Chapter 2

Photography Rays – Its Nature and Characteristics

A. Light

Lights is one of a number of known form of radiant electromagnetic energy

which travel in wave motion. Actually, there are other theories that explains the
behavior of light (ex. Quantum theory) but our purpose, the wave theory is the only
one considered. This form of energy travels at a speed of about 186,000 moles per
second in the air, but they differ in the distance from wavelength and frequency.
Wavelength is the distance from the crest (highest point) to the wave to the next
succeeding crest while frequency is the number of waves passing in a given point in
one second. The product of the two is the speed of travel.
The speed of the various radiant energy is constant at a given medium, but
varies with other media. For example, the speed of light in ordinary glass is only
about two-third of its speed in air. Actually, it is only the wavelength that changes,
frequency remains constant. However frequency is much more difficult to measure,
wavelength could be determined with accuracy. Hence, we identify a particular
radiation by its wavelength. Wavelength is measured by the angstrom unit or in
terms of mili-microns (English system of measure) or nanometer (metric system of
measure) which is equivalent to one over one millionth of a millimeter.

The different energies in the electromagnetic spectrum are the following:

Cosmic rays, Gama rays, X-rays Ultraviolet rays , visible light , Infrared rays , heat rays
, Hertzians waves , and the alternating current oscillations.

The energies that capable of being recorded on sensitized materials are the
X-rays, Ultraviolet rays, visible light, and infrared rays. They are sometimes referred
to as the four photographic rays of modern photography. The wavelength of X-rays
is from 01 to 30 nanometers, Ultraviolet rays from 30 to 400 nn, visible light from
400 to 700 nn, and infrared rays from 700 to 1,000+nn. Actually, the wavelength of
infrared rays extend beyond 2,000 nn but the longest wavelength that the present
sensitized materials (films) could record is only up to this limit.

The Webster Dictionary defines light as a radiant electromagnetic energy that

can be seen by the naked eyes. The scientific definition of light is the aspect of
radiant energy of which is human observer is aware through the visual sensations
which arise from the stimulation of the retina of the eye.
 Light rays with a wavelength of 400 to 700 nn is referred to as a visible light because
it is only within these wavelengths that the human eye is capable of perceiving. Those with
shorter or longer wavelengths are commonly referred as invisible radiations.
By the definition all lights are visible. For this reason the word “visible” is superfluous in that
common expression “visible light”. What the eye cannot see are referred to as radiations

Light energy has several effect on an object. It is either reflected, absorbed,

transmitted or converted. The varying combinations of this reflectance and absorption are
what gives us the wide variety of colors which we are able to perceive, at times, other light
neither reflected or absorbed but is transmitted through the object. This transmitted light
passing through the object and allows a viewer on the other side of the object to perceive
these light waves.
The final effect a radiant energy may have on an object is to be converted to another
wavelength. This conversion is known as luminescene. There are two types of luminescene;
the flourescene and phosphoresce.
Flourescene is the ability of an object to convert one wavelength to another as long
as the active energy source is irradiating the object.
In phosphorescene the object not only converts the wavelength while being
irradiated but continuous to reflect the new wavelengths for a period of time after the
energy source removed.
White Light
When all the wavelength between 400-700 nanometers are presented to the eye in
nearly equal quantity, we get the sensation or perception of colorless or white light. /if
narrow beam of white light is allowed to pass through a prism it will bend the light of
shorter wavelength more than those with longer wavelength thus spreading them out into
the visible spectrum. These are the colors of the rainbow-the
red ,orange ,yellow ,green ,blue ,indigo ,violet.
If we divided the wavelength of visible light 400-700 nano. Equally into three from
400 to 500 to 600 nano. And from 600 to 700 nano. We will produce blue, green, and red
colors. These are known as the three primary colors of light as differentiated from the three
primary colors of paints, dyes. And coloring matters which are the blue, yellow, and red.
Active Color Mixture
If we get three projectors with beams of light projecting individually blue, green, and
red and have the three beams overlap over the other, we will note that the portion where
the blue and green lights merged over the other, it will produce a cyan color, the green and
red lights a yellow color, and the red and blue lights a magenta color at the center where
the blue and green and red lights were combined in proper ratio, we see white lights. In this
aspect, cyan, yellow, and magenta are known as the tree secondary colors of lights. For
practical purpose, white is the presence of all colors while black is the absence of all colors
or the absence of light.
Subtractive Color Mixture
This time, the light beam of three projectors will be covered each with cyan filter,
yellow filter, and magenta filter and have beams of light projected one over the other. The
cyan filter will transmit blue and green light but also absorbs red from white light. A yellow
filter will transmit blue from it green and red light but absorbs blue from white light.
Similarly, a magenta filter will transmit red and blue light but absorbs green from white
light. At the center where the tree beams of light are merged together will produced black.
In simple terms, cyan is the complementary of red, yellow is the complementary of blue and
magenta is the complementary of green.
Production of Colors
There are a number of different ways in which color is produced. One need to know the
variable quantities of colors so it will be possible to evaluate color as quantity.

1. Absorption – the colors of most ordinary objects are due to the fact that they do
not absorb the same amount of light at each wavelength.
2. Scattering – the colors of blue sky is due to the scattering of lights by the
atmosphere. Variation of the density of the atmospheric gases act in such way that
they scatter light of the shorter wavelength at the blue end of spectrum much more
they scatter light of longer wavelength of the red end of spectrum. Thus the sky is
bluest when it is clearest, and white when it is less clear.
3. Interference – color can also be produce by interference of light waves in thin
film like soup bubbles or a film of oil floating in water. The light reflected from the
top surface of such a film undergoes a reversal or phase but the light reflected from
the bottom surface does not undergo this type of change. This phenomenon is also
responsible for the color pattern known as “Newton’s ring” which sometimes cause
trouble in color printing work.
4. Flourescene – this happens when molecules of the fluorescent materials absorb
energy at one wavelength and radiate it at another wavelength.
5. Dispersion – color may arise from differences in the refractive or bending power
of a transparent medium of light of different wavelength. The rainbow is a good
example of this phenomenon.
Attributes of Colors
According to the modern scientific definition of color, it is not legitimate to ascribe
color to an object but only to the light reflected from it. Thus any color perception has three
characteristics, any one of which can be varied independently of the other two. These are
hue, saturation, and brightness.

Bending of Light
 When travelling in open space, light travels in straight line. However, when light
comes in contact with an object, it may be bended in the following manner.

Reflection of lights

Object absorbs green and blue, looks red.

Transmission of Lights

Filter absorbs green and blue looks red.

Refraction

The different bending of lights as it presses through glass blocks.

1. Reflection - is the deflection or bouncing back of lights when it hits a surface.

a. Regular Reflection – happens when lights hits a flat, smooth and shinny surface.
b. Irregular or diffused reflection – occurs when light hits a rough or uneven but
glossy object.

2. Refraction – the bending of light when passing from one medium to another.
3. Diffraction – the bending of light when it hits a sharp edge of an opaque.

Kinds of object as to how they behave to light

 1. Transparent objects – allows sufficient visible light to pass through them that the
object on the other side may be clearly seen.
2. Translucent objects – allows lights to pass, however diffuse it sufficiently that objects
on the other side may not be clearly distinguished. In some cases the object on the
other side may recognizable but sharp detail and outline are obscured.
3. Opaque objects – so greatly diffuse the light that recognizing the object on the other
side is very difficult if not impossible.
Source of Light
1. Natural light source – those coming from nature like the sun, moon, stars, other
heavenly bodies, lightning, fire, etc. while all of these source could now be used for
photographic use, for practical reasons, the discussion will be limited to sunlight
only.
a. Bright sunlight – a lighting condition where objects in open space cast a deep and
uniform or distinct shadow.
b. Hazy sunlight – objects in open space cast a transparent shadow.
c. Dull sunlight – objects in an open space cast no shadow.
a. Cloudy bright – objects in open space cast no shadow but objects at far
distance are clearly visible.
b. Cloudy dull – objects in open space cast no shadow and visibility of distant
objects are already limited.
2. Artificial light source – light sources of this category are man-made and is divided
into the continuous radiation and the short duration.
a. Continuous radiation – are those that can give illumination continuously. The
common light source of this kind are the fluorescent lamp, incandescent lamp,
carbon arc lamp, gas lamp, etc.
b. Short duration (flash unit) – a flash unit give a brief flash of light produced by burning
metallic wire (flash bulb) or an electrical discharged through a filled tube (electronic
flash). At this time, the flash bulb is no longer available in the market but the
electronic flash remains very popular.
Forensic Light sources
1. Ultraviolet lamp
Ultraviolet lamps used in forensic work come in variety of shape, size, and
power. Some units are portable battery operated and are easily carried and can
meet the rugged and rigorous demand for field work.

The ultraviolet radiation is broken down into the long wave U.V., the medium
wave U.V. and the short wave U.V. the long wave U.V. is used in wide variety of
applications in medical and forensics.

2. LASER – Light Amplification through Simulated Emission of Radiation

Although developed years earlier it was in 1970’s that it was discovered that
by illuminating certain items with LASER, they would fluoresce or could be
made to stand out in sharp contrast from their background. This was
especially significant in locating dried biological stains such as semen, urine
and saliva, as well as stains that had been washed. The LASER stimulation of
these items provided away for the criminalist to finally see, locate, and
visually record evidence that they know that they had been missing. The only
 drawback of LASER is their cost, they are quite expensive. LASER is also
known as coherent light.
3. Alternative Light Source (ALS)

The alternative light sources was developed in mid 1980’s as a far more
inexpensive alternative to forensic LASER. The ALS uses a variety of band pass filters
to provide a high intensity beam of non-coherent light. These multiple band pass
filters allows the operator to match the LASER frequency available at crime scene.
Additional wavelength were include to allow the ALS to operate in the U.V., near
combination of filter and adjustable iris to control the width of the transmission
band , various wavelength from U.V. to IR may be digitally selected. This allows the
operator to scan an almost endless variety of wavelength instead of being restricted
to the specific band pass filter capabilities.

4. Forensic Light Sources

The FLS is a term being applied to a wide variety of relatively inexpensive light
sources which use filtered white light. A band of pass filters allows a fairly narrow
band of light to pass through. The object is then radiated with what is normally
about 400-500 nanometer light source. The strobe shift of a specifically
developed luminiscient fingerprint powder which also falls within the strobe shift
of most biological powder. This will enable a criminalist to search latent
fingerprints of rough surfaces. The white light source used with the FLS Is a
sample as a maglight type handheld flashlight or a spotlight with the filter in
place.

Chapter Evaluation

SAQ 3-1

1. Define photograph? What is the important of photograp in police works?

 2. What is light? Discuss its features and important characteristics.

SAQ 3-2

1. Explain the different electromagnetic spectrum?

2. What are the different production of colors? Explain each.

3. What are the source of light? Explain Each.

 Note: Answer the SAQs (Self-Assessment Qestions) in a separate paper. Use
A4 size bond paper. Answers should be handwritten. Write legibly.