Crime Scene Photography

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Depth of Field (DOF) refers to the distance between the closest and furthest elements in sight that can be perceived are passably sharp. Through the depth of field option, a photographer can opt to have the whole photo sharp. Similarly, they can also choose to emphasize the main subject and remove the focus away from the background. DOF is directly affected by several aspects in the camera. The aperture value (f-stop) refers to the diameter of the lens and determines the amount of opening. Consequently, larger apertures lead to shallower depth of fields and vice versa. Two, the focal length of the lens determines the extent of the DOF. Shorter lenses (between 35mm – 55mm) have a deeper depth of field compared to longer lenses that have equally longer focal lengths (Ogle, 2012).

Understanding how to manipulate DOF in shooting crime scenes is important since a good photographer must be able to decidewhen to include the things in the backgroundor blur them out completely.Crime scene photos are eventually considered as evidence in court and therefore, the photographer should be careful and not miss out any aspect of the crime scene. In court, the type of photographs presented by the crime scene specialist will become the basis for argument by the respective lawyers (Ogle, 2012). Consequently, a single picture may become the focal point upon which the verdict of a court case is hinged. Crime scene photographers also need to understand the relevance of depth of field since it determines the speed and direction of the investigation. Interfering with the DOF of a scene will result in misleading evidence that will disrupt the investigations. It may even make it impossible for the actual setting to be construed in the proper way.

Macro settings in a camera refer to the preset modes consisting of aperture, focus, and other device effects that can be loaded with a single button. However, the settings in macro mode are most effective for close up subjects. This makes them highly useful in shooting close up subjects such as a single flower (Ogle, 2012). Macro settings become very useful in crime scenes because of their ability to separate a specific subject from a multitude of possible subjects in a scene. Using eth ability to focus sharply, a photographer can then take close-up photos of minute evidence such as dust particles, chemical spills and even insects. Crime scene photographers also prefer macro setting since it eliminates the need for any special equipment. The only necessary item is a camera lens with a short focal length (Robinson, Richards, & Witzke, 2013). It also facilitates quick shooting which is useful in cases where the integrity of the crime scene becomes compromised quickly. Macro settings are preset according to different light scenes, aperture sizes, subject distances and even other effects. The accessibility and ease of taking close-up photographs makes it ideal for crime scenes.

The type of lens used in macro photography (close-up photography) is very important. The common lenses used include 45-65mm, 150-200mm and 90-105mm. The differences in these lenses are to make up for the difference in distance, motion, lighting and other environmental variables. Perfect results can be obtained by fitting a converter onto the lens. This is a secondary lens mounted on the camera and serving the purpose of enlarging the middle area of an image (Ogle, 2012). Similarly, they also use extension tubes that are small cylinders mounted between the camera and the lens. They allow the lens to extend beyond the designed length. Apart from extension tubes, one can also use bellows to achieve the same effect.

References

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Ogle, R. R. (2012). Crime scene investigation and reconstruction. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Robinson, E. M., Richards, G. B., & Witzke, D. (2013).Introduction to crime scene photography. Oxford: Academic PressBottom of Form

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