c
c


 


 
 Learning ectives
˜
entifthefourelementsofcrimescene
ocumentation.
˜
entifanexplainfourrecurringprolems
associatetocrimescenephotograph.
˜
entifanexplainthepurposeofthethree
asictpesofcrimescenephotographs.
˜ xplaintheproperuseofthevieocamera
incrimesceneocumentation.
crimecenerocessingctivities
˜
he six crime scene activities an their asic
orer are:
are:
ssessing
serving

Ô




p

earching
?


collecting
Y 

naling
 

 ocumenting
˜ Ô
  

 
  
  


   
 

 ocumenting
˜
here are four ke elements in crime scene
ocumentation, the are
are::
otes
hotographs
ketches
eports

˜achisimportantinitsownwa.achsupports
anastothevalueoftheother.
 crimecenehotograph
˜ crime scene photograph seeks to estalish
a visual recor of the conition of the scene
an the items present in it
it..
˜
his recor shoul lea the viewer from the
overall perspective to the etails of specific
oects..
oects
˜ lthough simple in concept, there are
recurring prolems associate to crime scene
photograph..
photograph
 ecurringrolemsinhotograph
˜ crime scene photograph has four recurring
prolems that etract from its value.
value.
hese
are::
are

entification
ssues
rientation
ssues
confusion
ssues

ncompleteocumentation
ssues
˜ n one of these issues can etract from the
viewers unerstaning of the scene.
scene.

entification
ssues
˜
entification issues involve creating
photographs where the viewer is lost in the
scene..
scene
hotographs are taken of items an the
photo fails to illustrate what it is in the
picture..
picture
r the photo ocumentation fails to
illustrate wh the photograph was taken
in the first place.
place.

entification
ssues
˜ Whatisthis?

˜ What was the

photographer tring to
capture?
 rientation
ssues
˜ rientation issues involve creating
photographs where the viewer is lost in the
scene or has no orientation
orientation..
hotographs are taken of an oect with
no scene reference (e
(e..g. Where is it in the
scene?)..
scene?)
hotographs are taken in which
orientation is not clear (e.g Which wa is
up?)..
up?)
 rientation
ssues
Whatsurfaceis
this?

Whichwaisup?
 confusion
ssues
confusion issues involve creating
photographs where the viewer is unclear of
which item is eing photographe or which
photo came first.
first.
hotographs show the scene in altere states
states..
hotographs show multiple similar items
with no wa to istinguish one from the
other..
other
his is particularl true when
photographing small oects like shell
casings an loostains
loostains..
 confusion
ssues

˜ Which photograph was first?

˜
s the coffee cup an alteration or the
original state?
˜ hoto logs help prevent this issue.
issue.

ncompleteocumentation
ssues
˜
ncomplete ocumentation occurs when
the crime scene team fails to capture
pertinent scene etails
etails..

oofewphotographsareexpose.
criticalareasofthesceneareforgotten.
˜ethoical scene processing techniques
help eliminate this issue.
issue.
 crimecenehotoLog
˜  crime scene photo log helps eliminate
man of the issues iscusse
iscusse..
˜
t is a written recor of photos, etailing
etailing::
ata..
ministrative ata
What time the photos were taken an in
what orer
orer..
What the show
show..
ther pertinent etails as eeme
necessar.
necessar.
 c




c
 Ä
Ä
ÄÄÔ    
 ÄÄ
c  

 p
  
Ä
Ä
 YÄÄ
 
  Y   
  Ô Ô
   



Ä       
 
p
    
!
 # 
"


         
Y

         
p
 Ä  
 

    Ä


    
 
! 
   
 



pesofcrimecenehotographs
˜
herearethreeasictpesofphotographs
usetoocumenteverscene.
heseare:

verallphotographs

vienceestalishingphotographs

vienceclose--upphotographs
vienceclose
 verallhotographs
˜ verall photographs are expose with a
wie angle lens or in a fashion that allows
the viewer to see a large area in the scene.
scene.
˜
heir function is to ocument the conition
an laout of the scene as foun.
foun.
˜
he help eliminate issues of susequent
contamination (e
(e..g. tracke loo,
movement of items).
items).
 verallhotographscontinue
˜
he are tpicall taken  shooting from
the four corners of the crime scene.
scene.
˜
hese four photographs will often capture
the entire scene.
scene.
˜
f not, aitional photographs from an
appropriate vantage point can e taken as
well..
well
hootingtheourcorners


 


 
c
Y

 


 
 verallhotographxample

m  m 

  

 verallhotographxample

m  m 



 
viencestalishinghotographs

˜ vience estalishing photographs are

tpicall expose with a 50
50mm
mm lens.
lens.
˜
heir function is to frame the item of
evience with an easil recognie
lanmark.
lanmark.
˜
his visuall estalishes the position of
the evience in the scene.
scene.
viencestalishinghotos continue

˜
he are the most overlooke
photograph in crime scene work.
work.
˜
he evience estalishing photograph is
not intene to show etails, simpl to
frame the item with a known lanmark in
the scene.
scene.
˜
he close-
close-up an the evience
estalishing photograph go han in han
han..
[seof thestalishinghoto

˜Where is this item in

the scene?

˜
he lue ackgroun
 itself might inicate
a numer of locations.
locations.
viencestalishing
xample



 




vienceclose--uphotographs
vienceclose

˜ vience close-
close-up photographs are
expose with a "macro" lens (50 50mm,
mm, 55
55mm
mm
or 105mm)
105mm)..
˜
heir function is to allow the viewer to see
all evient etail on the item of evience.
evience.
˜ ou have to get close an fill the frame with
the evience itself.
itself.
˜
he are taken with an without a scale
scale..
vienceclose--[pxample
vienceclose

˜
aken oth with an
without a scale of
reference..
reference

˜et close an fill the

frame of the camera.
camera.
vienceclose--[pxample
vienceclose

˜Ver important when

taking photos of small
items, whose etail
ma affect another
analsis..
analsis

˜nsure a goo focus,

make the picture
sharp..
sharp
 hotographethoolog

˜ ocument the entire scene 


 as soon as
possile using overall photographs
photographs..
˜ hotograph all fragile evience as soon as
possile..
possile
˜
n the ocumentation stage, photograph all
known evience using evience estalishing
an evience close-
close-up photos
photos..
˜ s items are iscovere in later stages, return
an ocument them full, incluing aitional
overall photographs if neee
neee..
hotographethoologcontinue

˜ create photographs that full emonstrate

the results of aitional examinations (e(e..g.
latent prints, loostain pattern analsis,
traector analsis)
analsis)..
˜ lwas use a film roll reference car on the
first shot of each roll to emonstrate amin
ata..
ata
˜ lwas use a crime scene photo log.
log.
 cameracontrol
ssues

˜ Qualit photographs require that the

investigator::
investigator
Know their equipment an e practice in
its use.
use.
[nerstan asic camera control, which
inclues::
inclues

hsical control of the camera

Light

ocus an epth of iel
iel..
hsicalcontrolofthecamera
˜ oo photograph starts with a stale camera
camera..
˜ t shutter spees 1/60 60th
th of a secon an
higher, the investigator can hol the camera.
camera.
[se a two-
two-hane grip
grip..
˜ t shutter spees of 1/3030th
th of a secon or less,
a tripo is necessar to stailie the camera.
camera.
˜ ome close-
close-up work will result in etter photos
when ou use a tripo at an shutter spee.
spee.
 controllingLight

˜ oo lighting is a must an is often missing in

crime scenes.
scenes.
˜
he est avice is to use fill-fill-flash techniques
techniques..

his reuces shaows an ensures sharp etail etail..
˜ Watch for over exposure when taking close- close-up
photographs with fill
fill--flash
flash..
iffuse the flash with ounce lighting, a
iffuser, or  using off camera flash
methos.
methos.
controllingocusanepthofiel
˜ ocus is a function of the photographer, know
what kin of focusing ring ou have an
practice with it
it..
˜
n ´smartµ cameras ou ma have to turn off
auto--focus features to get the proper focus
auto
point..
point
˜ [nerstan how to use the f
  to create
appropriate epth of fiel
fiel..
n overall an
evience estalishing photos, goo epth of
fiel is a must.
must.
controllingepthof ielWithf
ielWithf
 
 
 
 " 
 


à$f % à$f
$

   
 $

   

 Vieohotograph

˜ Vieo is a functional supplement to crime

scene ocumentation, ut oes not replace an
ocumentation prouct.
prouct.
˜
here are prolems encountere in crime scene
vieo, requiring certain precautions:
precautions:

urn off auio unless intening to narrate.
narrate.
on·t move, pan or oom the camera too quickl as
this results in arupt motion an a focus
focus..
[nless in sunlight alwas use a vieo stroe, never
use a flashlight to illuminate the scene.
scene.