and entry/exit paths by capturing the building, surroundings, doors, windows, landscape, and aerial views.

Four-corners approach

An interior photography technique where photographs are taken from each corner toward the room's interior to document spatial relationships relative to walls, doors, and furniture.

Overview photograph

One of the four essential evidence photographs; it captures the entire scene as it was initially observed to answer where the scene is located.

Mid-range photograph

One of the four essential evidence photographs; it shows the evidence item in direct relation to its immediate surroundings to establish contextual position.

Close-up photograph

One of the four essential evidence photographs; it documents the detailed visual appearance of an individual piece of evidence without a scale.

Close-up photograph with scale

One of the four essential evidence photographs; it incorporates a measuring device positioned on the same plane as the object to document its true dimensions accurately.

ABFO No. 2 scale

A right-angled measuring device identified in the lecture as particularly useful for injury photography.

Homicide scene body documentation requirement

The forensic mandate requiring that the victim's body must be photographed from a minimum of $5$ angles.

Exterior vehicle photography requirement

The standard protocol requiring $8$ exterior photographs: direct front, direct rear, direct left side, direct right side, and one $45^\bot$ view from each of the four corners.

Accident scene overview requirement

The protocol requiring $6$ overview photographs: two from each side in line with the vehicle axles, and one from each end.

Ninhydrin-developed prints photography

The specific forensic technique of photographing ninhydrin-treated prints using a green filter to selectively improve contrast.

Footwear impression photography protocol

The procedure requiring a tripod positioned directly above the impression, camera parallel to the surface, scale at identical depth, and oblique lighting from at least $3$ angles.