Crime Scene Investigation

Training Course Coming in September

The Field Evidence Technician Course from CA State University Long Beach is being offered again this September 12-23 in Costa Mesa CA. F.E.T is an excellent and comprehensive two-week training course in all things related to Crime Scene Investigation.

This is a great opportunity to receive top-notch, hands-on Crime Scene Investigation Training from some of the best professionals working in the field today.

Once again, the web site states, "This class is restricted to law enforcement employees only", but they have been known to make exceptions if you have a recommendation from an active Peace Officer and there is room in the class. They also accept students from all over the world.

Crime Scene Photography Class

A Forensic Photography class is being offered at Golden West College starting in January 2011.

This will be a Spring semester class covering a full range of topics from camera operation to photography of Murder scenes. This class features a combination of lecture and hands-on teaching that will give the students practical knowledge in Crime Scene Photography. Click the link for more information.

New CSI Training Class Available


A brand new Digital Crime Scene Photography class is now being offered through C.S.U.L.B Center for Criminal Justice. The first class is being offered in November at Carlsbad PD in Southern California with more dates and locations to be announced.


The class features a full three day hands-on format covering such topics as: the basics of photography, understanding your camera, burglary, homicide, and officer involved shootings, injury photographs, time exposures, painting with light, and many more. Visit their website here for more information.

Great Crime Scene Photography and CSI Training!

The International Association for Identification's Annual Education Conference in Tampa, FL was excellent. There was a huge variety of lectures and workshops covering many aspects of CSI work.

Ron Smith gave a very motivational football themed lecture on setting and following through your game plan for your "Team". He was just as inspirational, relevant, and humorous as always.

Most of the vendors of CSI supplies were present at the trade show portion of the event and I hope to highlight a few new products in the future.

If you have never attended this conference, you are missing out on a great opportunity to meet and learn from some of the world's best professionals in crime scene photography and crime scene investigation.

It's not too early to start making plans for next year's conference July 11-17, 2010 in Spokane, Washington.

Speaking of training, check out our sister blog, CSI:Crime Scene Investigator, for an upcoming CSI training opportunity.

When you stop learning, you die.

I'm off today for the International Association for Identification Annual Educational Conference in Tampa, FL.

This yearly conference provides superb lectures and workshops on everything CSI related. I'll be attending, teaching, and networking with other Crime Scene Investigators from around the world.

If you will be in Tampa, drop me a line. Be back in a week or so with an update and recap of the conference.

Happy Independence Day to all!

Here is a great tribute to America compliments of GoDaddy.
Happy Independence Day from GoDaddy.com!

Mini-Tutorial: Crime Scene Photography

Painting With Light


When it comes to crime scene photography in low light, small portable speedlight flash units are a crime scene photographer's best friend.


Today's electronic flash units are smarter, more adjustable, and more powerful than ever. They can handle a myriad of lighting conditions from a small wink of light to fill shadows, to a full power burst to fill a room with light.


The majority of indoor and night time outdoor crime scenes can be photographed with little to no trouble once you have mastered a few techniques. A good working knowledge of your camera and flash unit's exposure compensation controls will help you tune your on-camera flash photographs to the correct exposure. A time exposure, leaving your camera's shutter open for an extended period of time while your camera is on a tripod, or a shutter-drag, a flash photograph with a slower then normal shutter speed, can be very effective ways to capture a scene in a low available light situation.


But what do you do when you have a large scene with very limited to no available light; a scene much larger than a single burst from your flash can illuminate and that has almost no other light to use for a time exposure? You can utilize a technique known as Painting with Light.


Simply put, painting with light involves using your camera on a tripod, opening your camera's shutter, and using your off-camera flash unit to "paint in" light by firing it manually, multiple times throughout your scene.


To demonstrate this technique, I took a number of photographs of a large area of a park with very little available light.


The first photograph was taken well after sunset with the lens aperture wide open and the flash unit on-camera, set at full power.


The flash illuminates the foreground but quickly falls off to what I like to call "the black hole effect". There is simply not enough power in a speedlight flash unit to light a scene of this size with a standard on-camera flash exposure.


Now for the fun part. In order to demonstrate the painting with light technique, I predetermined fifteen spots throughout the scene from which the flash would be fired after sunset. Before the sun went down, I photographed my assistant at each of these locations and compiled the images into the following slide show.



The slide show demonstrates the location of each place the off-camera flash will be manually fired during a long exposure once darkness has fallen.

Movement of the camera during the long exposure must be avoided, so use a sturdy tripod to steady your camera. Most Digital SLR Cameras will allow exposures up to thirty seconds in the manual mode. The problem is, thirty seconds is often not enough time to paint a large scene with multiple bursts from your strobe.

That's where your camera's Bulb setting comes in. The Bulb setting usually appears right after 30 seconds when you are setting your shutter speed in the manual mode. When your shutter speed is set to Bulb, the shutter will open when the shutter release is depressed, and will remain open as long as you keep it depressed. One minute, one hour, as long as you keep the shutter release depressed, the shutter will remain open, exposing your sensor to light. Pretty cool huh? You always wondered what that odd little setting was for didn't you?

Obviously you can't keep your camera steady while depressing the shutter release for an extended time. Depending on your camera model you can use a conventional shutter release cable that manually locks the shutter release open, or a wired or wireless electronic shutter release that accomplishes the same thing.

Depending on your depth-of-field needs, set your fstop near wide open. To keep noise under control, I usually keep my ISO setting in the 400 to 800 range.

Setting your focus to manual will keep your auto focus from trying in vain to lock focus in the dark. Use your flashlight to help focus on your scene and to make your camera adjustments.

The idea is to blanket your scene with bursts from your hand-held strobe unit as evenly as possible. Emphasis should be put on illuminating areas with evidence, markers, etc.. Easier said than done right? It does take some practice, but with a little trial and error, you will get good exposures of your scenes that were nearly impossible to get with on-camera strobe exposures.

Here is the final result of fifteen pops of the strobe during an approximately two and a half minute exposure.


Perfect? No, but so much better than the original on-camera single flash exposure.


Experiment with this technique before photographing an actual scene. Try using two people with two strobes if you have the resources. Use the lights of your vehicle to illuminate areas of your scene. Always have new batteries in your strobe or use an external battery for faster recycle times. You are only limited by your creativity.

Here are a few things to avoid: Don't get between the lens of your camera and the strobe when you pop the flash. The result will be a ghost-like image of you in the photograph.


Make sure your strobe is always pointed into the scene and not back toward your camera. The result will be a star burst effect if you allow your camera to see the front of your flash.




The more you paint with light, the more comfortable you will become with this great technique.

Crime Scene Photography, Crime Scene Investigator, Latent Print Examiner, CSI, Forensics, and Law Enforcement Job Listings for Mar./Apr. 2009

Has been moved to our sister site,
CSI:Crime Scene Investigator

This just in!

I have it from a reliable source that the June Field Evidence Technician Course offered by C.S.U.L.B. Center for Criminal Justice has a few openings for those who are not currently employed by a law enforcement agency. This may be your best chance at getting in on this highly rated course and give you some awesome training toward becoming a crime scene investigator.

Here is the info, enroll A.S.A.P.

Crime Scene Investigation Training Course Coming in June

The Field Evidence Technician Course from CA State University Long Beach is being offered again this June 8th through the 19th. F.E.T. is a comprehensive and excellent two week training course in all things related to Crime Scene Investigation.

This is a great opportunity to receive top-notch Crime Scene Investigation training from some of the best professionals working in the field.

Camera Gear

Canon announces new Speedlite flash

Canon announced today the addition of a new flash to their lineup, the Speedlite 270EX. The 270EX is a small, light flash unit that runs on two AA batteries. Canon boasts several features for the 270EX: a quick, 4 sec. recycle time, a flash head that can bounce up to 90 degrees, their quick-lock mechanism, and a metal mounting foot to name a few.

The 270EX is meant to replace the 220EX which sold for under $150.00. Although certainly less powerful and feature-packed then their 430EX and 580EX lines, the 270EX could be a relatively low-cost second or back-up flash for your field kit.

Gadget Bag

DIY: Rubber coated Speed-Strap for your Speedlite

There are many accessories that can be purchased or easily made to modify the light coming from your off-camera or on-camera strobe. The key to putting these accessories to work is the ability to quickly and easily attach them to your Speedlite. Two part self-adhesive hook and loop material will work, but some, yours truly included, don’t prefer to permanently mount the material to the strobe. The answer is an easy-to-use speed-strap that can be securely attached and removed as needed.

Here is a very simple, inexpensive way to create your own accessory speed-strap that is rubber coated to securely grip your strobe head and protect it’s finish as well.

Items you will need:

Hook and loop strap material – width is personal preference. ¾” to 2” will work well

Plasti Dip plastic coating material – found at hardware and tool stores

1” Foam paint applicator – found at paint and home improvement stores

Ruler

Masking tape

Paper

Naphtha thinner – found at paint and home improvement stores

Step-by-step:

Protect your work surface with paper. (this stuff can get messy)

Determine the length of hook and strap material for you strobe. I found 12” works well with Canon’s 580EX ll.

Tape off 3” of the hook (rough) side of the strap securing it to your covered surface. This allows an adequate surface for the loop side of the strap to attach to the hook side.

Mix the Plasti Dip material well and use the foam applicator to apply the material to the hook side of the strap.

Allow to dry, and apply a second coat. You can repeat this process, but I found two coats covered well.

Use the Naphtha to thin the rubber coating material as needed and for any clean-up.

After allowing it to completely dry, wrap your speed-strap around the head of you strobe. Attach self-adhesive hook material to your DIY or store bought light modifying accessories, and easily attach them to your strobe.

Never underestimate the power of your Crime Scene Photos

For those of you that have been photographing crime scenes and victims for some time now, they daily routine of crime scene photography may have slipped into the realm of well… routine.

It can be easy in this line of work to fall into a “get in, get your photos, and get out” kind of mentality. As a crime scene investigator you should never allow yourself to become too personally involved in your daily casework, but if you are not careful, real people can become just faceless victims.

Remember, the camera you hold in your hands can be a powerful tool. Our crime scene photographs can, and do, speak for the victims that cannot always speak for themselves. They are often used, as we are reminded here, as a key piece of evidence that determines if a suspect will go to jail for his crimes.

Crime Scene Investigation
Training Course Coming in June

The Field Evidence Technician Course from CA State University Long Beach is being offered again this June 8th through the 19th. F.E.T. is a comprehensive and excellent two week training course in all things related to Crime Scene Investigation.

This is a great opportunity to receive top-notch hands on Crime Scene Investigation training from some of the best professionals working in the field.

Once again, the web site states "This class is Restricted to Law Enforcement Employees Only", but they have been known to make exceptions if you have a recommendation from an active Peace Officer and there is room in the class. They also accept students from all over the world.

NEW! CSI:Crime Scene Investigator

Crime Scene Photography's new sister site has just been launched.

CSI:Crime Scene Investigator was created to encompass all aspects of becoming and working as a Crime Scene Investigator. Check it out soon for new posts.

Crime Scene Photography, Crime Scene Investigator, CSI, Latent Print Examiner, Forensics, and Law Enforcement Job Listings for Feb. 2009

Ideal Innovations, Inc.
Latent Print Examiners
Tenprint Examiners

Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Office
Latent Print Examiner

Seattle, Washington Police Department
Latent Print Examiner

Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department
Radio Dispatcher

Oregon State Police
Forensic Scientist - Entry

This listing is provided for general information purposes only. Crime Scene Photography is not responsible for errors, irregularities, or omissions in Job Opportunities listings. Employers change requirements, dates, and employment opportunities without notice. Contact the employer to see if any changes in the job opportunities have been made.

A career as a Crime Scene Investigator…
Passion found!

I love my job as a Crime Scene Investigator. It’s a pleasure to help people that have been wronged by others and very satisfying to help put those responsible behind bars. I am definitely passionate about my job, but is it my passion?

I love taking photographs. From the first time I picked up my mother’s Kodak Baby Brownie, pressed the shutter button, and heard the “click”, I was hooked. I knew from the young age of twelve I wanted to be a photographer when I grew up (even though I still refuse to). Seeing my first Ansel Adams exhibit nearly took my breath away. It instilled in me the love for nature and black and white photography that motivates me today.

Photography is my true passion.
Not very long ago, I realized that I had inadvertently put my passion aside. I had become so busy with my Crime Scene Photography and my teaching that I stopped taking photographs just for the joy of taking them. Don’t get me wrong, I love taking photographs as a Crime Scene Investigator, and I love teaching others those skills, but I had temporarily forgotten to take photographs just for me.


Fortunately, the remedy for this predicament was quite easy, I just started shooting again. A two-day trip to Bodie and Death Valley, three days in Yosemite, an afternoon at the beach, and the joy returned as if it had never been gone.

So as you hone your Crime Scene Photography skills and strive to be the best Crime Scene Investigator you can be, don’t forget what got you hooked on photography in the first place. Go ahead and capture a few images, just for you.

Mini-Tutorial: Crime Scene Photography

Taking Injury Photographs

We human beings are somewhat fragile creatures. Our bodies of skin, flesh, and bones injure rather easily. Daily life is filled with opportunities to bump and bruise ourselves into our home first-aid kits or worse, the emergency room. It's the risk we take every day doing the things we do.

Fortunately, the majority of the time we easily heal with an ache, lingering bruise, or maybe even a scar to remind us of our mishap.

Unfortunately, we also live in a world where some people choose to inflict pain and injury on others. Be it a gang fight, drunken brawl, or violent spouse, people hurt each other, and it happens every day.

This phenomenon does not discriminate by gender, skin color, or socioeconomic status. For this reason, rarely does a work-day go by that a crime scene investigator is not called upon to take injury photographs.

Injury photographs are often the most powerful evidence used to convict the people who perpetrate these crimes. Wounds heal, memories fade, stories change, but good photographs accompany the jury into the deliberation room.

The key to excellent injury photography breaks down to two things: proper lighting and good depth of field. Come to think of it, these two things play a major role in most, if not all photographs, ...but I digress.

Lets discuss the order in which to take your photographs and how to light them. First, always identify your subject. A three-quarter vertical shot of your subject with the case number, your initials, the date, and your subject's name tells the viewer the "who" and "what" they need to know. (The "why" may be a bit more difficult to ascertain.) For this photograph, using your flash on-camera will do fine.

Your next photo should be a mid-range shot showing what area of the body the injury is located. On-camera flash will generally work here as well.

Lastly, move in for close-ups that will document the details of the wound. Taking a series of photographs in this order allows the viewer to follow the overall, mid-range, close-up style of crime scene photography. In this case, think of it as: "Here is the injured person, here is their arm with the injury, and here is the injury itself."

The close-up photographs are where you need to change your lighting technique. Where on-camera flash will do the job for your overalls and most mid-range shots, you will get much better close-ups by using off-camera flash. Getting your flash off the top of your camera will allow you to properly light the wound from the best possible angle. This can be done by using an off-camera sync cable and hand-holding your flash unit, but using one of the many camera/flash brackets available makes the job easier and gives you more control. Also consider using a wireless flash sync to free you from the sometimes annoying and often in the way cable dangling between your camera and flash. Sticking with equipment that is the same brand (or compatible) as your camera and flash will allow them to properly communicate and fully function with each other.

Use a scale for your mid-range and close-ups. Hold the scale close to, but not touching the injured area. Keep the scale as close to the same plane as the wound and as near 90 degrees to your camera as possible to minimize distortion. Using a small scale that allows you to hand write your case information, name, and date will help you to later identify a close-up photograph as yours.

Remember, this is not portraiture. Our goal is not beauty but good detailed documentation. No need, or time for that matter, to set up your light stands and shoot-through umbrellas. Save them for that promotion portrait or a shot of that Medal of Honor winner. That said, our injured subjects can quite often be very shiny and modifying the light coming from the flash a bit can help keep those nasty little reflections to a minimum. A diffusion dome over the flash head works quite well without making the light too soft.

Depth of field can be defined as the closest item in your photograph in sharp focus to the furthest item in sharp focus. When is comes to crime scene photographs, we usually want plenty of it.

One of the negative by-products of shooting close-ups, including injury photographs, is the closer we get to our subject, the less depth of field we have. Therefore, we must increase our depth of field by shooting with small aperture openings.

The aperture is located in the lens on your camera. It functions like the iris in your eye, opening and closing to control the amount of light coming through the lens. Aperture openings are represented as f/stops on your camera, i.e. f/4, f/5.6, f/8 etc. The camera's LCD will often show the f/stop selected as f8 or just 8. The larger the f/stop number, the smaller the aperture opening of your lens. The smaller the aperture opening of your lens, the more depth of field. Without getting into to much detail within the confines of this tutorial, remember this: a bigger f/stop number will give you bigger, or more, depth of field. (More depth of field details to come in future tutorials.)

We want our injury photographs to be as in-focus, or sharp, as possible, so select a larger f/stop number. Depending on just how close you are to the subject f16, f22, f32 should do the trick. Don't worry about using such a small aperture opening. Your flash can put out more then enough light at these close distances.

Last but not least, be sure to carefully focus on the injury. If your auto-focus is having trouble, switch to manual and critically focus on the wound.

With a little practice, these techniques will become second nature and should help you produce excellent and consistent injury photographs.

Crime Scene Photography and CSI Training opportunity coming soon.

The International Association for Identification's annual International Educational Conference will be held August 16-22, 2009 in Tampa, Florida, USA.

This is an excellent week long conference featuring many of today's top Crime Scene Photographers, Latent Print Specialists, Shoe Print and Tire Track Examiners, Blood Stain Experts and Crime Scene Investigators from around the world.

If you are a Crime Scene Professional or looking to become one, this conference is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to receive top-notch training in all areas of Crime scene Investigation.

Check it out at http://www.theiai.org/conference/2009/index.php

Crime Scene Investigation Training Course Coming in February

The Field Evidence Technician Course from CA State University Long Beach is being offered again this February 2nd-13th. This is an excellent training course in all things related to CSI.

This is a great opportunity to receive top-notch Crime Scene Investigation training from some of the best professionals working in the field.

Once again, the web site states "This class is Restricted to Law Enforcement Employees Only", but they have been known to make exceptions if you have a recommendation from an active Peace Officer and there is room in the class. They also except students from all over the world.

Check the class out at http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/chhs/centers/cj/courses/FIELDEVIDENCETECHNICIANCOURSEFET.htm

A big shout out and thank you to Strobist...

...for the recent kind words and link to Crime Scene Photography.

If you have not yet checked out the excellent information on Strobist, follow the link, learn, and enjoy!
http://strobist.blogspot.com/