The world of creativity offers many jobs and creative possibilities. One of the fields of action for creatives of the image is in the judicial and police field through forensic photography. Forensic photography is intended to collect reliable visual testimony of the events that occurred during cases of death, be it homicides, accidents, or other causes that require clarification.
A photographer of this specialty is involved with issues related to law enforcement and forensic science as a whole. As you can imagine, the work of a forensic photographer requires absolute seriousness and a lot of responsibility. The work of lens creatives in this specialty must comprise the following points.
- Relate the object to the environment that surrounds it by taking panoramic photographs.
- Detailed frames of the objects or people involved in any case.
- Eliminate shadows or enhance them, as the case may be, to understand, for example, a crime scene.
- Identification cards containing details such as date, file, name, age, name of the photographer, etc.
- Complementary images (if necessary) can be obtained with telephoto lenses, ultraviolet filters, and other tools.
How should video surveillance images be permissible by a court?
Images must be relevant.
The footage must belong to the case arguments because images that are not will probably not be admitted.
Images must be authentic.
Only through image authentication can you ensure that images accurately represent a fact or subject and that no enhancements, edits, or secondary effects have been made that could misrepresent the facts. All this will largely be determined by whether or not the lighting is adequate to capture clear images both day and night.
The original copy should always be collected and stored as soon as possible. Having witnesses who viewed the events outside of the video footage will strengthen a claim as to the authenticity of the video footage. Even if we believe something can be considered evidence, a court may not see it that way. Thus:
- Check for pixelated images in monitoring settings.
- Test video playback to make sure the device is set to capture enough frames per second (FPS).
- Schedule regular camera maintenance and system tests.
- Make sure the date and time, and display settings are correct.
Good camera resolution
High-resolution images allow for more accurate facial recognition. Always remember that enhancing an image can rule out evidence in an image authentication process. The sharper the resolution, the more detail your footage will convey.
The importance of camera placement
Always keep in mind things like whether the location of the camera can accurately capture the faces of people of different heights because if we place the camera in an especially high position, it may not. Placing the camera as close to eye level as possible works, but it is best to set up multiple cameras, which will have the added benefit of compensating for any issues caused by device failure.
The more images from different angles that can be collected, the greater the chances of having strong and admissible evidence. Place the cameras at key activity points and, of course, at entrances and exits. Using a floor plan or building plan can help determine the best location and get the most coverage for each device.
Once you have placed the camera, it is important to test it. Make sure you have clear sightlines at entrances, exits, and main hallways. Ensure no objects obstruct your view, check what the lighting is like at different times of the day and night, etc. Doing so is a great way to identify problem areas and start working on improvements.
Light position
It is necessary to study aspects such as how people will be completely illuminated from the front or how they appear at different times of the day. The more light we introduce, the greater the depth of field will be. The greater the depth of field, the more focused the footage will be and the more likely the images will be admissible in court.
Conclusion
Not every image and video captured by your CCTV is perfect for forensic analysis of a crime scene. This is why you must get a CCTV video enhancer to help you authenticate and enhance your videos. We recommend you use Cognitech video investigator as your forensic image enhancement software.
