NCJ Number
216744
Journal
Evidence Technology Magazine Volume: 4 Issue: 5 Dated: September-October 2006 Pages: 34-37
Date Published
September 2006
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article briefly discusses the impact of lighting and contrast in relation to photography on good evidence collection/documentation.
Abstract
Many photographers believe that sunny days or bright sunlight makes good photographs. This is not necessarily the case. Bright sunlight is the hardest lighting to use for good evidence documentation. High-contrast lighting, such as sunlight, direct electronic flash, or undiffused incandescent lighting, often produces images with too dark shadows or too bright highlights. The missing detail in shadows or highlights of an image may be irretrievable and result in possible failure in the courtroom. This article discusses contrast and resolution and lighting sources to provide a better understanding to evidence photographers in the area of lighting and contrast with the end result, successful results in evidence documentation and in the courtroom.