NCJ Number
209402
Journal
Evidence Technology Magazine Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: January-February 2005 Pages: 28-31
Date Published
January 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes how to prepare photographs for the correct perspective and magnification in the courtroom.
Abstract
Many times attorneys preparing photographs for evidence in court will display 4 x 6 inch photographs from a projector. The problem with this approach is that the photographic evidence becomes skewed because the attorney did not take into account the optical laws of perspective and lens magnification. It is imperative that law enforcement personnel who provide photographic evidence to attorneys instruct them on how to properly present the evidence in court. The author compares the view from a camera with the view from the human eye, which differ in terms of magnification. This means that in order to portray the most accurate photographic evidence, the magnification of the camera lens and the width of the angle of view need to be taken into account when preparing photographs for court. A simple formula is presented that determines the relationship between the size of the print to be developed for court and the distance it should be from the observer: “FL x M = VD” (the focal length of the lens in inches times the magnification factor of the negative size of the image to whatever size it has been enlarged equals the viewing distance in inches). This formula allows a photograph’s perspective to match the eye’s magnification so that the viewer of the photograph can understand the size of the objects in the image and their distance from one another. Exhibits