PHOTOG

PHOTOGRAPHY
 The art or process of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the
chemical action of light.
 It is a method of recording images by the action of light or related radiations
on a sensitive material

Etymology of the word PHOTOGRAPHY:

Photography is derived from the Greek words: “PHOTOS” which means
light and
“GRAPHEIN” which means to draw

Literarally photography means Light Writing

TWO DIVISIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A. POLICE PHOTOGRAPHY – is the study of the general practices , methods
and steps in taking pictures of the crime scene physical things and other
circumstances that can be used as criminal evidences or for law enforcement
purposes.
B. FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY – the field covering the legal application of
photography in criminal jurisprudence and criminal investigations. It is a
branch of forensic science dealing with the:
1. Study of fundamental but pragmatic principles/concepts of photography
2. Application of photography in law enforcement
3. Preparation of photographic evidence needed by prosecutors and courts
of law
 PHOTOGRAPH VS. PICTURE

A picture is a representation
A photograph is an image or image on a surface
produced through the action especially as a work of art.
of light Example: painting, drawing,
print or photograph
A photograph of the crime scene is a factual reproduction and accurate record
of the crime scene because it captures TIME, SPACE AND EVENT. A
photograph is capable of catching and preserving the:
SPACE - the WHERE of the crime (Locus Criminis)
TIME – the WHEN of the crime
EVENT – the WHAT of the crime – what is the nature or character of the
crime?
IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE
FIELD OF PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Johannes Kepler – first person to coin the word CAMERA OBSCURA IN

1604, and in 1609, kepler further suggested the use of a lens to improve the
image projected by a camera obscura.
2. In 1664-1666 Isaac Newton discovers that the white light is composed of
different colors.
3. In 1727, Professor J. Schulze mixes chalk, nitric acid, and silver in a flask;
notices darkening on the side of the flask exposed to sunlight; accidental
creation of the first photo-sensitive compound.
4. In 1826-27, Joseph Nicephore Niepce took eight (8) hours to obtain the first
fixed or permanent image combining the camera with photosensitive compound.
5. Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre, inventor of the first practical process of
photography. Daguerre developed a more convenient and more effective method
of photography, naming it after himself the Daguerreotype. This process take 30
minutes of exposure.
6. In 1841, William Henry Fox Talbot patented the calotype process – the first
negative–positive process making possible the first multiple copies.
7. In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer introduced the collodion process . This
process was much faster than the conventional methods, reducing exposure
times to two or three seconds, thus opening up new horizons in photography.
8. In 1858, Nadar (Gaspard-Felix Tournachon) made the first aerial photograph
of paris from a hot air balloon.
9. In 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes invented the stereoscopic viewer.
10. In 1861, Scottish physicist James Clerk-Maxwell demonstrates a color
photography system involving three black and white photographs, each taken
through a red, green, or blue filter. The photos were turned into lantern slides
and projected in registration with the same color filters. This is the color
separation method.
11. In 1871, Richard Leach Madox invented the gelatin dry plate silver bromide
process – negatives no longer had to developed immediately.
12. In 1877, Eadweard Muybridge paved the way for motion picture
photography.
13. In 1884, George Eastman introduced the flexible, paper-based photographic
film. Four years later he introduced the box camera, and photography could
now reach a much greater number of people. He also patented the the Kodak
Roll-Film Camera.
USES OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN POLICE WORK

 Identification files - Criminals, missing persons, lost property, licenses,

anonymous letters, bad checks, laundry marks, and civilian of personal
fingerprint. IF In the case of atomic attack or a catastrophe such as an
airplane crash, the fingerprints from a civilian file are proving helpful in
making positive identification
 Communication and microfilm files - Investigative report files, Accident files
transitions of photos (Wire Photo) Photographic supplements to reports.
With modern day electro photography machines accident reports can be made
in seconds and sold to insurance adjusters for nominal fees. An excellent
source of revenue for department is the sale of photographs of traffic
accidents to insurance companies and lawyers.
 Evidence- Crime scenes, traffic accidents, homicides suicides, fires, objects
of evidence, latent fingerprint traces. Evidence can be improved by contrast
control, by magnification and by visible radiation.

 Offender detection – Surveillance, burglar traps, confession, reenactment of

crimes intoxicated driver test. One of the newest applications of police
photography is to record on motion picture film arrests in which the suspect
offers resistance. The practice has been instituted by at least one metropolitan
law enforcement agency to counter charges of police brutality.
 Court exhibits- Demonstration enlargements, individual photos, projection
slides, motion pictures.

 Reproduction or Copying – Questionable checks and documents, evidential

papers, photographs, official records and notices.

 Personnel training- Photographs and films relating police tactics,

investigation techniques, mob control, and catastrophe situations.
 Crime and Fire prevention – Hazard lectures, security clearance, detector
devices, photos of hazardous fire, conditions made when fire prevention
inspection are made.

 Public relations – Films pertaining to safety programs, juvenile delinquency,

traffic education, public cooperation, and civil defense.
EARLY CRIMES INVOLVING PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
1. LUCO Vs. US – A photograph was used to prove that a document of a
title for a land grant was in fact a forgery.
2. BLAIR Vs. INHABITANTS of Pelham – First recorded use of accident
photography where a photograph was admitted as evidence in a civil suit
involving a train wreck
3. REDDEN Vs. GATES – The first case to hold that a relevant photograph
of an injured person was admitted in evidence.
4. PEOPLE Vs. JENNINGS – The use of fingerprint photographs for
identification purposes was approved
5. STATE Vs. THORP – UV photography was approved concerning a
picture of footprints in blood on a linoleum floor.
BACK
TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY
1. INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY – The recording of images formed by
infrared radiation. Because infrared is invisible, some special techniques
maybe needed. But, in general, most of the commonly required methods are
as simple as those of ordinary photography. These uses a special films that
are sensitive to infrared radiation. Infrared rays are invisible, have a longer
wavelength than visible light. They can penetrate haze that scatters the
waves of light. For this reason, infrared photographs often much clearer than
ordinary photographs. Pictures can be taken with infrared rays even at night
or in complete darkness.
USES OF INFRARED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. Questioned Documents – even crossed-out words or writings on a charred
piece of paper can be read if photographs of them are taken with infrared rays.
CHARRED DOCUMENT
2. Aerial Photography – For the mapping of terrestrial features, aerial
photographs usually are taken in overlapping series from an aircraft following a
systematic flight pattern at a fixed altitude. Each photograph depicts an area
that includes several control points, the locations of which are determined by
ground-surveying techniques.
Aerial Photography
a. Infrared photography can enhance the contrast of the terrain.
3. Surveillance Photography
4. Detection of Gunshot Powder Burns
5. Detection of certain types of secret writings
6. It can differentiate inks, dyes, and pigments that appears visually the same
7. Fabrics that appear to be similar but have been dyed differently can be
identified by infrared.
8. It also reveals contents of sealed envelopes
9. It is also valuable in detecting stains on cloth, including blood stains that are
not visible to the eye.
10. Powder residues surrounding bullet holes in cloth. Even when the fabric is
dark in color or bloodstained, maybe made visible by infrared.
PRODUCTS OF INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY
 FINAL RESULT

ORIGINAL
OTHER USES OF INFRARED
a. Used in medicine to inspect damage to veins and healing beneath scabs
b. Faults in the weaving of textiles show up in infrared photography.
2. ULTRAVIOLET PHOTOGRAPHY - process that records the glow or
visible light given off by certain substances when they are irradiated by
ultraviolet rays. The exclusively ultraviolet irradiation is accomplished by
means of a filter at the light source; another filter, placed over the camera lens,
absorbs the reflected ultraviolet rays, permitting only the visible light
(fluorescence) from the object itself to be recorded on the film. Normal lenses
and either black-and-white or color film are used.
Fluorescence photography can identify dyes, stains, and markings, specific
chemical substances, and fluorescent components in microscope specimens.
Some materials will absorb ultraviolet, while others will reflect these
radiations. Some have partial reflection. These effects can be recorded
photographically using ultraviolet radiation. Black and white films are sensitive
to most wavelengths of ultraviolet. By using a filter that absorbs all visible light
but passes ultraviolet, it is possible to make a photographic exposure with just
ultraviolet.
USES OF ULTRAVIOLET IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. Try ultraviolet photography after visible light techniques and infrared light
techniques fail (questioned documents, etc.)
2. Fingerprints on multi-colored surfaces (dust with fluorescent powder or ninhydrin)
3. Body secretions such as urine, semen and perspiration often glow when illuminated
by ultraviolet light.
Dark Cat urine
illuminated by
UV light
Human Urine illuminated by
UV light

Seminal Stain illuminated

by UV light
seen under Visible Light Seen under a UV Light
4. Money and other valuables can be dusted or marked to identify thieves
5. Photographing invisible ink.
 Secret writings
revealed when UV
light (black light)
is applied
Reflective UV Photography will show bruising or bite marks that are no longer
visible
Bruises in the face is revealed when reflective UV photography
is applied
3. X-RAY PHOTOHRAPHY – is widely used in medicine, industry, and
science. It is quite different from ordinary photography. X-rays are invisible
electromagnetic waves. They behave much like visible light. But they can pass
through things such as wood, cardboard, and flesh, which light cannot
penetrate.
4. PHOTOMICROGRAPHY – it combines a camera with microscope.
Pictures can then be taken of things to small to be seen with the naked eye. A
photograph through a microscope is called photomicrograph. It is the practice
of photographing very small objects in order that they may be seen in comfort.
5. MICRO-PHOTOGRAPHY (A.K.A. MICRO-FILMING) – this is the
photography made on a vastly reduced scale, to be observed using a
microscope or projected using a magic lantern. Though George Shadbolt is
credited with being the inventor of microphotography, the first known example
was by John Benjamin Dancer, in 1839, when he produced photographs 15mm
in diameter.
The term should not be (but often is) confused with photomicrography; the
micro-photographic process is taken to mean a substantial reduction of the “real
thing” either for archival, portability or clandestine purposes.
Micro-photography is the production of photographs in which the image of an
object is reproduced much smaller than it actually is. It is the opposite of
photomicrography.
6. MACROPHOTOGRAPHY – photography of a subject where the image is
recorded in the same or larger than actual size. It is the process of obtaining a
magnified photograph of a small object without the use of a microscope, by
using a short focus lens or macro lens/close-up lens and a long bellow
extension.
 Summary Table

Type of Photography Image Produced Magnification

Magnification of very minute objects by the use of microscope;

Photomicrography photomicrograph
photography of objects under a microscope

Micro-photograph/ Image/photograph produced is smaller than it actually is.

Micro-photography
microfilm (Photograph is very small in size)

Magnification of a small object without the use of microscope;

Macro-photography
Macro-photograph photograph of the subject is recorded in the same or larger than
actual size
 

Principle involved in Photography

In photography, the light writes when it strikes minute crystals of light sensitive
surfaces (films and photographic papers), a mechanical device (camera) and
chemical processing (film development and printing). As a process,
photography is the method of using light to produce identical image of an
object that can be preserved permanently by employing:

 camera: camera use to regulate, absorb and filter light

 film and any sensitized material to record light
BASIC TERMINOLOGIES

1. Light – radiant energy that makes things visible are classified by the
wavelength into a system known as the electromagnetic spectrum.
2. Photon-Electromagnetic Radiation – energy wave produced by the
oscillation or acceleration of an electric charge.
3. Electromagnetic Spectrum – whole range of radiant energy that includes
radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, visible light, UV light, x-rays and
gamma rays.
4. Visible Spectrum – a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum where the
visible light is found; the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that affects
the human sense of light.
5. Visible light – radiation with wavelength ranging from 400mu to 700mu.
6. Wavelength – distance between two peaks of a light wave.
7. Frequency – number of complete waves per unit of time; used in measuring
the speed of light

8. Reinforcement – 2 crest meet, the crest of 2 waves have combined to form a

high crest.

9. Annulment of Waves – 2 waves meet or interfere, they reinforce one another

at some points and annul one another at either points (crest of one wave
interfere with the trough of another)
TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHIC RAYS

1. X-RAYS – are radiations or electromagnetic energy having a wavelength

between 10 to 30 nanometers or milli-microns. They are produced by
passing an electric current through a special type of vacuum tube. Opaque
objects to the naked eye can be penetrated by using x-rays.
2. ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS – are radiations having a wavelength of 30 to 400
milli-microns. It is used to photograph fingerprints on multi-colored
background, documents that are altered chemically or overwriting, and
detection of secret writings.
3. VISIBLE LIGHT RAYS – are rays having a wavelength of 400 to 700 milli-
microns. The range of visible light are interpreted as colors to the human eye
which consists of mixture of light of various wave lenghts when light falls on
any object it maybe reflected which affects the human eye; absorbed producing
darkness; or transmitted when light strikes a transparent material.

4. INFRARED RAYS – are radiations having a wavelength of 700 to 1000

milli-microns. It is used in taking photographs of obliterated writings, burnt, or
dirty documents or blackout document. Infrared is an invisible ray which is
adjoined to the red spectrum.
SOURCESOF LIGHT
1. NATURAL LIGHT – are light which come to existence without the
intervention of man. It is mainly used in outdoor photography. The source of
the daylight is the sun. The lighting contrast depends upon the sunlight
available in the daylight, when clouds do not cover the sun, then, the contrast
is high, on the contrary, if clouds cover the sun the contrast is low:
Some Factors Affecting the Color of Daylight:
 Atmospheric vapor
 Atmospheric dust
 Reflected light reached the objects and not directly coming from the
source.
Daylight maybe classified according to its intensity:
 Brightsunlight – the source of light is not covered as a result the subject will
produce a strong shadow and the object/subject appears glossy in open space
due to direct sunlight and reflected light.
 Hazy sunlight – the sun is covered by the clouds and the shadow appears bluish
because of the decrease of light falling on the subject in open space. The
shadow cast is transparent to the eye and more details are visible under this
lighting condition than in bright sunlight.
 Dullsunlight – the sun is totally covered by thick clouds. No shadow is cast due
to the uniform illumination of lights all around the subject in open space.
2. ARTIFICIAL LIGHT – lights which are man-made. It is utilized in indoor
photography. Some of the artificial lights are electronic flash, photoflood lamp,
fluorescent lamp, and Infrared and Ultra-Violet lamp.
MEDIUMS OF LIGHT
Objects that influence the intensity of light as they may reflect absorb or
transmit. Mediums of light maybe classified as:
 TRANSPARENT OBJECTS – mediums that merely slow down the speed of
light but allow to pass freely in other respects, transmit 90% or more of the
incident light. 
 TRANSLUCENT OBJECTS – mediums that allow light to pass through it in
such a way that the outline of the source of light is not clearly visible,
transmit 50% or less of the incident light.
 OPAQUE OBJECTS – A medium that divert or absorb light, but does not
allow lights to pass though, they absorb most of the light while reflecting
some of it.
SPEED OF LIGHT

Even an electric light appears to glow immediately it is switched on, a small

but definite time lag occurs between the light coming on and the
electromagnetic radiation entering our eyes. In a room, this time lag is too short
to be noticeable, but for distant objects like stars, the lag is thousand of years.
Even light from the moon, which is relatively close to earth, experiences a time
lag of one second. The speed of light, measured in a vacuum is 299, 792.5
km/sec (approximately 186,281 miles/sec / 186,000).
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT

When light falls on any material, these things may occur:

 The light is reflected
 The light is absorbed The RAT
LAW
 The light is transmitted
 The light is refracted
 The light is diffracted
REFLECTION
Occurs whenever an object changes the direction of a light wave but does not
allow the wave to pass through it. The light maybe specular or diffused. When
light strikes the surface and rebound it is said to be reflected, and it is called
incident light. The angle at which it strikes is called incident angle. If the
surface is so smooth and polished that the reflected rays are reflected at the
same angles as they strike the term is specular radiation.
 Rays are reflected at the same angles as they strike.
 When reflect light is scattered by rough surface, it is called diffused.
 Reflection of light in a mirror

According to the law of reflection, images are reflected from a smooth surface, such as a
mirror, at the same angle (θ2) as the incidence angle (θ1). When the eye “sees” an object in
three-dimensional space in a mirror, it is actually viewing an image along sight lines created
by the reflection of light from the surface of the mirror.
For a smooth surface the angle of incidence (θ1) equals the
angle of reflection (θ2), as measured with reference to the
normal (line perpendicular) to the surface.

When light strikes rough surfaces, it reflects at many angles.

This diffuse reflection enables illuminated objects to be seen
from almost any line-of-sight location.

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ABSORPTION
Occurs when light falls on an object and is neither transmitted nor refracted, it
is absorbed. Opaque objects divert or absorb light but do not allow light to pass
through, they absorbs most of the light while reflecting some of it.

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TRANSMISSION
This phenomena occurs when light strikes a transparent or translucent object
where the rays of light is transmitted on the other side.

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REFRACTION
The bending of light rays when passing obliquely from one medium to another
such as air through a substance of different density is refracted or bent. The law
of refraction states that:
 When light strikes a transparent medium (w/ greater density) at an oblique
angle, refraction is toward the normal.
 When light strikes a transparent medium (w/ lesser density) at an oblique
angle, refraction is away from the normal.
 When light strikes a transparent medium at a perpendicular angle, there is no
refraction.
HOME
DIFFRACTION
Phenomenon that occurs when light rays deviate from a straight course when
partially cut off by a medium or passing near the edges of an opening; a
phenomenon occurring when waves of light diverge/separate as they pass the
edge of an opaque object or through a small hole; it is the bending of light
around an object responsible for the partial illumination of objects parts not
directly in the path of light.
HOME
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY COLORS
The three primary colors in light are red, green and blue. White light can be
made by mixing red, blue and green. The process of making colors by mixing
primary colors of light is called addition, because one color is added to another.
Colors made by combining two primary colors are called secondary colors.
They are yellow (red and green), cyan (blue and green) and magenta (blue and
red). When the primary colors are mixed in different proportions any color at
all can be produced.
Painted objects do not produce their own light, they reflect light, when objects
look red, because it is reflecting only red light to our eyes. To do this, it
absorbed the other primary colors in the white light it is reflecting. It absorbed
green and blue and reflects red.
COLORS OF LIGHT FOUND IN VISIBLE SPECTRUM

Visible Spectrum - a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum where the

visible light is found, the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that affect the
human sense of sight. Visible light includes all those radiation having a
wavelength ranging from 400 – 700 mu.
Primary Colors Approximate Wavelength
Red (longest wavelength) 700 mu
Blue 450 mu
Green 550 mu
Complementary Colors Approximate Wavelength
A. Magenta (shortest wavelength) 400
B. Cyan 500
C. Yellow 590

Neutral Color
Gray
White
Black
COLOR MIXING
 
1. Color Addition
R+B+G = W
R+B= M M+Y= R
R+G= Y M+C= B
B+G= C Y+C= G
 
2. Color Subtraction
W-R= C W-C=R C-G=B
W-B=Y W-Y=B Y-G=R