Forensic photography
Knowing that crucial information for an investigation can be found at a crime scene, forensic photography is a form of documentation[1] that is essential for retaining the quality of discovered physical evidence.
Such physical evidence to be documented includes those found at the crime scene, in the laboratory, or for the identification of suspects.
Forensic laboratories generally use infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), X-Ray, or laser radiation in addition to cameras and microscopes, to represent details that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.
If any evidentiary photographs are to be taken for use in a critical comparison examination at a later time, guidelines must be followed in accordance with the best practices of digital evidence.
These logs must be maintained within a case file or incident report, as they are a part of the examination record and discoverable material at trial.
[7] External flash units are helpful tools when responding to a crime scene and for the proper documentation of evidence.
The tools required to properly document the crime scene include:[8] The images must be clear and usually have scales.
They serve to not only remind investigators of the scene, but also to provide a tangible image for the court to better enable them to understand what happened.
Inclusion of photographs in a court case can not only impact the perceived veracity of evidence by jurors, but also the verdict and length of a sentence given.
Overall images do not have scales and serve to show the general layout, such as the house where the murder is thought to have occurred.
Secure Digital Forensic Imaging methods may be applied to help ensure against tampering and improper disclosure.
If they are suspected to create a prejudice in the jury for things like an unnecessary amount of gore, then a judge can deem a photo inadmissible.
[11] Crime or accident scene photographs can often be re-analyzed in cold cases or when the images need to be enlarged to show critical details.
The set of photographs taken a few days after the accident have been re-analyzed in 1999–2000 by digitalizing them and enlarging the files to show critical details.
The re-analyzed pictures shed new light on why the bridge fell, suggesting that design flaws and defects in the cast iron columns which supported the centre section led directly to the catastrophic failure.
Alternative explanations such as that the bridge was blown down by the wind during the storm that night, or that the train derailed and hit the girders are unlikely.
ProPublica "asked leading statisticians and forensic science experts to review methods image examiners have detailed in court transcripts, published articles and presentations.
The experts identified numerous instances of examiners overstating the techniques’ scientific precision and said some of their assertions defy logic.
