Forensic Photography

As a crime scene investigator it is their job to collect all of the evidence in a timely manner. Although, there are ways to collect the evidence it is very important to make sure that the evidence is collected correctly and properly. Now as a crime scene investigator I have arrived on a crime scene where there is a lot of evidence that needs to be collected. All of the evidence that needs to be collect for the case is drying blood on the floor, a hand gun, several shell casings near the victim, and some hairs that is still in the deceased victim’s hand. Therefore, I would start by taking pictures of the entire crime scene to ensure that everything is documented as it was found before I start to remove any of the evidence. Furthermore, I would ensure that I am at all times wearing latex gloves so that I don’t leave my own finger

To record a crime scene, forensic scientist can use photography, drawings, and videography. Photographs are an important record of the unaltered crime scene, Drawings or sketches provides valuable information when a photograph cannot accurately depict the scale of a room or the relationship of items to each

Ethics, sometimes also known as moral philosophy, is basically not any legal rules but only a moral obligation or concept to define what is wrong or right. It deals with the value related to human behaviour with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions.

A photograph is a powerful tool for life. A single, unchanged image of reality can be utilized for a variety of situations. For one, one photograph could decide the lifestyle in the foreseeable future of a person that committed a crime. Furthermore, one photograph could reveal the horrors of a particular event. On another note, one photograph could hold heartwarming memories forever. In addition, one photograph could stir a controversy that will have people debating whether an entity is real or not. Overall, as Susan Sontag mentions in her book Photograph, “Photographs furnish evidence.”(Sontag); in other words, whether if it is, good, bad, or misinterpreted, one photograph can be used as evidence that something in fact happened or is real.

In the past, collecting digital evidence law enforcement was naïve, they would grab and go. This was later deemed not to

Evidence plays a vital role throughout criminal investigations. Typically, we think of evidence as things such as fingerprints, DNA, and fibers. However, evidence as evolved as the world of technology has expanded. Digital evidence also now plays just as much of an important role as traditional evidence. When beginning an investigation that involves digital evidence, it is important for the investigator to know what evidence to look for. Identification of evidence, collection including transportation of evidence and examination of evidence are the three main aspects of the process.

What potential sources of digital evidence do you find at a crime scene? First of all, what is digital evidence? Digital evidence is any information or data of value to an investigation that is stored on, received by, or transmitted by an electronic device. Also, Digital evidence or electronic evidence is any probative information stored or transmitted in digital form that a party to a court case may use at trial. Text messages, emails, pictures and videos, and internet searches are some of the most common types of digital evidence. Most criminals now leave a digital trail;

Quinn expresses a fundamental concern with the validity and objectivity of journalism with the coming of the digital age, and the increasing role that digital/information technology plays in media that reports or represents reality. Quinn begins his 2004 paper with the mention of the transition of non-digital/traditional photography into mainly digital photography with respect to journalism. More than just the changing of the photographic platform and format, Quinn notes the role that computer software that specializes in photographic manipulation in journalism. Early on, he contends, "Technical advancement has helped photojournalism be more effective in may ways, but has also created ethical challenges in making deception expeditious and less transparent." (Quinn, 2004, 1) The article explores this ethical quandary. Digital technology, photographic software, and digital manipulation are tightly integrated into modern photojournalism, among many other industries and fields. Quinn challenges readers to consider and explore the ethics of photographic manipulation and the implications upon perception. He presents the digital manipulation as having a positive and use; furthermore, that at this point in history and in the profession of photojournalism, it is unavoidable. Quinn clearly additionally presents the issue as loaded with negative ethical implications and

Instead of seeing the overall picture, Martin was under the impression that tracing his actions will be impossible. Admittedly, digital footprint is one of the cyber forensics close kept secret, which allow investigators to analyze data and trace actions performed while using any information systems in the military networks. In other words, even when Martin walked out from his workplace by hand carrying classified documents, cyber forensics can pin-point to the computer used to access specific website including date and time stamp. As a result, evidence collected on the digital media progressively documented and verified as part of groundwork prior to legal proceedings. Due to enhanced and efficient technologies developed nowadays, criminals in the digital world will face the law sooner than what they would expect

After crime scene logs he went over evidence, recognition of evidence with the class, and areas of possible evidence location. Some types of evidence that were covered were weapons, blood, body fluids, tools, etc. Following, diagrams were shown of how you are to record evidence visually by using scene diagrams for example right angle coordinate and straight line. Part of the evidence recognition includes photography procedures/ ‘painting with light’, methodology, and recording by the use of cameras which he explained in detail as he touched on photo equipment and lighting. For example, the use of different kinds of lighting to lift certain evidence was explained including the use of black light to view body fluid evidence. The idea of photo methodology includes the use of tools to measure evidence in photos and to do this accurately for labs. The ideal way to do this is to use a one to one

They have to make sure that before they entered the crime scene, nothing in the scene should have been moved. While they are going through a walk-through, they may have to construct theories about what happened in the crime scene based on visual examination. Investigators have to take photographs of the scene and will later on be collected. Taking photographs of the scene will help them solve the crime because there are some points of the investigation that investigators may have overlooked evidence, and that evidence could be found in the photographs. After taking photographs of the scene, they will start to collect clue and evidence that may lead them to their possible suspect(s). What they may find in the crime scene are fingerprints which can be done using colored powder and a brush, other thizngs such as blood, firearms, hair, glass and many more things that can be found in the crime scenes.

In April 2011, GAO, Government Accountability Office, reported that backlogs in the forensic analysis of digital evidence can delay or hinder online child pornography investigations. Among factors that federal law enforcement officials cited as limiting investigations and prosecutions were variations in the steps that agencies believe enhance the integrity of forensic analysis of digital evidence. In some cases, these steps may increase the time it takes to analyze evidence and add to backlogs and delays. (GAO High Risk & Other Major Government Challenges Balancing Fighting Crime Versus Terrorism)

The idea of law and order in this country isn’t a new one and, in fact, has taken a very long time to get to the point it is today. But it isn’t done changing or improving because with every new advancement and technology law must adapt to encompass these new gray areas and make them clear in the court of law. An example of a few large milestones in United States’ law that reflect such adaptability are the Federal Rules of Evidence; Federal Rules for Civil Procedure; and the Sedona Conference. Each of these milestones have made clear many issues and gray areas in the law. Issues in evidence collection and presenting as well as digital evidence collection are a few of the many subjects covered in these federal rules.

It is no secret that technology has changed the way that many things are done in our culture today. The legal world is no exception. When lawyers work on cases, there is usually a lot of reading involved. This takes a lot of time and a team of lawyers that is expensive to employ. Electronic Discovery (e-discovery) is technology that has cut down on this time and cost, and has significantly changed the legal world. It is software that can analyze documents and extract key words or phrases. In a case concerning CBS, lawyers and paralegals examined 6 million documents at a cost of $2.2 million. With the use of e-discovery, one company was able to examine 1.5 million documents for $100,000. E-discovery can help lawyers pick out words, phrases and it can even detect patterns in behaviors. This software is essential for the legal world because it could prove guiltiness through uncovering hidden activity of criminals who may otherwise not have been caught.

The photographer that is present at the crime scene is responsible for making one picture worth a thousand words. Photography plays an integral role in the documentation of physical evidence found at crime and accident scenes as well as during forensic autopsies. Forensic Photographers are among the first crime scene technicians to arrive at crime and accident scenes. They walk through a scene to obtain an overview before they begin taking photographs. Forensic Photographers apply their technical skills and their knowledge of anatomy and forensic requirements to take photographs that convey the information that crime scene, criminal, medico legal, or forensic investigators need documented. These